The Beginning
Always good to start at the beginning...
My dad was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease back in 2014, aged 64. I knew the implications immediately as my paternal grandmother mother died in her 40s of MND. I never got to meet her.
For those of you that don't know, MND or ALS as it is also known is a disease caused by a 'spelling mistake' in a gene that over your lifetime slowly breaks down the sheath around your motor nerves. These nerves take messages from your brain to your muscles, making you move. This gets to a point where it interferes with these messages more and more so until you are no longer able to move and breathe.
Time passed and we began the grieving process in the knowledge that this is a terminal Disease.
In march dad received a letter regarding his 'type' of MND, this letter suggested that any children he had should be tested. We weren't worried as the chances were low of it being hereditary, or so we thought...
On March 2nd 2017 I trundled along to see the genetics councillor expecting a routine blood test. I was instead informed that I have a 50% chance of having MND. On or off. Yes or no. A flip of a coin. I was not expecting that.
I am still awaiting this blood test.
I have decided to use a blog to work out my thoughts, to be able to share my story. No matter what the outcome may be, I want something for me to look back on, for my children to read in the future. Something that may inspire people.
Thanks for reading :)
My dad was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease back in 2014, aged 64. I knew the implications immediately as my paternal grandmother mother died in her 40s of MND. I never got to meet her.
For those of you that don't know, MND or ALS as it is also known is a disease caused by a 'spelling mistake' in a gene that over your lifetime slowly breaks down the sheath around your motor nerves. These nerves take messages from your brain to your muscles, making you move. This gets to a point where it interferes with these messages more and more so until you are no longer able to move and breathe.
Time passed and we began the grieving process in the knowledge that this is a terminal Disease.
In march dad received a letter regarding his 'type' of MND, this letter suggested that any children he had should be tested. We weren't worried as the chances were low of it being hereditary, or so we thought...
On March 2nd 2017 I trundled along to see the genetics councillor expecting a routine blood test. I was instead informed that I have a 50% chance of having MND. On or off. Yes or no. A flip of a coin. I was not expecting that.
I am still awaiting this blood test.
I have decided to use a blog to work out my thoughts, to be able to share my story. No matter what the outcome may be, I want something for me to look back on, for my children to read in the future. Something that may inspire people.
Thanks for reading :)
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