A woman with the same medical condition as Donald Trump says she wakes up in pain everyday. Mariya Ali, 47, was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) after noticing prominent spider veins on her legs, accompanied by feelings of heaviness. “I wake up with pain and feel fatigued,” the research technologist said of the disease.
The condition, caused by damage to leg veins, rose in the public consciousness after US President Donald Trump was confirmed to also suffer from it last month. The White House said Trump received the diagnosis after doctors spotted “mild swelling” in his legs. Mariya, a research technologist from Cleveland, Ohio, said she has been undergoing laser treatment and wearing compression tights daily since her CVI was detected in January of this year.
“I can feel heaviness in my legs,” she said. “I feel fatigued like I have been walking around all day. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, I wake up with pain and feel fatigued.
“Even though venous insufficiency is just in my legs, it radiates through my body. It makes me feel tired like my day is already ended.”
The 47-year-old said she started noticing prominent veins in her legs as a teenager, but thought she just had “fair skin”.
“I’ve had symptoms for a long time,” she added. “As I got older, I noticed the symptoms were getting worse, and I started seeing more veins appear up and down my legs.
“Whenever you have a persistent condition that you have dealt with your whole life, and someone puts a name to it, you get a sense of relief.”
Mariya said she is grateful to Trump for boosting awareness of the disease, which affects around 25 million adults in the US.
“I think it is really important for people in high-profile positions to raise awareness,” she explained.
“It is important that they advocate for research funding. I think if you are high-profile and you have this condition, it is your obligation to raise awareness around it.”