June 11 Genetic Counseling

Well - I've been to the Genetic
Counselor, and told her everything
I can think of, and all the facts you all
have helped me gather about our
family's medical history. I will have to
wait a couple of weeks to find out if
the insurance will pay for at least some
of the cost of the testing (approxi-
mately $3120 at UMC), and then after
the blood is drawn, it takes another 3
to 4 weeks to get the results.
What I meant by this being my gift to
the rest of my family - if there does
happen to be a gene and someone else
wants to test for it, it will cost a great
deal less, because the lab will have
done all the initial testing on me, and
so now they would know which gene
marker to test for, instead of looking at
all of them. The cost would then be
about a tenth of the original, it sounds,
so if you want to know, or to later test
- just ask. If you don't ask me, I won't
tell you.
Now - here is what I did find out:
One of the two genes they are looking
to see if I have - could pre-dispose an
individual to breast cancer, colon cancer,
ovarian cancer, prostate cancer,
pancreatic cancer and melanoma. So
whatever you decide you want to know
or to not know - please be a good
do-bee and do your proper and timely
and thorough checking and testing - as
often as they say to do so. Your health
is what is what is most important.
Men - You Too!! That means all of you
men - get your annual PSA test done.
Everyone - check all your moles and
spots. Do your breast self exams. Yes -
you men, too. I trust the women all
know what to do - it is just that the
men don't usually read up on all this
stuff like we ladies do, or does that
sound too sexist? Men really just
usually do not read the stuff in the
magazines like we women do. I don't
mean to step on toes, but on this one
- I'll bet I speak the truth here.