‘I’m learning to cope with all of the pain and not give up. Every day is a battle. Someday, I want to give back.’

Islandia

“I had hydrocephalus, which causes fluid in the brain. I was surgery-free for 13 years until 2010, when I had a shunt revision where they found out my shunts were detached from my head. From that point on, I’ve had surgeries almost every year. In 2015, I had over 20. That’s when my headaches started. I went to Texas because none of the doctors in New York said they could help me. I even had a neurosurgeon tell me that I needed psychiatric help. The doctor I found was the creator of the neurostimulator, which is like a pacemaker for the brain. After a virtual meeting with him, I found out that I was the perfect candidate for it. I did a trial which went great, so I got the permanent one implanted. It worked for five days. As soon as I returned from Texas, I got an infection.

I want to work in a hospital with children because of what I dealt with in the hospitals on Long Island when I was a kid.

“I had the neurostimulator reprogrammed several times and nothing seemed to work. They realized that one of the leads in the back of my head was hitting the shunt and causing loss of vision. To make matters worse, on the Fourth of July, my family decided to do fireworks. While watching, a motor fell out of a tube and hit me on the right side of my head, cracking it open down to the skull. I needed stitches. I have temporary hearing loss in my right ear because of it. I had to recover from that injury before they would do surgery to remove the shunt. The headaches are still there, so my new neurosurgeon on Long Island wants to do another surgery in a few months.

“I’m on disability right now. I’m a licensed practical nurse at an allergist’s office, but I can’t work. I’m so frustrated. I’m learning to cope with all of the pain and not give up, but I’m still not sleeping. I have a great support system. Every day is a battle. I hope that others in similar positions have a positive mindset. I want to believe that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. I want to go back to school and be a registered nurse. The dean at my old school said that I could never be a registered nurse. I am going to prove him wrong. I want to work in a hospital with children because of what I dealt with in the hospitals on Long Island when I was a kid. The nurses were amazing. Someday, I want to give back.”

Interviewed by Iris Wiener

‘I’ve had more than 40 revision surgeries. I deal with chronic pain every day. I’m only 24, and each day is a struggle.’

Brianna Columbo, Islandia

“I was diagnosed with meningitis at 3 weeks old, and from that I developed hydrocephalus, which is a build-up of spinal fluid in your brain. Everything was done to prevent me from having a shunt which drains the fluid; even drilling a hole in the skull to make it drain on its own. Nothing worked.

“I had 10 surgeries before I turned one. After that, I forgot I had the condition until I was 13. I was in school and I had severe headaches that resulted in vomiting. I needed emergency surgery. Everything was downhill from there. I have three shunts in my head that drain the fluid and I’ve had more than 40 revision surgeries. I deal with chronic pain every day.

“I’m only 24, and each day is a struggle. They had to shave my hair many times. At 13, it was very hard to cope with that. I had a great deal of people making fun of me for my hair being short. My senior year in high school was the hardest because I had at least 20 surgeries and was in the hospital every month. I had to take semesters off from nursing school because I had to have surgery. In the midst of that, I also lost my father.

I’ve learned that no matter how hard every day can be, you shouldn’t give up on your dreams. I’m so happy that I didn’t and that I didn’t listen to anyone that told me that I should.

“I had decided to go into medicine after being sick my whole life and growing up in the hospital setting. Plus, I watched how the nurses treated my father when he was sick, and I wanted to change that and be a better nurse for my own patients. I have had severe headaches for the past six years. No one can seem to help me with them. I still overcame the pain, pushed myself to take exams and go to clinical, and finished nursing school without letting it defeat me.

“As hard as nursing school was, I’m very proud to say I got through it. I got my first nursing job, but unfortunately, I had to go on disability. My quality of life is so poor right now. I can’t get out of bed or drive because the pain is debilitating. I want to go back to work. I was born to be a nurse and give back to the patients. I look forward to when I can. I’ve learned that no matter how hard every day can be, you shouldn’t give up on your dreams. I’m so happy that I didn’t and that I didn’t listen to anyone that told me that I should.”