Page 10 - Harnett Life Spring 2018

Called To Suffer

By Rick Myers

“This book has
given me hope

when all my
hope was gone.”

~ A Leaker

“I cry each time

I read it like a
baby.”

~ Bob Paddock,
Husband of a Leaker
Who Died

It’s easy to take good health for granted. Unless burdened terrible headaches that accompany the fluid loss.
with illness or injury, most of us go about our day to day
lives oblivious to the pains and struggles many suffer. How- For several years prior to being diagnosed with this dis-
ever, not everyone can be so fortunate. ease, Maegan had suffered from severe headaches, which
had been misdiagnosed as migraines. When faced with
One such person is Erwin resident Maegan Lee Thornton. these headaches all she could do was take medication and
Maegan suffers from Spontaneous Intracranial Hypoten- lie down, which relieved the headaches. At that time, it was
sion, a debilitating disease which affects every aspect of assumed by her physicians that the medication was the rea-
her day to day life. son for the relief. However, as it turns out, the relief she
felt was the result of her lying down, which relieved the
Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension is the loss of cere- pressure on her brain. “One clue my doctors had was that
brospinal fluid (CSF) through holes or tears in the spinal my headaches were relieved when I laid down” said Mae-
dura, the outer layer of the spinal column which holds the gan. Armed with that information a correct diagnosis was
fluid in. Due to these tears the CSF leaks resulting in a loss made in 2008.
of volume of fluid available to support the brain, causing
the brain and other structures to sag within the brain cavity. The true prevalence of Spontaneous Intracranial Hypoten-
The resulting lack of support causes many adverse effects sion is not known, although it is estimated to affect 5 out
including nausea, blurred vision and ringing in the ears. of 100,000 people. “I actually think that number is much
However, the most debilitating effect of the disease is the higher due to this disease being so misdiagnosed” stated

Page 10 Harnett Life ~ Spring 2018