Do you fear your genetics?

[LauraMax]

There are a couple of things that are making me pretty nervous. My family is rife w/heart condition, but I think I'm good on that since I live a pretty healthy lifestyle. But there's colon cancer in my family, my grandma was diagnosed when she turned 50, & while it's not generally life threatening the life after treatment isn't so great.

On the vanity side I have:

--my mother's baldness (so far, so good)
--my mother's butt (showed up on my sis in her early 30s, I think I put it off w/the exercise but lo & behold, here it is! )
--all the women on my dad's side have elephant knees & yep, welcome to the jungle Laura.

Who else is scared of what the future will bring? Who isn't, & how can I be like you?

 

[LaughingWater]

I'm terrified of Alzheimer's. I can handle anything else but that.

I've even prepared my family. The minute I realize I'm starting to lose it, I'm going wherever I need to go to end things.

...

That was depressing. Sorry! My family is otherwise pretty healthy, the women especially. My brother had an aortic dissection, which took us by surprise.

 

[story1267]

Mmm. Interesting question. I've got a mother with Parkinson's and that scares me pretty majorly. Dad's got diabetes and heart disease, but I feel that those were essentially results of his lifestyle and type A personality.

DF's mom AND paternal uncle both have Parkinson's. So we've talked about that, and what we potentially face as we grow old together.

I like to think that science is working on cures. But, as Mom's neurologist so coldly put it at her appointment yesterday, "There's nothing going on currently in terms of new treatments or cures - maybe by 2020 there will be something new." Wow, thanks for the pep-talk dude.

So, yes, these things really make me think long and hard about the choices I make and optimizing my current health BECAUSE of what's potentially coming at me is a big motivator.

 

[Liann]

My grandmother had Dementia and I already think I'm seeing it in my mom. That terrifies me! My g-ma was so out of it by the time she hit her 80's she didn't know who anyone was. My mom couldn't even see her without crying. I don't ever want to put my family through that kind of pain.

 

[jonahnah]

I don't fear my own. I fear what genes my DH passed onto our kids--his family's gene pool could use a LOT of chlorine, so to speak!

Naturally, our children's less than ideal tendencies are from DH's side; All their good qualities are from my side--including humility...

 

[spyrosmom]

Yup, terrified!!!! Which is why after I had a kid, I decided it was time to get up off the couch and get moving. DS doesn't need his mom to die while he's young. Lets see we have.....

Obesity/overweight - both sides - have that, working on it, come a long way
Borderline alcoholism - both sides, try very hard to keep my drinking down, but once I start its hard to stop, esp at parties and such
Diabetes - dad's side
Cancer - both sides
Lung disease/emphysema/COPD - dad's side (smokers)
Heart disease - dad's side
Bad eyesight - dad's side - I've got that one already
Early arthritis - mom's side - has found me already


As you can see, I come from the shallow, mucky end of the gene pool. I was about 22 and very over weight (270 lbs) when I decided to kick my butt in gear. The last 8 years haven't been easy, but I'm hoping they are helping. Diabetes and heart disease both caused by obesity - I work on that every day. Lung issues/cancer/heart disease - caused by smoking, I never smoked, thank goodness. Arthritis - obesity doesn't help that, either. Eyesight, I can't help that. My dad had 3 (!!!!!) heart attacks by the time he was 55, and is now diabetic. Along w/ appendicitis, gallbladder (me too), and a leg anuersym. My mom died of luekemia in her early 50s. My dad still smokes cigars like a chimney. He quit until my mom passed. He's gonna kill himself, but he is stubborn and bullheaded (got that from him, too)

I fight it as much as I can with, diet, lifestyle, exercise. Sad thing is, almost all of the above is preventable or prolongable (is that a word?) if you take care of yourself.

Nan

 

[Beavs]

My mom who was a relatively healthy eater and semi active was diagnosed with type II diabetes.

 

[FourAM]

Scared that all the hard work that I put into my body and all that pie I wanted that I did not eat just to stay healthy will not help a bit with the pool of cancer that surrounds my family...uh yeah!

Everyone on my mother's side has died at fairly early ages of all sorts of different cancers...From skin cancer all the way to lung cancer...a non-smoker I might add. So my chances are high on that end. Also diabetes and heart disease.
I also had a grandmother die from morbid obesity.My parents, my 2 sisters and my brother are all overweight. My sisters are on the edge of morbidly so.
So that is my battle.
The thing that ticks me off about the weight thing is that they all think I have some magic gene that makes me thin. We had one great aunt that was really thin (scarily thin) and they all think I got that gene And that they all got the short end of the stick.
I want to say "No I got the- I GET UP AND WORK MY BUTT OFF GENE!" And that is the gene you did not get I guess...I know that was rude and wrong but it does make me mad when peopke think it comes so easy.

Sorry Laura I went off on a totally other direction
Rachel

 

[Peaceful Rainbow]

Actually, I don't have any concerns. All the issues, my parents and grand parents have had, are related to diet and lifestyle. I've been eating healthy and exercising for decades. I'm doing what I need to do to be healthy and I believe in focusing on the postive.

