Why I Donate to the Fibromuscular Dysplasia Society (FMDSA) and SCAD Alliance

May is Fibromuscular Dysplasia Awareness month.  So, during May I am donating 20% of sales of any items to the Fibromuscular Dysplasia Society of America and SCAD Alliance (10% to each) to help further research on these diseases and to increase awareness of FMD and SCAD.

FMD is a rare / under-diagnosed disease that most often affects women in which some arteries in the body look like a ‘string of beads’ (wide, narrow, wide, narrow).  The affected vessels are either weakend or stiffened. Some vessels can also be torturous. Depending on where they are in the body, this can cause high blood pressure, aneurysms, stroke and/or dissected arteries. 

A dissection of an artery in the heart can lead to a type of heart attack (without the presence of heart disease) called a sudden coronary dissection, known as SCAD.
 
Often people with FMD do not have any symptoms or signs on physical examination and are diagnosed by accident during a radiology scan for another problem or when they have a serious symptom.
 
I had one of those serious symptoms in late 2020. I had a SCAD heart attack (not caused by heart disease) and was also diagnosed with FMD. I was away from home at the time, but lucky to be near a hospital where they knew about these rare conditions.  By seeing an FMD specialist, following some physical restrictions and learning to lessen the stresses in life,  I am getting back to my 'new normal'.

For more information on FMD, visit FMDSA.org and for more information on SCAD, visit scadalliance.org

 Happy to answer any questions you may have.