OMAHA, NE (KETV/CNN) – It started with a runny nose that just wouldn't stop.
"Like a waterfall," said Kendra Jackson, whose nose would constantly run a few years after a traumatic car accident.
Jackson lived with her condition for two years before getting a proper diagnosis.
The diagnosis? It wasn’t mucous dripping from her nose. It was brain fluid.
Jackson was diagnosed with a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. Doctors told her she was losing around a half-pint per day.
The leak was seriously impacting Jackson's life.
"I couldn’t sleep. I was like a zombie," Jackson said. "I was up all night."
If left untreated, fluid leaks like Jackson's could lead to serious infections.
In the past, specialists would have to perform brain surgery to fix them – but not anymore.
"We do kind of a minimally invasive approach where we go through the nostrils," Dr. Christie Barnes said.
Just one week after Barnes repaired the leak, Jackson said she feels amazing.
"I can tell a great big difference; oh man, a great big difference," Jackson said.
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