Creative, free-spirited, business owner, and recent college graduate, Adariel Lee, of the Bronx, NY, was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome at the age of 4 when her mother noticed she was looking down at her hands a lot. At an eye doctor appointment, they learned that the connective tissue in her eye was loose, leading her to additional medical evaluations. As a result, the diagnosis of Marfan syndrome was confirmed. Adariel is the first in her family to have the condition.
When I had my open-heart surgery to repair my aorta back in the summer of 2014, I did not have many questions. I wanted the process to be over as soon as possible and I trusted that my surgeon, Dr. Craig Miller, and my cardiologist, Dr. David Liang, would be able to make that happen successfully.
Topics: Marfan Community, Living Successfully, Quality of Life, Healthcare Management, Medical Management, wellness, Surgery
If you have a connective tissue condition or are seeking an evaluation for one, you know that you need to see a cardiologist to evaluate your heart, an orthopedist to evaluate your bones and joints, and an ophthalmologist to evaluate your eyes. But what is the role of the medical geneticist?
Topics: Diagnosis, Healthcare Management, Medical Management, Genetics, Q&A
My interest in Marfan syndrome started many years ago when I was in high school in South Africa. One of my classmates had Marfan. I heard him talk about it, and his words stuck in my mind throughout my medical school and surgical training in the 1970s and 1980s.
Topics: doctors, Medical Management, Education, Surgery
For parents of a child with a connective tissue condition, worrying is a daily habit. The beginning of a new school year is especially stressful. Not only do you and your family have to get back into the routine, but you and your child have to “break in” a new teacher and sometimes a new school and a new school nurse. You want to ensure that your child will be safe at school and empowered to achieve academically – and that the school can handle any potential emergency medical situation.
Topics: Medical Management, Education, school
