A woman in Idaho, who had been misdiagnosed multiple times over a skin condition, has come to find out she has hundreds of tumors on her face. Mercedes Christensen, 52, has a rare genetic condition called neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), which causes little mostly benign tumors to form along the nerves.
For most people, the condition manifests as just a few skin tags. However, in this case, Christensen’s face exploded with bumps after giving birth to her first child. Docs initially told her it was due to hormones, but that ended up not being the case. Not only can NF1 cause high blood pressure, shortness of breath, and a higher risk of cancer, but the condition is also genetic. Because of this, Christensen keeps an eye on her kids and hopes they don’t experience NF1 to the degree that she has.