Former Alabama kicker Brian Cunningham developed pounding headaches last fall.
Millions of Americans experience headaches, but this was something new and different and troubling for Cunningham, a Birmingham native who is now a Christian minister at a church in Raleigh, N.C.
"These would last a couple of weeks," he said.
An MRI revealed bad news as Cunningham was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, a potentially life-threatening condition. He was referred to a neurologist, but the 42-year-old learned there would be a six-week wait to see the doctor.
He opted to see a different doctor, traveling to Birmingham and undergoing an angiogram -- a procedure that involves injecting iodine dye and using X-Rays to evaluate possible arterial abnormalities, according to the Society for Vascular Surgery's website.