Episode #87: Devri Velazquez
Devri Velazquez is an Afro-Latina writer and content creator based in New York City with a passion for advocating for queer and disability rights.
When Devri Velazquez was diagnosed with Takayasu's arteritis at 20 years old, the prognosis was devastating. Doctors didn’t think she would live to age 21. Takayasu's arteritis is a rare form of vasculitis that affects the aorta (part of the heart), and other large arteries. On today’s episode, we talk about what Devri’s life looks like now, ten years after her diagnosis, and what it was like to hear such a scary prognosis when she was first diagnosed. We talk about how her symptoms manifest today, and why managing physical stress and being intentional with boundaries are such important parts of how she cares for herself. We also talk about her experience navigating health care, including some unsettling incidents of gender bias. Finally, we talk about who Devri is and the work she does, and through this episode, one thing is clear: in owning her identity and all its aspects, Devri has carved out a space for advocating for herself and others. She makes a good case for why we should all embrace what makes each of us US.
“This has really, really impacted the way that I draw boundaries... I can’t slip up. I cannot afford to slip up whatsoever. Because my life really depends on me being really diligent about this.”
Here are some of the things Devri and I chatted about:
The flu-like symptoms she experienced 10 years ago, and what brought her to the hospital
Receiving her diagnosis a few days after her hospital stay, and why a quick answer was crucial
The devastating feeling of of being told, at 20 years old, that she likely wouldn’t make it to 21
The year, after her diagnosis, when she needed a lot of help--and why that transition was hard
Her periodic hospitalizations, over the last 10 years, and the everyday chronic pain and fatigue
Why, with stress, she has to be very attentive to both her physical body and her mental state
How she describes what chronic pain feels like to those who haven’t ever experienced it
Learning the importance of saying no and cultivating safe and comfortable spaces for herself
The infusions she gets every three months, and how her treatments have evolved over time
The different ways she takes care of herself, including the tip she learned from Cosmopolitan
The incidents of gender bias, even harassment, she’s experienced during her health journey
The value of reviews, testimonies and most of all, personal referrals when looking into doctors
How being herself is a form of advocacy, and what she means by “living loudly yet subtly”
Her memory of reading a novel at age four, and thinking that she could have written it better
How her parents supported her interest in writing, and how it helped her own her craft
The creative work she does with brands, and how she aims for that work to be inclusive
Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, and why it’s helpful that testing is encouraged in NYC
“In any professional setting, in any social setting, who I am is who I am. And so I think that is the biggest form of advocacy that any of us can perform.”
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