Is your family medical history important? (Yes!)

[sophroniel]

Fun fact! I spent 5 years chasing a diagnosis for classical ehlers-danlos syndrome (which is known to be hereditary, and was later proved with genetic testing after the following incident occurred). When I finally got my dad to come along to my endless begging and insisting it wasn't psychological/fibromyalgia pain to explain how crippling the pain and dislocations had become, the geneticist and rheumatologist examined him for 1 minute, then looked at me and sheepishly said... "So, you were right... he's a typical case of cEDS, we can tell by his healed wounds and yours were too small to verify it." Whilst a part of me fellt super vindicated, it was still a bit distressing that they only believed me when they saw my dad with 30 years more pain and poor wound healing, scarring and damage and that, had I not had him with me, who knows how much longer my pain would've been treated as psychosomatic.

[MsTinkerbelle]

Those awkward “I’m adopted” convos though lol “so you have no history?” 😆 They look at you like you’re an alien.

[Emily-hdsm]

Me: laughs nervously in adopted. Like, abandoned on the street as a baby adopted 😅

[IAmADragonHearMeRoar]

You’re so much more friendly than another doctor who provides helpful info.
He’s just got so much spite in his presentation that it’s actually harder to take his advice even though it’s legitimate.
I’m just trying to learn how to make medical visits easier I don’t wanna be called an idiot even though I didn’t do anything 😭

[Annie_Annie__]

This explains why my new GP was shocked that I haven’t had a coloscopy yet.
I’m 38 which is how old my dad was when he was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Every other GP has told me I won’t need one until I’m 45 but this GP was like “technically, you should have been getting them since you were 28.”
I thought my new GP was just overly cautious, but I guess it’s more that my past GPs didn’t know the recommendations.

[morgannaomi]

I found a lump about 2 months ago, and since my paternal grandma had breast cancer 2 separate times, I pushed for a referral to the breast center. I got an ultrasound done and thankfully there was nothing wrong, not even a cyst.

BUUUT they had me do a bunch of paperwork regarding family history. And holy shit.

I always knew cancer liked my family, but I never had to actually go through each person's before. And here's what it ended up being:

Pat. Grandma: breast cancer(x2)
Pat. Grandpa: colon cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer, and died of brain cancer(less than a year after beating lung cancer)
Pat. Uncle: prostrate cancer
Mom: precancerous uterus(full hysterectomy for prevention)
Mat. Grandpa: died of lung cancer

I had to get a lymph node removed at 19 because they found precancerous cells for nonhodgkin's lymphoma in my neck.

So I left the breast center with no worries about a lump, but with a referral to a cancer genealogy clinic because of how high risk I am😅


And that's not including the neurological disease that I developed at 23 that left me permanently disabled 🥰

[heiditwist]

I'm so glad a lot of forms I fill out at the doctor's office have an "Im adopted" checkbox now

[btat]

“BUT HIPPA VIOLATIONS!!!” -someone that doesn’t understand HIPAA

[williammethner]

And family history isn’t just good for just GI testing or familial diseases!
It could potentially leak into a patient’s social history and give the healthcare team an idea of your home life and whether or not you would be at increased risk for injury.
Have an alcoholic family? May predispose you to fatty liver/cirrhosis, which would potentially complicate procedures later down the line.

[shekeitam]

This is how I was diagnosed with Colon Cancer at 23yrs old! I have a genetic mutation called FAP. Really long name and came with hundreds of thousands of polyps carpeting my entire colon. My mother & grandmother both had the same condition but they never really knew what/why. So far I'm the only of my 3 siblings to get tested. I've also developed thyroid cancer and Gastroparesis as a result. So people if doctors refuse to give you a colonoscopy...seek a 3rd or even 4th opinion. I had to go to 4 doctors over 5 years because no one thought that a 18-24yo girl could need one. 😒 Thanks for the amazing content, Doc. People like you are why I'm alive today. 💙

[alexluvvsu]

i know you’re a doctor n obviously will know abt it but whenever i hear someone talk abt cystic fibrosis i *still* always am shocked bc 9 times out of 10 when i meet someone they’ve never heard of it n i’m always taken aback when someone DOES know

then i have to explain it all, esp when i take out my creon n they wanna know what it is lmao i dont mind tho ! means they know for next time :D

[kristynkazumi]

Definitely need to check that out. My 2 great grandmothers died of colon cancer, my grandmother had breast cancer twice and died of pancreatic cancer, a great uncle had duodenum cancer, my dad had skin cancer, and my uncle had skin cancer and has esophageal cancer.

[mossistryingtheirbest]

The things thats weird for me is that I'm adopted. I consider my adopted mother as my mom, but I never really know what to say when I'm asked about hereditary things...

[patriciabennett]

Good information, Doctor . Saving lives and promoting good health. Thank you so very much for information. Kindest regards from north east of England.

[lisaozenich]

My mom just beat stage 3b colorectal cancer! It was the most awful, difficult thing she's ever been through, or that I've witnessed. If she would have gotten her colonoscopy at 45, 50, or 55 like her doctor begged, what she went through could have been avoided. Please don't be afraid to go to the doctor and get this procedure. She didn't have any symptoms until it was almost too late. She almost lost her colon, and she was lucky to keep it. Extremely lucky.

[sarahlovee]

Yo, I NEED to use that! It's so hard remembering everyone's different ailments

[SheayWithLove]

I was able to get diagnosed more quickly because of my family history so yes it’s a huge help! ( colitis)

[sunnystreet]

My grandpa and two of his siblings (possibly three) got colon cancer. I urged my mom to get a colonoscopy and I’m glad she did. No colon cancer but did get breast cancer a while back so it’s a weight off my mind to know she got checked for it.

[lisakukla]

There's never a box to check so I always have to write in "unknown - adopted." You'd think that'd mean they'd do some screenings, but no. Sometimes not even when you ask.

[downrivdude]

I like your clips. Thought provoking for sure