Stories

Teen Endures Cyber Bullying After Excruciating Diagnosis

August 9, 2015

My daughter, Mikayla, is 15 years old.

She has had headaches and seizures all of her life. Last year we found out the “why” of it all. She has a cerebral Arachnoid Cyst that has been growing. It resulted in her having four aneurysms in her surrounding veins. Her symptoms started around the age of two.

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen the symptoms though. Mikayla’s grandfather–my father, had gone through the same episode years ago. My father died at age 49.  Mikki’s half-brother had recently been diagnosed with the same condition–we even had relatives in Germany with the diagnosis. I was scared to death of what might happen to her.

The absence seizures began around the age of six for Mikki, as did the headaches.

But her life revolves less and less around her disease and more around her spirit these days. Mikki is a musician, a normal kid on the outside from a bystanders point of view. She has bouts with depression and mood swings because of lack of sleep from the headaches and the AEDS that she has to take daily.

She has gone from being an outgoing teen to one that has to stick close to her bed because of the pain and also the bullying from kids that don’t understand her conditions.
She will be undergoing a groundbreaking fenestration and aneurysm coiling, cementing and stenting in two to three weeks. She hopes the surgery improves her quality of life after she recovers. After all, she has a great medical team on her side including a neurologist, epileptologisy, several neurosurgeons, rehab instructors, and orthopedic surgeon, a psychiatrist ad neuropsychiatrist as well as her general pediatric GP.

The advice we would give others is get that second opinion, don’t hesitate and make sure youtake your AED meds on time as well as get plenty of rest when you need it!

Stay Connected

Sign up for updates straight to your inbox.

FacebookTwitterInstagramYoutube