Thursday, May 6, 2010

update, musing on heredity

Well, the knee surgery was a week ago.  Right now I'm probably in the best shape I've been in for a while - ankle seems to be 100%, both knees working without too much pain or complaint.  The right is much better than it has for some time - the surgery was a major success in my opinion.  The left aches on occasion.  Both creak and click when climbing steps.  Luckily so far that is without pain.  I sometimes feel like I could provide the sound effects for snap crack pop commercials between the noises my knees and other joints make.  My ankle now joins in the sound effects band and plays popping sounds - reminiscent of popping bubble wrap periodically.  Doesn't hurt but feels odd sort of like air escaping and makes noise.  Various other joints also occasionally make noise - elbows and wrists, etc.  I have only been diagnosed with arthritis in my knees.  It is highly possible in my opinion I could have it other places as well.  Supposedly osteoarthritis effects targeted joints, and isn't just spread throughout the body, unlike rheumatoid arthritis that can be spread through out.  That is if I understand my reading correctly.  For example osteoarthritis might only effect one knee and not the other (mine however is with both but in the beginning it was only the left), whereas rheumatoid arthritis normally effects both.  Osteoarthritis apparently is more common, and is often due to just normal wear and tear on the body.  Not much about it being genetic or hereditary, but my mother has arthritis.  She for some time now has complained about having it in her hands, especially her right thumb.  She is right handed. Since I started having knee issues she has recently had similar complaints with hers and will empathize with what I go through.   She says she feels for me having these kinds of pain and issues at 47 (starting around 40) vs her having same sort of trouble in her 80's (she is 83).
My daughter continues to ask why it is that genetics always seem to pass along the bad things and how lucky she is to appear to be in line to inherit all sorts of lovely things.  So far she is lucky (unlucky) enough to have inherited from me (and from my mom) the following:
1) allergy to adhesive - like the adhesive on band aids (not latex, just the sticky stuff).
2) large breasts (I had a breast reduction 3 yrs ago - best thing I ever did and wish I could have done years prior, and she is jealous that she can't do the same yet, and my mother also says she wishes she had known of such a thing years ago, but feels 80+ is too old to do anything now).
3) large thighs - goes with the body type in general I guess that has been passed down.  My mother in her youth had a model perfect body apparently - the large breast, small waist, and larger hips, and big thighs (doesn't show much in the pictures from the day due to her normally being dressed in dresses or skirts).  So even when she was actually on the skinny side she had large legs.  Me, I've never been accused of being skinny, and currently could stand to lose extra pounds, but even when I was thinner, I had the large breasts and big legs, and now my daughter follows along.  Her larger than most girls thighs were well muscled and of benefit when she used to swim (the large breasts that developed soon after however were more of a detriment.)
4) while she hasn't developed it yet, we already know that Rosacea runs in the family.  Mom has it, as does both my brother and I.
5) Strange immune system things - Dad had Gilliam Barre syndrome (which ultimately rushed his death several years ago), I of course with MS (diagnosed in 2009), and my daughter who had spinal meningitis at 18 months.

1 comment:

Diane J Standiford said...

I'm getting my DNA tested for 80 some conditions. Should be interesting. We are our family.