Why can't this girl stop sneezing?
A 12-year-old girl in Texas can't seem to stop sneezing -- and doctors have no idea why.
CBS DFW reports Katelyn Thornley started sneezing incessantly about a month ago. The sneezes come about 20 times per minute -- sometimes a dozen times in as many seconds -- adding up to about 12,000 sneezes a day.
"It just started in little spurts. I just started sneezing. I thought it was like, oh, I'm just allergic to something," she said. But now the sneezing fits are taking a serious toll. "I'm constantly in pain with my abdomen, my legs are hurting because I've been weak and I can barely eat."
Since the mysterious malady developed, she's had to stop going to school and can no longer play her clarinet in the school's band.
She's seen six doctors so far, and none of them knows what's causing the problem. They have ruled out allergies or a virus.
Thornely's parents said they're hopeful someone with some expertise will come forward and offer some answers.
"It's hard to watch," her father said. "Anything you talk to her about that irritates her -- you can see it spike and continuous sneezing."
The sneezing only stops when Katelyn falls asleep. She has to take Benadryl and listen to the Beatles in order to doze off.
"Sometimes I wish I could leave my body for a little while so I could watch myself sleep," Thornley said, "because even in my dreams, I sneeze."
She says she doesn't care what it takes to stop the sneezing, she just wants it to end so she can look back and say, "You know, I was once on TV for sneezing."