Audio By Carbonatix
Teenager Mellissa Peacock has had a medical issue on her mind for years: migraines. She has a condition that causes her body to make too much spinal fluid; since the age of nine, she’s suffered from periodic episodes so painful that she sometimes couldn’t get out of bed. Finally, specialists got a handle on what was causing her migraines: intracranial hypertension.
Initially, they decided that the best way to alleviate her problem was to drill a hole in her skull and drain the extra fluids. But after nine operations and lots of scars, the procedure wasn’t working: Melissa was still filling up with brain juice.
So after more consultations, the experts decided to put a dedicated tube from her brain to her stomach, so that her largesse of liquids would simply drain and then be absorbed and expunged by her own body.
Mellissa has gotten some strange looks from her friends, but as she told a reporter, her “quality of life is so much better.”
When news happens, Westword is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $50,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to this community. If Westword matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
Drink up.
