Kris Williams: The Importance of Knowing Your Family’s Medical History
I can still remember the look on my doctor’s face when she asked me for my family’s medical history. All she saw was this teenage girl sitting in front of her; I can tell you she did not expect the laundry list of information that came out of me. I rattled off all the information I knew starting with my great grandparents. When I was finally done and she realized I caught her looking at me strangely, she was quick to explain, “Most people don’t know more than their parent’s medical history…”
At that point I had been into genealogy for several years and even as a kid it didn’t take me long to see a pattern in my family’s medical history. Sitting with my grandparents talking about ancestors I had never met, it was only natural to eventually ask how they passed. After awhile I even made a habit of asking my grandparents about illnesses they or their family members had suffered from. Eventually I started to get my hands on death certificates and I made note of the cause of death listed on each record.
From the research I had done, I learned there are several things that my family and I needed be aware of. For the men in my family heart attacks at a fairly young age are not uncommon. While one of my great grandmothers lost her battle with breast cancer, another beat cervical and ovarian cancer. Then there were a few things that affected both men and women in my family, namely other forms of cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
Although all of this may sound depressing, it is important information to know since there are several medical conditions that are believed to be hereditary. Some of these conditions include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, breast and ovarian cancer, glaucoma, Alzheimer’s, allergies and depression.
It is also not uncommon, whether caused genetically or environmentally, that things like alcoholism, drug abuse and learning disabilities have also been found to run through families.
I encourage people to keep record of their family’s medical history, not only will it add to your research, it could save your life or the life of a loved one. Look into your ancestor’s death records, sit with your family, ask questions, record the information and share your findings. Knowing what has afflicted your family in the past will give you and future generations a chance at prevention.
By Kris Williams
Twitter: KrisWilliams81
I would just like to say that a constant source of irritation to me is that I am adopted,1946, in Calif, and Alameda County will not allow me to access my original birth certificate. I petitioned the court asking to have my mother and half sisters’ medical info. So whenever I read articles like this, or am asked by a new doctor, I have been completely deprived of this info and it is really frustrating!
I have come to realize the importance of familiarizing not just your family tree but their medical records as well. I know a friend who did not have the chance to know her biological father, she is now suffering from an inherited illness which could have been prevented should she had met her dad beforehand. Building bridges between lost family members will do greater than having them fill the emptiness in you but a secured and safe future from inherited illness.
My late husband was adopted in 1936 in California.We tried to get medical information about his biological family.We were told that the records had been sealed and we reached out the court and our request was denied.When he went on social security,he needed a copy of his birth certificate,simple right? Not! The adoption agency failed to file one! We had to go to the Children Home Society of Los Angles and get them to file for a birth certificate in his adopted name! We did find out why the records were sealed,because that is how it’s done in this state!
Anne,
There is still hope even if you’re adopted and you know absolutely nothing of your biological family medical history. In fact, you probably make the key target audience for this test. You can have your DNA examined by a fairly simple and painless method. One website you can take a look into is 23andMe.
Thanks for the article. In addition to heart disease my father’s family carries a gene that can trigger Malignant Hyperthermia. There is a massive bloodline in central Wisconsin linked to MH, a syndrome that causes high fever, violent muscle spasma and death when a carrier is given general anesthesia. The only test for this syndrome, that I am aware of, is a muscle biopsy. Something like this is good to know in an emergency or even if you are facing surgery.
My mother recently passed from end stage COPD, she had asthma all her life. thru ancestry.com, I found her mother’s twin sister died in her forties from asthma. My sister, myself, and 2 of my grandchildren have it. Mother’s mother was always in bed when I knew her, I found out one day that she just took to her bed, and never got up. Depression, which I have. Mother also had two sibs die from accute renal failure. Last year, I was rushed to the hospital; diagnosed with the same disease. Thru my genealogy search, I found out that Mother’s maternal grandfather also died from the disease. From this knowledge I had, the doctors knew what to do, they knew exactly what to look for. Make sure you read the death records carefully. Many years ago, it was called Bright’s disease, so that was what was on their records
Medical background is important but when you are adopted you can only give the doctor a blank stare. and say “I don’t know. I was adopted.” That is really hard to take and understand. It’s like having amnesia and know nothing of who you are.
I agree on the importance of knowing your family history. I was adopted. My parents told me of the medical history they were informed of but I went searching for my biological family to find my history.
It was a long search but I did find out a lot and glad that I did just for the medical and not to just search.
There is many kinds of cancer that ran wild in my birth mothers side and heart disease in my birth fathers. I am really glad that I did the search for all reasons and I highly recommend knowing all the aspects of your family history including medical.
