Natasha Santana, 26, is a martial arts instructor who lives with her husband and son in San Jose, California (USA). In 2021, she suffered from sinusitis a total of 5 times, according to the Daily Mail (UK).
Sinusitis that spread to her brain caused her to develop severe symptoms such as headaches, vomiting and irritability.
The first four times she had sinusitis, she had been cured with antibiotics. But the fifth time, things took a turn for the worse. The antibiotics seemed to stop working. Severe symptoms began to appear. She suffered from constant vomiting, severe headaches, mood swings, and frequent, unexplained anger.
When she was admitted to the hospital, doctors ordered a brain scan and ran some tests. They found that the infection in her sinuses had spread to her brain, which was uncontrolled. Since the sinuses are only separated from the brain by a small group of bones, severe infection would spread to the brain. Not only that, a pus pocket had formed in her brain, increasing intracranial pressure and threatening her life.
Tests later revealed that Santana had a genetic mutation that prevented her body from producing a protein that activates the immune system, meaning the antibiotics she took were unable to clear the sinus infection.
To treat it, doctors performed emergency surgery to remove half of Santana's skull from the top of her head. This part of the skull, which is larger than a hand, is located on the left side of her head, extending from the top of her head to her left ear.
Removing this portion of the skull allowed doctors to get a better look at the infection in the patient's brain. The surgical team then drained the pus and removed the surrounding infected and damaged tissue.
Because the left side of her skull was missing, Santana’s brain was underneath her scalp. For five months after the surgery, doctors required her to wear a helmet at all times to protect this vulnerable area of her head.
"I wear a helmet and try my best not to leave the house. I only go out to see the doctor and only about five times to other places, like the mall," said Santana.
Because she no longer had a skull, her head was extremely fragile. She was in constant fear that someone would hit her on the head. It took the woman a year to overcome the psychological trauma.
Now, with the support of her husband, who is also a martial arts instructor, and her own efforts, Ms. Santana has trained and returned to coaching. However, she will not be able to perform complex moves such as acrobatics or wrestling opponents, according to the Daily Mail .
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