“I imagine I would have, as I’m sure so many others do, headed to the Internet, reading both accurate and inaccurate information. While much of my visit with my genetic counselor feels like a blur, I left that meeting with a list of answered ques…
Category: Genetics
Genetic testing’s emotional impact [PODCAST]
“Finding out I was gene-positive had hit me harder than I could ever have imagined. How was I to know that my decision to get tested would have such an impact on my life? All of the rehearsing I had done in the weeks leading up to my results appo…
The emotional side of genetic testing
An excerpt from All Good Things: A Memoir About Genetic Testing, Infertility and One Woman’s Relentless Search for Happiness. I had permanent black bags under my eyes from not sleeping properly. I never woke up feeling rested. I hit the snooze button t…
The angel of Angelman syndrome
If they had asked me to make a wish before I met him, it might have very possibly been for eternal happiness. I’d wish for happiness that floods the air with endless melodies and makes the soul sing, just like how a Disney princess. But I had met…
A patient’s perspective on genetic testing
I was sitting in a cold hospital room next to my husband, anxiously clutching his hand. The genetic counselor across from us withdrew a piece of paper from a white envelope and placed it on the table. She knew we were anxious to hear the results, so sh…
With Lynch Syndrome, knowledge alone isn’t power
“The blood test shows a genetic mutation at MLH1. You have Lynch.” The words were spoken by my genetic counselor the minute I sat in my chair should have hit me harder, but I only felt numb. I glanced at my closest friend, the person they h…
Genetic testing: Could there be unintended consequences? [PODCAST]
“Both clinical and direct-to-consumer genetic testing have become significantly less costly and more common, providing people with access to a wealth of information about everything from their ethnicity and family lineage to their risk for certai…
Genetic testing: Could there be unintended consequences?
Both clinical and direct-to-consumer genetic testing have become significantly less costly and more common, providing people with access to a wealth of information about everything from their ethnicity and family lineage to their risk for certain disea…
What to consider before undergoing stem cell treatment or banking stem cells
It can be difficult to tease out the evidence-based science amidst the claims of successful adult stem cell-based treatments for a range of health problems from joint pain to Parkinson’s disease, macular degeneration, and spinal cord injury. Even a num…
When doctors are right
As I was scrolling through my Facebook feed one morning, I noticed an article with a title starting with: “When Doctors are Wrong” with a picture of a newborn baby with a breathing tube in the NICU. I immediately opened the article and star…
