My mom Colleen McCabe is the most amazing woman in the universe who is living and thriving with a cerebral AVM. I wanted to share this story with everyone in effort to give you hope and inspiration.
In May of 1998, my mom began experiencing horrendous headaches that negatively impacted her quality of life. As a dedicated registered nurse and generous caring soul, my mom worked hard and long hours. However, by June of 1998 my mother was going to bed at 6PM every night because her throbbing headaches rendered her incapable of standing up.
My father and I practically had to force my mother to seek the consultation the our family doctor. Our family doctor immediately ordered an MRI and an MRA, which unfortunately was deemed negative by a radiologist who had no experience identifying/recognizing AVMs.
On July 30, 1998, my mother sensed that her condition had worsened and my father rushed her to an emergency room in the state of Delaware. The doctors in the Delaware Hospital attributed my mother's headache to a stress related migraine and sent her home with prescriptions for Imitrex and Percocet. Thankfully my father is an intuitive and tenacious man who was determined to get his wife the proper treatment.
After leaving the Delaware hospital's emergency room my father took my mother to the emergency room at The Hospital of The University of Pennsylvania. The wonderful team at Penn recognized the ruptured AVM immediately and miraculously saved my mother's life. My mother endured a successful embolization procedure and was discharged home a few days later.
Elated that her headaches were gone, my mom was eager to return to work and "normal" life. However, in late August my mom awoke to fine her left eye engorged with blood and noticed familiar pounding sensation in her head. Again, my father rushed her to Penn, where she had another embolization procedure. My mom returned to work six months later after her second embolization procedure.
Although my mom experiences occasional problems with balance and dizziness, she is living a full and happy despite having an AVM in her brain.
On January 11, 2004 I am running a marathon that benefits The American Stroke Association in Walt Disney World, Florida. I am running the marathon in honor of my mom with the belief that medical research will put an end to cerebral-vascular accidents. I am privileged to run on behalf of my mother and in memory of my departed grandmother and will wear a special necklace with their names on it during the marathon.
I wish you and your family good health, love, happiness, and peace.