Geri – A Face of NF

I was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type one at birth. It was caused by spontaneous mutation. I was born with glaucoma and had my first major surgery at 5 days old.  I had a goniotomy and it didn’t take.  So at 5 months old, I had to have a trabeculectomy to try to relieve the intraocular pressure. In high school, I had to have brain surgery to replace bone in order to keep my brain from protruding into my eye socket.
Other than that, I’ve had a pretty mild case. Sometimes, I contemplate having plastic surgery and debunking the tumor. But, as we all know, the risk of the tumor growing back is there.  I wonder if the risk of surgery is worth fitting into the social norm.

– Geri

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