Survivor: Kaoh Rong -- Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty's newly-merged Dara tribe lost former Brains castaway Neal Gottlieb in a medical evacuation during Wednesday night's broadcast on CBS.

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Doctors ordered Neal, a 37-year-old ice cream entrepreneur from Sausalito, CA, to leave the game on Day 19 because an infected wound on his knee had the potential to damage his joint if not treated properly. There was no Tribal Council as a result.

Neal became the second castaway medically evacuated from Survivor: Kaoh Rong and the eighth person to leave the game overall.

During an exclusive interview with Reality TV World on Thursday, Neal talked about his Survivor experience and unfortunate departure. Below is the first half. Check back with us soon for the concluding portion.

Reality TV World: What was your plan in the moments leading up to your evacuation? You know now that Aubry Bracco was the target, but what did you think was happening at the time? Because I'm assuming Nick Maiorano stopped leaking information at that point to you guys about Brawn's plans. So would you have played your idol? And if so, for whom?

Neal Gottlieb: It was pretty clear to us that the Brains were being targeted. And, you know, if you do the math, we were pretty sure they were going to try to split [the vote] 4-3. And Nick saw that I had an idol. He stopped me, actually, on my walk back from the water -- which they showed part of [on TV] -- and he asked me about my "prominent bulge." 

And I opened up the pocket and showed him that it was just a bunch of string and fabric. The idol was NEVER in that pocket although everybody was convinced that it was an idol. It was funny. So, I was pretty sure that they were going to go for Aubry because they knew that I had the idol and they knew we were being targeted.

So I let them think that I was going to play it, and therefore, if they put four [votes] on me and it was a tie, then one of the Brains or one of the Brawn or one of the Beauty goes home.

Reality TV World: What percentage would you say was or was not convinced Nick was with you? Because I'm sure he was probably still trying to put on a little act at that time.

Neal Gottlieb: Oh of course! But what the camera doesn't catch is the body language and the eye contact and, you know, all of the short answers and all of the things that are kind of tough [to read]. I would say I was about 90% certain that Nick was not going to go with us.

Reality TV World: Once doctors had more time to check your wound out after you left the island, how bad was it? Did it end up being serious enough that you've come to terms with needing to leave the game against your will?

Neal Gottlieb: I don't know if I'll ever come to terms with having to leave. It's tough because, on one hand, I felt like I was getting better and I had full mobility! I was in the hospital for two nights. They dug it out, they dug the [wound] in my back out, they put me on an IV drip, and there was no sign of infection by the next day.

So whether [the infection] would've gotten to the knee and made me a peg leg, I'll never know! So there's a part of me that will always think that if I hadn't been pulled, I would've won that damn [game].

Reality TV World: So it sounds like your recovery was only a few days then.

Neal Gottlieb: Yeah, they dug it out. It was really big. It was basically down to the bone and it was very close to the knee joint. So I was in the hospital two nights and then I was in a hotel for a bunch of nights because they wanted me in air conditioning. Ponderosa conditions were not the most luxurious this year.

The morning after I got out of the hospital, I ran four miles on the treadmill! You know? I was feeling good. That's one of the frustrating things about it, is I didn't fall into the fire, I didn't pass out, I didn't feel sick. I felt strong and ready to play another 20 days.

Reality TV World: How did you originally cut your knee? Viewers don't recall seeing an accident or fall or anything like that. And then what did you do around camp to address the wound?

Neal Gottlieb: It came from within on Day 15, I think that was after the Reward Challenge, out of nowhere and very quickly. I had what looked like a pimple pop up on my knee. It was very painful, so I had to bring the doctor out knowing that I wasn't going to see the doctor at least until the next day and probably not for another couple of days.

And I lasted and tried to squeeze it out, and there was really nothing, and it stopped hurting. But it just kept on growing and growing, and then it opened and just kept on -- it was incredible. I was amazed that my body could do such a thing. It just got wider and wider.

And in the morning of Day 19, when I was getting set up to do a confessional, I was playing with a piece of grass trying to get [puss] out and I spent a lot of time just kind of playing with the volcano and a big chunk of puss came out. And I could see that there was actually a hole underneath the hole. I knew from that moment -- I just knew I was toast.

Reality TV World: I'm surprised they didn't give you antibiotics like they did for Aubry. I don't know, maybe that wouldn't have done the trick?

Neal Gottlieb: Well, I was on antibiotics, I believe, from Day 15 or 16. I was. They clearly weren't the right ones or the most powerful ones. But I was, so I was getting that medical attention and it was still getting worse.

Check back with Reality TV World soon for more from Neal's exclusive Survivor interview.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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