A MAN who has had part of his skull removed three times has revealed how he suffered an infection that left him hours from death.
Brandon Alexander, 23, from New York, suffered a brain injury while skateboarding but still does not remember what happened.
mediadrumimagesBrandon Alexander, 23, suffered an infection that left him hours from death[/caption]
mediadrumimagesThe content creator has had 10 operations since he first suffered a brain injury in 2019[/caption]
The content creator woke up three days later in hospital in 2019 and has had 10 surgeries since, including five on his brain.
He suffered a staph infection in his skull caused by fluid building up after a drain fitted during an operation in September last year became blocked.
Brandon said: “It felt like my brain was doing backflips and I could hear my heartbeat in my head.”
His girlfriend Julia took his temperature, which read 39C (103F) and they decided to go to NYU Hospital in Manhattan, where his condition quickly deteriorated.
He said: “I’m laying in the hospital bed with the ice cup of water and I’m talking to Julia, and then without realising I drop it, my arm goes limp and the ice water is all over me.
“It was Julia who pointed it out to me, and said you just dropped that cup of water, are you ok.
“I was like ‘Did I?’ and then I looked around and saw my arm was limp and I thought I was having a stroke.
“Julia was standing at the foot of my bed and I screamed for her to get a doctor or anyone because I was having a stroke. Once I started yelling then all the doctors started to rush in.
“At first they didn’t take it as serious, and I was like ‘No I’m not doing this, I’m watching my arm flailing around’ and then they realised and called the stroke code.”
He was given a CT scan and doctors found he had an infection that meant his skull had to be removed again in a matter of hours to save him from death.
Brandon said: “Julia said she just watched my life fall apart, because what having a skull removed means is having to start over again, everything has to start over.
“I go in and I know all of the surgeons there, at this point it’s my tenth surgery in total, and fifth brain surgery.
I’ve cheated death three times at this point
“They literally washed my brain, they removed the implant and then put a solution on my brain to kill the infection, because they could see the infection as they pulled it out.”
He added: “It was a staph infection that had made its way into my blood and into my heart and surrounding my brain.
“Then as I came out of anaesthesia after the surgery my mum was there and my doctor walked in and said ‘Well, we saved him’.
“My mum said ‘From what?’ and my doctor said had I gone back to sleep when I tried to, I would’ve never woken up. I’ve cheated death three times at this point.”
Around 1.3million Brits are living with disabilities from brain injuries
Around 900,000 Brits go to A&E with head injuries every year, with 160,000 admitted to hospital, according to the UKRI Medical Research Council.
Some 1.3million people are living with disabilities from the injuries in the country.
Craniotomies are a type of brain surgery that removes part of the skull to relieve pressure on the brain.
Patients have to wear a helmet to protect the skull after the surgery and it is usually only performed in emergencies.
Follow-up surgeries called cranioplasties are needed later down the line to replace the removed piece of skull.
Now, Brandon is waiting on his new skull and is continuing to make content on YouTube to remind people that everyone has a reason for being here.
He said: “I now don’t have a skull but they did replace my skull with a titanium mesh, so it can act as a skull until I have my next brain surgery in April 2024
“I had to wait six months after finishing antibiotics, as they want to ensure the infection is gone completely before I can get a new skull and ear implant.
“Now I’ve got two surgeries left if all goes to plan, one to fix my head and face in the process, as well as a new implant.
“I’m a maker at heart, and throughout this process I’ve taught myself how to 3D model and have made a 3D model of my skull.
“I actually have a deeper understanding of 3D spaces due to my brain injury and right now I’m trying to grow my YouTube channel about renovations and making things that don’t exist.
“It was only when my friend @adrianvvlogs told me to make videos I want to watch that I started having the confidence to make them. My brand is now, you’re here for a reason and I truly believe that.”
mediadrumimagesDoctors had to perform a third emergency craniotomy on Brandon to reduce the fluid in his skull[/caption]
mediadrumimagesHe had the surgery on his girlfriend Julia’s (pictured together) birthday[/caption]
How serious are head injuries?
MOST head injuries won’t be that serious, according to the NHS.
But it’s important to get medical help if you or your child have any symptoms after a head injury.
This indicates you might have concussion that can last several weeks.
A severe head injury can result in pressure being placed on the brain because of bleeding, blood clots or a build-up of fluid.
This can sometimes lead to brain damage, which can be temporary or permanent.
Around 1 in every 2,000 people who attend an A&E department with a head injury dies as a result of their injury.
You should also go to A&E if you think someone has been injured intentionally.
Source: NHS