 

[janie1234]

Ugh, . . Laura my mom has thinning hair too. That really freaks me out. My Dad is full on Koala bear bald. Dad has 9 brothers and sisters and 4 of them have had open heart surgery including my dad. 2 have lupus. My mom's side has diabetes. Odds are definitely against me and my kids since my husbands family has tons of cancer. Healthy lifestyle is not an option.

 

[hiitdogs]

I read somewhere that genetics only play a minor role in most diseases and that just because "xyz disease runs in your family, you don't need to run with it". It was stated that in 90 % of the cases disease can be prevented by diet and lifestyle. I think that is pretty encouraging.

I think the problem is just that what is recommended as a healthy diet in the US is not so healthy after all.

In my family, all of my Grandparents died of cancer but other than my maternal Grandmother who passed in her 50s, they were in their 70s. My parents are now in their mid 60s and smoke like chimneys and could be considered alcoholics and both of them are fine. There is no history of breast cancer in my family, yet I was diagnosed on my 44th birthday, go figure. Although I believe mine was preventable and entirely based on lifestyle and diet

 

[pink_fortitude]

Actually, I don't have any concerns. All the issues, my parents and grand parents have had, are related to diet and lifestyle.

Ditto. Lung cancer, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease due to smoking, obesity/diabetes due to crappy eating and no activity, etc. Even living like this longevity runs in my family. Both of my great-grandpas died of lung cancer when they were in their late 70's early 80's and the healthy ones (my gread grandmas) are still alive and in their 90's so I am really lucky. As far as the vanity aspect I could honestly care less because I think every woman in my family is beautiful, but I could be a bit biased.
I am afraid for my kids, though. DH's grandma had alzhiemer's and his family, mom and all of his brothers and sisters, have a plethora of health problems... but they really do stem from poor (very poor) eating habits and lifestyle--I would be less afraid of my kids if DH didn't practice the eating habits he was raised with.

Missy

 

[LauraMax]

I so hope you're right Carola. All 4 of my grandparents had heart disease. It killed 3 of them. My father went into cardiac arrest 7 times in 3 hours last year--pack a day Marlboro reds & Big Macs 5 times a week. The 4th grandparent died from lung cancer.

Now, what kind of lifestyle can I lead to get rid of the dimples on my butt & the sagging skin around my knees?

 

[baylian]

Mother died of breast cancer. Father died of squamous cell carcinoma and also battled colon cancer when I was 16. Grandmother died of cervical cancer.

You bet I think it plays into it. Diet is the huge cog in the wheel that I feel the medical community doesn't always give credit to.

 

[lioness]

I try not to focus on the negative rather I focus on the positive and what I can do to be healthy. Worrying about something that may not happen isn't healthy. Focus on the positive and the present.

My mother's parents died in their 60's. My mom is 75 and has high blood pressure and a heart issue that isn't life threatening.

My dad's family is very strong. Both his parent's died in their 80's. They had health issues but I believe they went due more to old age than anything else. My dad is 86 and has dementia, otherwise he is healthy.

I'm hoping my healthy lifestyle will increase my chances of a long heathly life. I also strongly believe that a positive mindset goes a long way in keeping you healthy.

 

[morningstar]

All the women in my family are quite rotund - and I am no exception! However, my mom has never had a major illness of any kind (and she was a hardcore smoker for 23 years), and my father died for reasons unrelated to illness, so I'm okay there. My sister is a bit of a health disaster, but exercise and better nutrition is helping a bit there as she gets older. My father's side of the family are junkfood junkies, so it's hard to say how much of thier health issues are genetics and how much is putting coke on your Cap'n Crunch for 30 years. Now, don't ask about psychological issues in the family...

 

[SRP]

Nope, genetics doesn't bother me. If anything happens, I'll deal with it, but there's no sense in worrying yourself sick, so to speak.

My mom's dad died of heart disease, and her mother died of breast cancer. Both were gone before she was 25. But she's extremely healthy and has never had even a hint of either disease. She doesn't do anything special to avoid them either - just leads a fairly healthy life and uses common sense. So see - Genetics isn't a sure thing.

 

[morningstar]

There is no history of breast cancer in my family, yet I was diagnosed on my 44th birthday

Now there's a great reason to never go to the doctor's on your birthday!

 

[andtckrtoo]

It's interesting. My grandparents have all lived into their late 80's and 90's. I had a great grandmother who was 100 and another who was 98 when they passed on. My great grandfathers have all died of old age as well (in their 80's). But my mom died of liver cancer (very light drinker, ex-smoker but had quit when she was 35) and I found out later that my great grandmother had also died of liver cancer. So, I'm not worried so much about me, but my daughter. I am, however, getting screened yearly for any changes in my liver enzymes, so if I do get liver cancer, I'll catch it early.

 

[lainiefig]

Hell yeah.

You should see my big fat family.