I was diagnosed with a disease called arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) at the age of 4. I’ve had this disease since birth and went misdiagnosed for those first 4 years.
Basically, AVMs are a tangle of blood vessels where my arteries and veins don’t connect properly. My high-pressure arteries go straight into my low-pressure veins with no capillary bed to mitigate this flow.
This condition is rare, inoperable, and there is no cure. I’ve learned quite a few life lessons living with this diagnosis for 20 years that I wouldn’t have if not for this disease.
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