In San Francisco, a 25-year-old martial arts teacher had to have half of her skull removed after a severe sinus infection.
A banal sinusitis gone wrong. In San Francisco, Natasha Gunther, 25, had to have 14 centimeters of bone removed from her skull to survive a severe sinus infection. At the end of 2021, the young martial arts teacher began to feel the symptoms of a mild cold. But accustomed to winter viruses, she was content with a routine visit to her doctor. “Like most people who suffer from sinus infections, I didn’t worry and neither did my doctor. I teach martial arts to children so I’m used to getting sick“, she says in a TikTok video.
Put on antibiotics, Natasha followed her doctor’s prescription to the letter. However, his state of health has not improved, quite the contrary. Victim of strong migraines and vomiting, the young woman decided to have a scanner. It was then that the diagnosis fell: the infection had developed inside his skull and was pressing on his brain. “The surgeons told me that I would have died within a week if I had not gone to the hospital at the right time”says Natasha.
She had to learn to speak again
On December 23, Natasha underwent a craniectomy. To treat the infected area and reduce pressure on the brain, surgeons removed the entire right portion of his cranial vault. The bone was stored in a freezer and is expected to be placed back on Natasha’s skull next month. In the meantime, the young woman lives with a helmet to protect her brain and must adapt to her new life. “My life is very different from what it was, she admits to her subscribers. I had a busy life, teaching martial arts and hanging out with friends every day – just like anyone in their twenties. After the operation, I had trouble speaking so I have been on speech therapy ever since. My boyfriend Joao – who is also a martial arts instructor – sends me to physical therapy so that I can get back in shape. But there are moves like grappling that I could never do again, it’s too risky.”
If Natasha chose to share her story, it is to raise awareness about the dangers of sinusitis. Safe in most cases, sinus infections can take a dramatic turn if left untreated. “If you have more than one sinus infection a year, even a minor infection, go to the hospital, just to be sure. Don’t trust your doctor, because it could be serious“, she concludes.
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© TikTok @natasha_gunther
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Natasha Gunther
She told her story on the social network TikTok.
© TikTok @natasha_gunther
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Natasha Gunther
“The surgeons told me that I would have died within a week if I hadn’t gone to the hospital at the right time,” says Natasha.
© TikTok @natasha_gunther
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Natasha Gunther
Natasha Gunther before her sinus infection.
© TikTok @natasha_gunther
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Natasha Gunther
Surgeons removed 14cm of his cranial vault to be able to treat the infected area and reduce the pressure on his brain.
© Pexels
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She underwent a very invasive operation
Since the operation, Natasha has had to live with a helmet to protect her brain.
© Pexels
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Suffering from vomiting and headaches, she went to the hospital for a CT scan.
“The surgeons told me that I would have died within a week if I hadn’t gone to the hospital at the right time,” says Natasha.
© Pexels
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His skull will be replaced next month.
Natasha will have to undergo a second operation to replace her skull.