I have being going through surgeries my whole life; my first at six months old, all through high school, and later in college. Only now are the operations increasing and getting dicier.
There is good and bad with NF. Because of NF I could not take the chance of having a biological child, but I adopted a four-month-old baby and a 10-year-old child. They both turned out great and I would be at a major loss not to know them.
With NF, it is a burden and a gift. I have NF and some educational issues, so I guess I learned that you have to push a little harder and always give it an extra effort. I was the top sales representative when I worked for one of the largest insurance companies in the USA and Canada. NF is not going to hold you back; it is going to give you the extra drive, because you know you need the extra effort.
You cannot let NF stand in your way or worry about it; NF is going to take its own course. I was diagnosed with cancer at age 62; my NF is easier to deal with than cancer.
I wanted to share to help others who have just started on the road to dealing with NF or think they are the only one.
Tom LaGuidice, 64 years old, lives with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). He owns a large insurance brokerage and lives on Staten Island.
