Chronic illness is a lifelong battle that many will not face, but the ones who face it are the strongest of them all. With it only surfacing in 2017 at a Beyoncé concert, appearing as a blurry vision, it turned out to be the start of a never-ending journey. Brittney Langdon, my mom, has Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension. Also called Pseudotumor Cerebri, it is a rare condition where high pressure builds around the brain for unknown reasons, causing symptoms like severe headaches, vision problems (blurriness, blind spots, double vision, pulsatile tinnitus), neck pain, primarily affecting overweight women of childbearing age.
Treatment focuses on weight loss, medications (like Acetazolamide) to reduce cerebrospinal fluid, and sometimes surgery, with crucial monitoring for permanent vision loss. My mom had 5 brain surgeries, resulting in 3 stents placed in her scalp. She has had 21 lumbar punctures. She’s also had Optic Nerve Sheath Fenestration surgery on her left eye to save what was left of her vision. Every day, my mom wakes up and faces a new battle, but continues to fight.
As we go into the holiday season, let’s remember to be grateful for every moment and to give grace to everyone. You may not know their whole story, especially for those who may be suffering quietly with a chronic illness.
