What is the worst "thing" in your family's health/ genetic legacy that you're aware of?

[LaraMN]

I'm going to have to go with "schizophrenia."

I've been paranoid since I was a kid that my own children would have some kind of horrible mental illness. Fortunately, they seem to be pleasantly weird but not mentally ill, thus far.

[BarenakedLady]

1. Depression/anxiety

I didn't dodge that bullet, unfortunately.

[LaraMN]

3. No fun, that one.

My mom came from a huge (13 child) family and was part of a study on depression in families. It definitely seems to have a genetic component for a lot of people.

[NewWaveChick1981]

2. Alcoholism.

:) Thankfully, I've escaped it.

[LaraMN]

4. I'm glad you did!

That a nasty one, for certain.

[NewWaveChick1981]

7. Thanks!

:hi: Yes, it is. My father, both grandmothers, both grandfathers, uncles and aunts on both sides, and a lot of cousins were/are alcoholics. :(

[SPKrazy]

33. Cancer

alcoholism

anxiety disorders

:shrug:

[Pierre.Suave]

5. Alcoholism and heart problems

Seriously, family members die from these, in combination, in my family...

[TZ]

6. Can it be more than one?

Depression, autoimmune diseases/issues/chronic health issues, heart disease....I have at least two of these issues maybe all three...in fact my other two sisters also have chronic autoimmune disorders....Yeah, we are a healthy bunch...:eyes:

[Connonym]

8. how to even pick?

Early female cancer on my father's side, Alzheimers on my mom's side, diabetes on both sides... if I had to pick which one to get I think at least the female cancer would kill me quickest.

[MorningGlow]

9. Colon cancer

Avoidable because we're aware of it and can do those fun colonoscopies (whee) to catch any sign of it early on.

Also thyroid disease. It's on both sides of my family. I haven't escaped that one. Ugh. It's a bitch. x(

[LeftyMom]

10. cancer, autoimmune issues, heart trouble, diabetes, addiction

Luckily I take pretty good care of myself, so I have none of the above.

[Maine-ah]

11. my father was bipolar

[MissMillie]

12. My mother's side has all kinds of cancer

intestinal, brain, breast, colon, prostate, all over the place w/ the cancer on my mother's side of the family.

My dad had a sister who died of cancer too, but she's the only one on his side.

[TommyO]

13. Diabetes

Both parents, my brothers and I are good candidates for it.

[HERVEPA]

14. Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease

In my dad's family, but he didn't have it, though he (and I) seem to have some possibly related very mild symptoms. I was tested and do not have it, so my kids are OK also.
=============================================================================================

Also called: Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy, Peroneal muscular atrophy
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a group of genetic nerve disorders. It is named after the three doctors who first identified it. In the United States, CMT affects about 1 in 3,300 people.

CMT affects your peripheral nerves. Peripheral nerves carry movement and sensation signals between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body. Symptoms usually start around the teen years. Foot problems such as high arches or hammertoes can be early symptoms. As CMT progresses, your lower legs may weaken. Later, your hands may also become weak.

There is no cure. The disease can be so mild you don't realize you have it or severe enough to make you weak. Many people with CMT lead active lives and have a normal life span. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, braces and other devices and sometimes surgery can help you cope.

[AngryAmish]

15. Colon cancer/rheumatoid arthritis/alcoholism

[Deep13]

16. My father died of a stroke at age 52.

Also my maternal grandmother had breast cancer.

There's alcoholism in the family, but that's not really scary (anymore) since it is not genetic and I hardly ever drink.

Edit:
I notice someone said tooth decay. I've got that in spades.

[livetohike]

17. Pancreatic cancer

My Dad and his Dad died from the disease. My siblings and I are in a study at Johns Hopkins......

[Debbi801]

18. For me it is the unknown--i'm adopted and don't know the history....

My ex-husband has some serious psychological issues that I wasn't aware of until after the fact. Severe bi-polar for sure, and depending to who you believe, schizophrenia, too.

I am so nervous that one day, one of my kids will suffer from the same psychological behavior as their father. As it is, his behavior is dangerous enough that my kids have no contact with him.

[skygazer]

19. Cancer and mental illness

Specifically bi-polar/depression and possibly schizophrenia. My grandfather died in a nuthouse but I never knew what his actual diagnosis was. I'm bi-polar myself.

And lots of cancer on both sides. My mother, her sister and two aunts on my father's side all had breast cancer. My father survived prostate cancer. My dad's father died of some sort of cancer. I've survived cervical cancer.

:(

[ohiosmith]

20. Everyone, and I do mean everyone on my mother's side has died from

complications of diabetes.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

21. I used to think it was Fuch's disease...

a disease of the eye that causes the cornea to have tiny splits/blisters that scar over an make you go blind -- it is also terribly painful.

But that was before I watched every member of my family (including myself) go through hormone related major depression. :scared: In a earlier time we would have all been carted off to an insane asylum and left to rot. Thank the gods for anti-depressants!

[sakabatou]

22. Heart disease/high blood pressure

I have neither.

There's also short height. I don't have that either.

[LynneSin]

23. Extreme stupidity......

....I've got George Bush in my family tree so you know it's in the DNA

:cry:

[JTG of the PRB]

24. Parkinson's on my father's side, Alzheimer's sort of on my mother's side.

Also depression, which I went through for about 7 miserable years.

I believe my mother's grandmother had Alzheimer's disease, so that's somewhere in the family line. As for Parkinson's... Well, my grandfather has a bit of it, and my father has a few very early symptoms. Looks like I'm right in line for that one.

[seemunkee]

25. Diabetes and breast cancer

My father and his father died from complications brought on my diabetes. My father died when he was only 48 when he died, his dad died 3 weeks later.

My mother and her mother both died from breast cancer. My mother fought it for 15 years.

[Phillycat]

26. Cancer, heart disease, alcoholism.

We've got 'em all. :D

[flvegan]

27. Cancer, diabetes, Republicanism.

[Spacemom]

28. Ovarian Cancer

My mom died from it at age 55, and my dad's sister had it, but was lucky enough to catch it stage 1 and was cured.

So, I get it from both directions. :(

[Parche]

29. Cancer

and i am the only one in the family who has never had any

I am the anomolie......:hi:

[mvd]

30. Anxiety

I have some of that. As for more serious deseases:

I have no siblings for comparison
Grandfather on dad's side died at 70 of Leukemia
Grandmother on dad's side is still alive at 88
Grandfather on mom's side died last year at 89 of a stroke
Grandmother on mom's side died at 80 of heart problems
Parents are still alive and doing well

I guess heart problems are the biggest threat, as my dad had an uncle who died of a heart attack. Cancer hasn't been very prevalent.

[bikebloke]

31. Lung cancer

Smokers only - for two generations certainly. Maybe my generation, too as I suspect a cousin went out that way.

I've dodged that bullet for having never smoked.

[Rabrrrrrr]

32. Fuckin' mortality. Stupid genes.

x(