Woman Almost Experiences 'Internal Decapitation' After Doctors Ignore Her for 20 Years: ‘I Was Not Taken Seriously’

A Michigan mother endured more than two decades of debilitating symptoms, only to discover that her condition was far more serious than doctors had believed. Katlyn Brooks, 28, experienced chronic vomiting, dizziness, and extreme fatigue, yet her complaints were frequently dismissed as anxiety or depression.

Brooks was prescribed antidepressants as early as age nine and repeatedly told her health issues were panic-related. By her twenties, her condition had worsened, and after personal tragediesincluding the death of her sister in 2020 and the stillbirth of her daughter in 2022her symptoms continued to be minimized by medical professionals.

My pain was dismissed, I was treated like I was seeking drugs, and I began doubting my own mental health. I felt like a joke, Brooks recalled.

In April 2024, her health sharply declined. She began suffering severe digestive issues, lost weight rapidly, and was hospitalized weighing only 89 pounds due to malnutrition. This crisis led to a long-awaited diagnosis: Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), a genetic disorder affecting connective tissue, joints, and skin.

Doctors also discovered that Brooks neck had endured 20 years of untreated damage. Her ligaments connecting the skull and spine had loosened, a condition known as craniocervical instability (CCI). Specialists warned that even minor movement could result in internal decapitation, a condition that is fatal in 90% of cases.

Brooks was immediately fitted with a neck brace and told she needed complex surgery to fuse her cervical vertebrae to stabilize her skull. Her parents explained that without the operation, her neck could collapse, damaging her spinal cord, veins, and nervous system, creating an immediate risk of death.

After struggling to find surgeons in Michigan willing to attempt the high-risk procedure, Brooks family was eventually connected with a neurosurgeon at the University of Cincinnati. Surgery was performed in February 2025, successfully stabilizing her neck.

I finally have my head secured physically, though the recovery has been grueling. I would choose childbirth ten times over rather than repeat this surgery, Brooks shared in March 2025.

Despite the successful operation, Brooks now faces complications from a tethered spinal cord, restricting her mobility. She is scheduled for corrective surgery in January 2026, which aims to release the spinal cord and restore her movement while preventing further neurological damage.

Meanwhile, Brooks is regaining her strength and weight, hopeful that the upcoming procedure will allow her to regain independence.

Author: Aiden Foster