April 17, 2001--
On August 23, 2000, a 21-year-old Salt Lake man ate his supper, perhaps a little too fast, and started hiccuping.
Eight months later, he's still doing it.
Science Specialist Ed Yeates reports doctors can't find a way to turn off the hiccups.
Pharmacy technician Seth Dowell calls doctors and nurses to okay prescriptions. After eight months of hiccuping, people on the other end know who he is almost immediately.
On his worst days, Seth hiccups almost every 30 seconds or so.
SETH DOWELL, PHARMACY TECHNICIAN: "I'LL HICCUP ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT. SOMETIMES CAN'T GET TO SLEEP BECAUSE I'M HICCUPING SO BAD. SO YOU JUST STAY AWAKE BECAUSE - REALLY -(HICCUP) THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO."
First impression is to feel sorry. But Seth says he doesn't want pity, but laughs, because that's the way he wants to deal with his predicament - until it ends.
BONI NEWELL, COLLEAGUE: "IT DOESN'T PHASE ME ANYMORE. IT'S JUST KIND OF BLENDED IN EVERYDAY."
JUDY ANDERSON, COLLEAGUE: "HE'S GOT THE TIGHTEST ABS IN TOWN. SO I GUESS THAT'S GOOD FOR THE GIRLS (LAUGHS)."
But Seth says his hiccups turn off dates. The last one he remembers, his hiccuping forced him to leave a movie.
SETH: "YOU KNOW, I CAN'T TAKE 'EM OUT AND GO TO MOVIES BECAUSE YOU HICCUP THROUGH THE WHOLE MOVIE AND I DON'T WANT TO RUIN IT FOR EVERYBODY ELSE (HICCUP)."
Customers and colleagues all have their own remedies and Seth has tried them all.
SETH: "COVER YOU EARS, DRINK A FULL GLASS OF WATER, PUT A PAPER TOWEL OVER A GLASS OF WATER, DRINK IT THROUGH THAT, STAND ON YOUR HEAD, DRINK A GLASS OF WATER."
A teaspoon of sugar, the list goes on and on...
Ed Yeates, Eyewitness News: "EVEN DOCTORS HERE AT ST. MARK'S HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO TURN OFF SETH'S HICCUPS. THEY'VE RUN A C.T. SCAN. NEUROLOGICALLY AND PHYSICALLY, SO FAR, EVERYTHING LOOKS NORMAL."
Until they find an answer or the hiccups just go away, everybody knows where Seth is all the time. And for Seth..
Seth: "I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO IF I STOPPED HICCUPING. IT'S JUST LIKE GETTING UP IN THE MORNING (HICCUP- LAUGHS)."
