When Isabel was 5 years old, she was diagnosed with Idiopathic Intercranial Hypertension, more commonly known as Psuedotumor Cerebri. It literally means "fake tumor within the head". This condition mimics a brain tumor and with that comes all the symptoms of a brain tumor, including vision loss, audio loss, balance issues, digestive issues, extreme headaches (worse than a migraine) and hallucinations to name a few. What really is happening is that her spinal fluid is filling up inside her skull causing extreme pressure which leads to the symptoms she has. When she was first diagnosed the only way to relieve the pressure was to have a procedure to remove some of the fluid through her spine. We ended up having this procedure every 4 weeks. While IIH itself is not considered deadly, it CAN cause other issues that can lead to death; such as infection within the brain, stroke, or aneurysm. Other serious issues arise with head injuries- imagine a water balloon that is too full and suddenly drops on the ground. The slightest impact during a flare up would cause paralysis, permanent blindness or even death. This will be an ongoing battle for Isabel, until they find a cure. Until then we have vowed to help her to LIVE her life, and enjoy as much of it as she can. She has an "Adventure List" of things she wants to make sure she enjoys in her lifetime, and we are trying to help her cross these off her list to the best of our ability. We continue to celebrate the good days, and fight through the bad days. This page will follow her journey of her battle with this illness. She's a strong little butterfly and is a fighter!
