Many of us have funny stories about things that happened to us while we were sleeping. For some, it’s stories about crazy things they’ve muttered aloud in their sleep, for others it’s tales of eating the entire contents of their kitchen without even opening their eyes.
Who is Jenna Evans? She’s another person with a wacky story about doing something utterly bizarre in her sleep, but what she did could have killed her! Read on and find out how.
1. Meet Jenna Evans
Jenna Evans was thrilled when her man finally popped the question. She didn’t necessarily spend her girlhood dreaming of one day walking down the ailse, but she was in love and definitely ready to get engaged and start planning her wedding. So imagine her horror when this woman from San Diego awoke after having a nightmare about swallowing her engagement ring to discover that it wasn’t a dream…she really swallowed that sucker! After emergency surgery the ring was recovered, and now Jenna can finally laugh over her embarrassing viral moment.
2. The Ring Eating Dream
For Jenna, having incredibly realistic feeling dreams is far from an uncommon occurence. As Jenna explained to her friends on Facebook, when this hilarious goof happened she was having a dream that her fiancé, Bob Howell, was fleeing bad guys on a high-speed train. In the dream Bob told Jenna she had to swallow the ring 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.” The next morning, she realized her ring was missing and a trip to urgent care confirmed it: that ring done got ate.
3. Getting The Ring Back
Jenna shared with CBS Sacramento that she and Bob have been together for over five years and that was waiting for him to pop the question for almost just as long! She also went on to share that the ring itself was extra special because she picked the stones that went in it. When doctors decided to remove the ring surgically, she was actually relieved she wouldn’t have to pass 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,” she said. Doctors returned the ring to Bob who gave it back to his chagrined but pleased bride.
4. Jenna Goes Viral
Since Jenna first shared her story on Facebook, it’s been shared more than 62,000 times! Now that her story has gone viral, she’s tacked a note onto the post that reads: “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.”
She also shared info about the actual ring in question, saying: “Ring is lovingly made by Simone Jewelry Designs in Houston, Texas. Jewels so lovely, you could eat them. But dont — trust me on this.”
5. The Dark Side
Of course, going viral on the internet isn’t all sunshine and daisies, something Jenna learned herself the moment her story started gaining serious traction. She weighed in on this experience on her Facebook page as well: “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 — y’all are the real MVPs.”
6. What’s Wrong With Her Sleep?
So could this story be real, or did Jenna fudge some of the details? According to the experts, it is very possible that things could’ve gone down exactly the way Jenna says that they did, especially if she suffers from an REM Sleep Disorder.
The Mayo Clinic defines an REM Sleep Disorder as a condition “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.” While Jenna’s story is deeply funny, it’s also scary to think of this happening! If you think you’ve got a sleep disorder, talk to your doctor.
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. She’s an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime.