*blinks*

[conuly]

Mostly, I agree with this article. Good stuff. But...

"I got married really young because I really wanted a family," Fisher said, "and I also knew I was going to die young."

Fisher married at 21, had a baby at 22 and was battling breast cancer by 31. She's been in remission for 12 years, but is fighting a new battle.


You have an inheritable problem that predisposes you to cancer. You arranged your life around this. There is no benefit from this, and the odds are that you'll die young. So you got married early to have kids?

Genetic testing revealed that her daughter, Kate, has the BRCA-1 gene, which is associated with colon and breast cancers.

I don't want to say anything I don't mean, so listen carefully. I don't think this woman or her daughter would've been better off, or the daughter (or woman) hadn't been born. I think people need a lot of education about various disabilities before saying "oh, this kid might have *blank*, I should get an abortion". But in this case, she knows the problems involved in this, they're not pretty... *shrugs* I would've adopted, that's all.

Comments

[the-lady-aurora.livejournal.com]

I have polycystic kidneys which is a hereditary condition - I'm in end stage renal failure at the moment. This always coloured my decision about having children. Luckily, I married someone for whom children are not the be all and end all. Sadly, both of my brothers married women who wanted children. They both had 2 boys each and they all have polycystic kidneys - one of them has polycystic liver too. When they were diagnosed, both my sisters-in-law were extremely upset - as you would be - but, at the end of the day, they knew the risks. Both of my brothers have the same condition. We were all informed at the time of diagnosis that the chances of offspring inheriting this condition was very high.

[conuly]

We were all informed at the time of diagnosis that the chances of offspring inheriting this condition was very high.

We have to make our choices in life. But I won't pretend to understand other people's choices, not all the time.

*hugs* I always *did* wonder what it was, but didn't want to ask. Seemed mildly intrusive.

[the-lady-aurora.livejournal.com]

If my parents had made the same choice as me, then I wouldn't be here. So, I suppose I should be grateful to them for that. Even though they, too, knew the risks at the time. This is a condition that has been in the family for generations. Although she hasn't said anything to me, I've been told by an aunt that my mum often tells her how guilty she feels. On my down days, I think "yeah, you should be" but mostly I just accept it. Nothing can be done by dwelling on something that can't be changed.

I don't mind anyone asking anything about me or my health. If I can answer the questions, then I will :0)

[conuly]

If my parents had made the same choice as me, then I wouldn't be here.

Nope, you wouldn't. But if they hadn't fucked when they did, you wouldn't be here either, so what's the difference? ;)

Seriously, it's an interesting conundrum, but not one I'm going to spend time on when dead tired.

I don't mind anyone asking anything about me or my health. If I can answer the questions, then I will :0)

Well, mine was generally "hey, what's up with you always having dialysis*?" so that's answered. But now I know what specifically to ask you about if it ever comes up.

*Is it just me, or does that sound uncomfortably like diaresis?