On Saturday, Ingrid Betancourt was checked into a French hospital; the upcoming tests are to determine any possible health problems she may be experiencing after the six years she has spent as hostage in the Colombian jungle.

She was rescued from the Marxist FARC rebels following a successful operation of the Colombian army on Wednesday; along with Ingrid Betancourt, three other US hostages, as well as 11 Colombians were set free. She arrived in France on Friday, after having taken a French presidential plane from Bogota.

The former Colombian presidential candidate, aged 46, arrived at the Parisian Val-de-Grace military clinic without paying any attention to journalists.

In the statement given upon her arrival, she said she was feeling "in great shape;" however, the six years she has spent in captivity may have brought about several problems, one of which may be hepatitis.

President Nicolas Sarkozy’s physician, Christophe Fernandez, briefly examined her in Bogota and the results were rather optimistic. Further tests are to be performed in France during the following days.

Ingrid Betancourt said she had been continuously chained up for three years straight. Her captors had brutally tortured her. However, physical problems were not everything. Doctors say captivity may bring a series of psychological effects as well, including depression and lack of self-confidence, which can have quite serious repercussions.

Baring all this in mind, Ingrid Betancourt’s current state is rather surprising, to say the least and only goes to show how much one person can endure, when thrown in an unexpected situation.