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Jenna Evans is the woman who had a dream about swallowing her engagement ring. When she woke up, the San Diego woman realized that the nightmare was actually a reality.
Evans had to have emergency surgery in order to retrieve the ring, which had traveled into her intestines. Her story has since gone viral and Evans says she is able to laugh about it. But she added that she now takes extra precautions to avoid a repeat situation.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Jenna Evans Dreamed That Her Fiance Told Her to Swallow the Ring In Order to Protect It
Jenna Evans shared on Facebook that it is very common for her to have vivid dreams. She explained that this particular dream involved her and fiance Bob Howell trying to escape from villains while riding a high-speed train. In the dream, Howell instructed Evans to swallow the ring in order to protect it.
“I popped that sucker off, put it in my mouth and swallowed it with a glass of water riiiight about the time I realized what I was doing. I assumed this too was a dream, because WHO ACTUALLY SWALLOWS THEIR ENGAGEMENT RING, so I went back to sleep.”
Evans said that when she noticed her ring was missing upon waking up, she knew immediately what had happened. A trip to urgent care confirmed that the engagement ring was in her stomach. Evans said she was crying and laughing throughout the bizarre experience. But she added that she began to feel scared as the pain in her stomach got worse. Doctors decided to remove the ring surgically.
2. Jenna Evans Designed the Ring Herself & Was Grateful For the Decision to Remove It Surgically
Jenna Evans waited more than five years for her perfect engagement ring. She told CBS Sacramento that she and fiance Bob Howell have been together for that long and that she picked out all of the stones for engagement ring herself.
Evans explained that she was relieved when doctors said that the safest course of action after swallowing the ring was an emergency endoscopy surgery. She said that waiting for the ring to travel all the way through her system would have forever altered her view of it. “I was really happy because I don’t know if I’d ever be able to look at it and appreciate it in the same way if I’d had to search for it.”
Doctors returned the ring to Howell after safely removing it from Evans’ intestines. He eventually gave it back to her after Evans promised not to swallow it again.
Evans says that she now takes her ring off before going to bed. She added that she’s also grateful that she’s able to laugh about what happened since she got the ring back. Evans and Howell plan to tie the knot in May of 2020.
3. Evans’ Story Went Viral & She Joked That She Hopes Her Tale Elicits ‘A Good Belly Laugh’
Jenna Evans’ Facebook post has been shared more than 62,000 times and her story quickly went viral. She added to the original post, “I also had no idea this would go viral – please be kind. I didn’t do it on purpose and I’m not trying to change the world here, just share a funny story and hopefully a good belly laugh. Pun intended.”
Evans also joked about the beauty of her ring. “Ring is lovingly made by Simone Jewelry Designs in Houston, Tx. Jewels so lovely, you could eat them. But dont – trust me on this.”
In the aftermath, Evans has also taken the time to thank those who have expressed well-wishes. “I have never felt more strongly about the importance and value of kindness than in the last 48 hours. Most people have shared funny stories, well wishes, warm compliments, but some people are so cruel. It really amazes me the amount of hate some people have in their hearts… Thanks to my champions that have come to my defense – yall are the real MVPs.”
4. Jenna Evans Works In Analytics & Studied Fashion Design In College
Jenna Evans works as an account manager for Crown Point Systems. It’s a small business in San Diego that, according to its website, provides IT equipment to the Department of Defense as well as to federal, state and local governments. Evans wrote on her LinkedIn profile that she “endeavors to personalize the transaction while championing the big-picture cause of Patriotism and the sustainment of the world’s most powerful Military and its warfighters.”
Before getting into this line of work, Evans pursued a career in fashion. According to LinkedIn, she majored in apparel design at Wade College in Texas. Her Facebook page includes a few designs she worked on for a college project.
5. Mayo Clinic: The Condition In Which People Act Out Dreams Is Called REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
Jenna Evans shared in her Facebook post that she does vaguely remember grabbing a glass of water and swallowing her engagement ring. But in this hazy state, she assumed this too was part of the dream and drifted back to sleep.
There is a medical condition in which people act out their dreams. The Mayo Clinic explains that REM Sleep Behavior Disorder occurs “in which you physically act out vivid, often unpleasant dreams with vocal sounds and sudden, often violent arm and leg movements during REM sleep — sometimes called dream-enacting behavior.”
The condition is rare and considered abnormal because our arms and legs are typically paralyzed during REM sleep. The Mayo Clinic explains that people with the condition have nerve pathways in their brains that are not functioning properly. In Evans’ case, she said that doctors recommended that she see a sleep specialist.
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