Friday, July 18, 2008
Wouldn't you love to have warning before a bomb went off? Wouldn't you appreciate somebody telling you that if you did this or that, you could avoid the explosion? Forewarning is so precious. As an adoptee, I have no forewarning about my health. I have absolutely no clue what might be waiting down the pike for me. I am denied the right to know by those who think they know better. Those of you who know your genetic family, you are LUCKY, and you have no idea how lucky you are. Even my boys have to carry this burden of secrecy for they will only have me as their guidepost for what may lie in their future.
I had lunch today with a woman whose mother died at the age of 32 from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm. Somewhere in her intuition this woman wondered if there might be a genetic link and she also could have an aneurysm. She asked her doctor, and he said absolutely not, don't worry about it. She left it there. She wanted the comfort of knowing that all would be well with her, and she didn't have to worry. The scary thing is, her doctor was WRONG! She didn't believe me when I told her at first. Then I explained that my father is also a doctor. Not only a doctor, but a neurosurgeon. In his career he operated on many people with ruptured aneurysms, and he saw many of them die. He said there is a definite genetic link for cerebral and aortic aneurysms.
In the case of my aneurysm, the vascular surgeon insisted there was no genetic link. In fact, I consulted another vascular surgeon, and he concurred. My father wasn't so sure and did his own research, and he came up with the same conclusion. A splenic artery aneursym proved to have no genetic correlation to cerebral and aortic (two most common) aneurysms. But I told my dad I was still going to be checked (which I have) and I would continue to be checked every year to see if any aneurysm developed in my arteries. My dad's response? "I'm glad. That's what I would do too." So here's a doctor who can see the statistics, has been told by experts, and has real-life experience, who also believes it's better to be safe than sorry.
When I told this woman my story, she was grateful. She admitted that her intuition told her that her doctor was wrong. She said she would now be checked. I'm not sure, but I think she was relieved to know that she could find out if she had any aneurysms developing in her brain. If she does, there are many things that can be done to prevent them from rupturing, and that one exam could save her life.
Your genetic family is your pre-warning system. Take advantage of it!! Don't live in the world of unknown future that has been thrust upon me by fate. It is better to face your fears, go to the doctor, get checked!! Know that your genetic connections are a gift of life for through their experience you can see what may lie ahead on your journey. Follow those signposts and give yourself the inner peace of knowing the direction your own body is taking. Regardless if a doctor tells you it is or is not genetic. If there is a health pattern in your family, get checked for it!
Aneurysm & AVM Support is the best Web site I've found for information on aneurysms. If you're wondering if it could happen to you, this is a good place to start.
1 comments:
The first thing I told my daughter when she e-mailed me the first time was that my mother died of breast cancer when she was 40 and my father had just passed from colon cancer. I thought it was absolutely the most important information I could ever give her. She had to know. I cannot believe in this day and age people still believe that a person can live without their genetic medical history. Hugs to you :) By the way, I keep showing up as anonymous because I can't remember my blogger password LOL! Ah age, it's a wonderful thing...
Kristy
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