Michigan Father Is Sharing The Warning Signs Of A Debilitating Brain Disorder

A Michigan father is sharing the warning signs of a serious brain disorder after developing headaches that appeared “seemingly out of the blue.”

Mark Van Alstine, an automotive engineer and father of two, began experiencing a host of serious symptoms — migraines, vision issues, memory trouble, and balance issues — in 2022. He told CBS Detroit that he also suffered from nausea and started to see “red lines” in his vision, prompting him to visit his doctor, who referred him to a neurologist.

When he underwent a CT scan, Van Alstine, who was 36 at the time, learned that he had hydrocephalus, a condition that causes pressure in the brain due to excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), according to a Facebookpostfrom Northwestern Medicine, the hospital where Van Alstine received treatment.

“Mark Van Alstine didn’t know that fluid likely had been building up in his brain for 15 to 20 years,” the post reads.

If left untreated, the condition could’ve caused permanent brain damage. However, Van Alstine says that he decided to “look for an alternative” after being told that the surgery to treat the condition involved drilling two “major holes” in his skull, the hospital shared.

Van Alstine sought out the expertise of neurosurgeon Stephen Magill, who was able to address the condition with a “minimally invasive” procedure that “involved a small flexible tube and only a 2 millimeter pathway through the brain” to address a cyst that was causing the issue.

“In Mark’s case, he had a cyst that was growing that caused compression of where the fluid flows through the brain through a small channel called the aqueduct,” Magill told CBS Detroit. “As the cyst grew over time, it slowly closed off that channel, and then the fluid started to build up, and that’s when he began to have the symptoms that he was experiencing.”

Hydrocephalus is most commonly observed in infants and adults over the age of 60, but it can occur at any age, according to the Mayo Clinic. The condition is treatable and can impact balance, coordination and bladder control in adults, among other symptoms.

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The procedure offered “immediate” relief, and Van Alstine was able to return to work. Two years later, the hospital says that he has “no symptoms” and that scans show that the cyst has not recurred.

Now that he’s feeling better, Van Alstine is encouraging others to pay attention to the warning signs.

“Absolutely get it checked out, number one,” Van Alstine told CBS Detroit. “And number two, when you get delivered big, impactful news, my big thing is — I tell everybody this now — get a second opinion.”

Hydrocephalus made headlines in 2025 after musician Billy Joel was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), which he says impacts his balance. In a July interview with PEOPLE, Joel reassured fans that he was “okay,” and that he’s undergoing physical therapy to address his symptoms.

“It was like being on a boat all the time,” Joel told PEOPLE exclusively.

“I know a lot of people are worried about me and my health, but I’m okay,” the “Piano Man” singer explained. “What I have is something very few people know about, including me, no matter how much you try to research it. I’m doing my best to work with it and to recover from it.”