For family members with known medical problems, make notes on their overall health, including if they smoked, were overweight, and their exercise habits. If a family member had cancer, be sure to learn the primary type and not just where it metastasized. If your family members came from a different country, make note of that as well, as some medical conditions have possible ethnic roots. Family medical history can be recorded in a similar manner to the traditional family tree, just using standard medical symbols in a pedigree format – squares for men and circles for women. You can either use a standard key, or create your own which specifies what your symbols mean. See Tools for Recording Your Family Medical History for more information, examples, forms and questionnaires. If you find the forms too complicated, just collect the information. Your doctor will still be able to use what you find. Remove any personal names from your work before giving it to your doctor or anyone outside the family. They don’t need to know the names, only the relationships among individuals, and you never know where your medical tree might end up! If your parents are deceased or relatives are uncooperative, it may take some real detective work to learn more about your family’s medical past. If you can’t get access to medical records, try death certificates, obituaries and old family letters. Even old family photos can provide visual clues to diseases such as obesity, skin conditions and osteoporosis. If you’re adopted or otherwise can’t learn more about your family’s health history, be sure to follow standard screening recommendations and see your doctor for a physical on a regular basis.
This is timely topic for the month of October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I know that discovering the family medical history through genealogy applies to many conditions, but the one that hits close to me is breast cancer. A few years ago, a friend’s sister was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 40′s. Our friend was also a cancer survivor of a different type, but since she kept track of recent research, she was curious to know if the family carried the BRAC gene mutation. Many of her doctors did not read much into it or encourage the testing. After some research revealed that the BRAC gene mutation commonly originated from a certain group of German (mostly Jewish) peoples, I helped her start digging into her ancestry. A few generations and almost 100 years back we tapped into a line with Schwartz and Schwab surnames, and discovered that one branch of her tree did indeed lead to a family from this potential source group. The family first arrived 2 years before the Civil War and settled in Chicago. The immigrant ancestor even served as a Union cavalry soldier. After this, she sought counseling from a Genetic Counselor at a local cancer center. The expert helped target the testing and sure enough both her and her sister had the gene mutation. Further testing revealed that the mother also had the BRAC mutation even though she had never had breast cancer. The BRAC mutation can have outcomes other than breast cancer like colon cancer or prostate cancer in men with the mutation. The results of the testing gave our friend some options to take on the potential future consequences. My one piece of advice is, if you have close relatives (sisters, first or second cousins, aunts, etc.) diagnosed with early onset breast cancer, do some research and look for German Jewish ancestry and related available Death Certificates. If you find some connections, seek the services of a Genetic Counselor. Most mid to major cities have cancer centers or hospital with these people on staff. The services are usually free.
[...] in the early stages. In the meantime, she’s working on a book and she’s blogging for Ancestry.com.I don’t know about you, but I really like the idea of Ghost Hunters International because I [...]
I found it very interesting. Thanks for the information.
Family trees
http://obituarieshelp.org/free_printable_blank_family_tree.html
This is so true but my other half was adopted and the State of NY is no help with finding his birth parents though he has tried many times. He is a mature adult who would just like to know who he really is and his families medical background. The doctors look at you strange when you say “I don’t know”
I also have a missing link in medical infor for my family. My father was born in Los Angeles 2/17/1912 and adopted in Alameda County, Ca. sometime after 1920 but before 1930. He died in 1970 in a car accident and up to that point was healthy. I have no way of knowing what illnesses I may have contracted from his side of the family as I grow older.
I think California should be punished for keeping this information from people who need the information to possibly save their lives by keeping a potential deadly disease at bay by catching it early through having knowledge of it being in the family line.
I have picked up genealogical medical history for ancestors and siblings etc. I raised an adopted stepdaughter. I reunite adoptees & birthparents. If you are adopted legally there are adoptee search groups that know the ropes or how to get to basic records…either legally or illegally. I have 8 adopted grandchildren- 5 Chinese will NEVER have info…They were all abandoned as babies-no ID.
3 american born in Ohio. Oldest granddaughter met her birthfamily….Breast cancer everyplace on maternal side & birthfather an alcoholic.
2nd grandchild we have some history and reunion will do in a year or so. There are lots of problems we knew from birth info plus parents might be cousins??? Already know ADDH, eye problem, acne, large breasts, grandfather an odd man, and more.
Third grandchild they met birthmother at adoption. He is addh & has an obvious personality disorder??? His history will be done more….
As an R.N. who taught genetics in maternity nursing & pediatrics………go for records every way possible. An adopted neice went to Judge in Fla. but adoption basically black market- Klu Klux clan in 1960 and no medical proof …of nothing she can follow She knows nothing…. info.gone…
missing. GOOD LUCK.
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I agree with the importance of looking at family history for health issues. It is surprising how much can actually be found even for family members a few generations back. Some of this can come from death certificates. Some newspaper articles will actually indicate a lingering illness even prior to an obituary. I have letters, from 1834, where the young woman writes that her hands are shaking and that she has acne. There is a history of severe gout for one line and photographs show hands that could be affected. A voter registration indicates one relative born in the 1860′s had a lump on the side of his throat. He died shortly after this as a young man. For one side of my family all three siblings developed Parkinson’s late in life. Several members and generations of this same group experienced Essential tremors as early as their teenage years. I do believe that understanding more of our family history may lead to better health. I am particularly interested in the DNA research that is being done.
One cautionary note, some illnesses were not understood in earlier times. People were placed in mental facilities for illnesses that we now know to be Vascular Dementia or Alzheimer’s. Other things were treated as inherited at the time and were actually environmental issues, such as mercury or lead poisoning. And then there were things like Laudanum that were poorly managed by patients and doctors. Don’t leap to conclusions.