Carmen
Hi, My name is Carmen and I am a 22 year old female AVM survivor. I do not have a scanner on my computer yet, so I can not send a picture today, but I am tall with long blond hair and blue eyes. I was a healthy, active and smart kid. Everything came very easily to me until March of 1987. I was 11 years old, on the day that I suddenly had a very severe headache and had trouble walking. My teacher called my mother and she came to school. They carried me to the car unconscious. The hospital was just accross the street so it only took a minute to get there. Shortly after arriving, I stopped breathing on my own. It was obvious that I had a massive cerebral hemorrage. The Brain Surgeon was considered an expert on AV Malformations (some thing I was born with but had no knowledge of). I was kept alive on machines for ten days in a coma. The prognosis was very dim. The Doctor told my mother that I would never be able to comunicate with others and I would never walk or talk again. My mom was not about to believe that. People say that she is the reason I am here today and doing so well. She refused to leave my side unless a trusted friend or family member was there with me. She went to every therapy and Doctors appointment with me for years. She was my tutor, chauffer, doctor, nurse and whatever. The support and prayers of my family and friends was tremendous. I attribute much of my success to the prayers and support of my family and friends. Today I can walk and talk and sing and dance. I have partial paralysis of my right side and slowness in my speach, but I finished high school and have accumulated 39 creadits from college. I am disabled but have a very full life. I do not have alot of friends and would enjoy corresponding with people with a similar life experience.
