Comments on: Kris Williams: The Importance of Knowing Your Family’s Medical History

By: Twila

Twila — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 07:51:31 +0000

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.

By: Bobbi

Bobbi — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:37:05 +0000

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.

By: Elaine

Elaine — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 17:49:26 +0000

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”

By: Umar

Umar — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 04:08:14 +0000

I found it very interesting. Thanks for the information.

Family trees
http://obituarieshelp.org/free_printable_blank_family_tree.html

By: Kris Williams Opens Up About 'Ghost Hunters International'

Kris Williams Opens Up About 'Ghost Hunters International' — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 07:16:17 +0000

[...] 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 [...]

By: terry

terry — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 17:28:50 +0000

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.

By: dieta

dieta — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 22:38:51 +0000

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.

By: Lizbeth

Lizbeth — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 12:52:14 +0000

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.

By: Donna Rohdy

Donna Rohdy — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 23:18:08 +0000

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

By: Peggy Hendrick

Peggy Hendrick — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 20:22:58 +0000

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.