Genetic Link

[Geoff]

Hello all you fellow travellers,

Just thought I would run this one by you. During my latest visit to the hospital they asked me if I would care to sign up to another trial. Apparently there is some suggestion that WG could be genetic and as such I have been asked to donate my DNA for research purposes. I am not aware of any identification of how we came by this disease and would be interested if any fellow sufferers have had any other information as to its root cause. I have to say that reading thru this forum, I feel as if I have a large splinter in my little finger compared to how the disease has grasped some of you. After being diagnosed just over a year ago, the only real syptoms I have are ringing in my ears and some fatigue, which bearing in mind how busy I am is no real surprise. I do not say this to gloat but rather offer some hope that you can live a pretty normal life and that being diagnosed with WG, whilst we know it to be a life sentence, does not have to be a life in serious decline. Reading this forum has, I have to say, been very uplifting with its stories of ordinary people overcoming serious hurdles in their life. It gives me great hope.
Love to you all.

[andrew]

Hi Geoff....yes some of the stories on this site certainly put things in perspective for me too I'm unaware of any confirmed genetic link related to WG. However, my father and sister both have autoimmune issues. Others though have no history whatsoever. It makes it rather confusing. My opinion is that it's a mixture of things, a 'perfect storm' if you like. Things like stress, genetics, environment and other health issues might come into play all at once and boom!

[Jack]

I have taken part in a couple of genetic studies over the years, but I don't think they came to any conclusion. I myself come from a line of long lived healthy individuals on my father's side, but my mother's background is less certain because she was adopted. However, she did live untill she was nearly 90.

[Derek]

I have heard that we could be born with a genetic trigger for WG along with other conditions; these triggers can be fired depending on what happens in your life. I was very ill in 1988 with a strep throat condition which was awful. This could have triggered the link to WG. My doctor says it is more likely that the condition gave my immune system such a shock that that probably set the WG off. Who knows?
It is strange that my Grandmother died in the sixties after a short illness and she had a hole in her septum??? . Cause of death was listed as heart failure.
Derek

[Doug]

Derek- Like your avatar! p.s. add "be positive"

[coffeelover]

I like Dereks avatar also. He is being positive with #2-"survive"

[Doug]

I like Dereks avatar also. He is being positive with #2-"survive"

Mmm. Think you are right! "Survive" has a connotation of not to sink under or to be one of the 9 in 10, doesn't it? Derek- Leave your avatar exactly as you wrote it! It's a great signal to the rest of us, too!