We all handle life (and our diagnoses) differently

On this episode of Raising Rare we talk with Stacy Lloyd, a rare disease patient and board certified patient advocate. Stacy has dedicated her life, even much of her free time to healthcare in one way or another. She currently works at the American Medical Association, previously at Saavy Co-op, and is on the board of the VHL Alliance. After being diagnosed with Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) at a young age, doctors told Stacy that she might not be able to walk as she got older and tumors continued to grow. She went on believing this for most of her early adult life and even admits that she never thought about retirement or other aspects of growing older because they just wouldn’t pertain to her. It wasn’t until 2018 that a doctor she met at a medical conference for VHL told her that she was going to be alright, she would be just fine, that she started to really consider her life.

Stacy’s diagnosis of having a rare genetic condition at an early age actually led to a number of her family members being diagnosed as well. Stacy speaks with us candidly that not everyone has handled their diagnosis with as much hope and drive as she has and that a number of factors have played into that. Stacy’s hope for members of the rare community is that everyone continues to share their stories, that they continue being vulnerable with each other and their medical team because you never know who will benefit from you doing so.

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