MY INHERITANCE

I was the second oldest of six children with four brothers and one sister.  (There's a lot to be learned about birth order personalties but that's a blog for another time).  We were raised in unincorporated Columbus, Ohio in the middle lower class.  My Dad was a Union carpenter and my Mom a full time COE (Chief of Everything).  In the 1950s with no microwave or convection oven or dishwasher for a family of eight it ws more than a full time job.  But I never felt deprived.  We never missed a meal although occasionally we'd have oatmeal for dinner.  Or beans on toast.

 

My best inheritance is a fabulous childhood, a love of cooking, playing board games and reading.  I was a bookworm from an early age and it has transferred into online reading, learning and adventures.  My parents also passed along a predilection for some health issues.  

Type 2 Diabetes is one condition that is about 25% - 72%  genetic.  National Institutes of Health has published The Genetic Landscape of Diabetes which discusses the heredity links as well as environmental affects (poor families eat more carbohydrates, less fresh fruits and vegetables (although my Dad had an amazing garden and we all helped weed, harvest and “put up”).  Most of my Mom’s siblings had Type 2 Diabetes.  As well as high triglycerides.  Two of my siblings have this also.  (Mine could be greatly helped if I exercised).

Yes, high cholesterol can be genetic. Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an inherited condition that causes abnormally high cholesterol levels due to a mutated gene.

Statin drugs work by blocking an enzyme that produces cholesterol in the liver and increases your body’s ability to remove cholesterol from the blood. They can lower your LDL cholesterol levels by 50 percent or more. Statins have been safely used to reduce the risk of heart disease for 30 years and continue to be the number one option when it comes to helping people with FH.  So, again, I’m luckily living through chemistry.

Osteoporosis has a genetic factor involved.  My Grandmother had it.  My mother had it in her spine  Several times she had to have bone cement injected to strengthen the vertebrae (which helps relieve pain, prevent further fractures and help with mobility).  My sister has it and now I have it.  I just started my first dose of a monthly medication, Ibandronate Sodium, to try to slow the progression.

Varicose veins?  Heredity.  Gum disease?  Genetic.  Psoriasis?  60 - 90% handed down.  Breast cancer?  Yes.  I'm thinking just about everything is part nature, part taking care of yourself.

Other things I've inherited?  Living within my means.  Volunteering in my community.  Love of nature.  Blue eyes.  Kindness.  Optimism.  Intelligence.  Sense of humor.

Love of coffee?  I'm thinking yes!!