Knife slip during dishwashing leads to life-saving diagnosis for Michigan woman

A woman from Michigan stated that a common kitchen accident revealed a serious medical condition that doctors believe may have gone unnoticed until it was too late.

Marissa Dupraw, 31, from Kalamazoo, was washing dishes on March 31 when she accidentally dropped a sharp kitchen knife onto her left foot, causing a 2.5-inch-deep cut.

“I was crouched putting some dishes away… then I stood up and grabbed a knife… the dizziness hit because I’d stood up too fast,” Dupraw told Kennedy News and Media. 

“I dropped the knife from chest height… and then it landed perfectly on my foot.”

Dupraw, a hospital worker, said she was initially in shock and didn’t immediately feel the pain. But once it set in, she realized the severity of the injury.

“Then, the pain hit, and I saw the blood,” she said. “I knew not to pull it out, so I grabbed some paper towels… then called 911.”

At the hospital, doctors confirmed the 5-inch blade had narrowly missed arteries, nerves, and tendons. However, what initially seemed like a routine emergency quickly took a more serious turn.

Dupraw said blood tests revealed her blood was “dangerously thin,” raising concerns about her clotting ability.

“When they got the knife out, it wouldn’t stop bleeding,” she said. “Doctors told me that was extremely alarming.”

Further testing on April 11 revealed a 9-centimeter ovarian cyst on her right ovary. Medical staff later told her the injury may have indirectly led to a life-saving diagnosis.

“The knife was the warning sign to show things weren’t right,” Dupraw said. 

“They told me this knife may well have saved my life because it isn’t something they’d have caught without it.”

Doctors also noted the cyst carried a high risk of rupturing, which could have caused severe internal bleeding, particularly given her existing blood-clotting issues. 

Dupraw had previously been placed on blood thinners after a lung clot two years earlier.

“If this cyst ruptures, I’m already in a really dangerous position,” she said. “Without knowing about the coagulation issue, it would likely be a guaranteed death.”

Dupraw underwent surgery to remove the cyst on April 23 and is now recovering, calling the ordeal both frightening and ultimately life-saving.

Despite the painful injury, she said she is grateful the accident led to early detection of a condition that could have turned fatal.