Got my DNA kit back...

[Tawanda]

and it was no surprise that I was shown as having an "elevated risk" for MS and a handful of other things, including psoriasis, which I also have (the good news is that I am at a lowered risk for Alzheimer's). I did the 23 and Me kit for about a hundred smacks. There are cheaper ones, but I had at least heard of this one.

I am also 2.9 percent Neanderthal, higher than the average of 2.7. I always thought my forehead was pretty short!

[bubblebabe]

Awesome!!!
I was going to buy that exact kit this weekend, I was wondering how well it really worked.
Are you happy with it?

Did you get your entire nationality profile of both parents?
It tells you a lot of medical stuff like drug tolerance right?

Thank you sooo much for sharing!

[NYJenn]

Very cool.
I was thinking of doing a*DNA test, too.

[mercadies25]

I was also wondering if it was for real. When I get some money I am going to do it to if you really think it's worth the money.

[candycane]

I was thinking about this too. Thanks for posting about it.

[Tawanda]

I have always found this subject very interesting. To me it was worth the money and having been diagnosed with MS already, I have nothing to fear. They do have diseases you have to unlock at your own risk as there is little that can be done for you if you ever get them, but what the heck...I paid for the results so I went ahead and unlocked them!

I am mostly almost completely eastern European. They traced back 60,000 years on my mother's side and I am confused about my father's side...still reading the instructions.

Yes, there is a little about drug sensitivities, but nothing earth shattering where Interferon was concerned...yet. This DNA base is a work in process and appears to be in its infancy at the moment.

I would love to hear if anyone else does this. It took 6 weeks for me, but there have been a ton of holidays since I spit in the test tube...!

[misslux]

Interesting! I went to go order but the shipping to Canada is $60!!!

[ru4cats]

Hmmmmm. I'm thinking Christmas gifts. Thanks for posting! Glad to hear the feedback.

[Jules A]

Hmmmmm. I'm thinking Christmas gifts. Thanks for posting! Glad to hear the feedback.

Lol, this cracks me up.

I appreciate the advances we are making in genetic awareness and believe it will be very helpful for those of us with MS.

[lusciousleaves]

I did the 23andme testing a couple of years ago when all of this came up. It's fascinating.

Mine didn't show an elevated risk of MS on the two alleles they specify in their results. One did, but the other didn't. But when I dug down deeper into the genetics and sifted through the GWAS at Pubmed, the most comprehensive study did put me into the highest risk category. These aren't ready for clinical or diagnostic use yet, so it's for personal information only.

However, I found the information to be highly useful in terms of where to be more vigilant in the future. Psoriasis was high on my list, too, although nobody in my family developed it except my mother. She only developed it after starting chemo for her cancer. Lots of autoimmune diseases showed up on mine, along with a few cancers, two of them having occurred in the family in previous generations.

[bree2013]

and it was no surprise that I was shown as having an "elevated risk" for MS and a handful of other things, including psoriasis, which I also have (the good news is that I am at a lowered risk for Alzheimer's). I did the 23 and Me kit for about a hundred smacks. There are cheaper ones, but I had at least heard of this one.

I am also 2.9 percent Neanderthal, higher than the average of 2.7. I always thought my forehead was pretty short!

You're brave! I don't know if I want to know what I'm possibly up against Especially is there's nothing I can really do to prevent some of them.

By the same token, I am curious. So who knows, I may do this in the future -- thanks for sharing this info.

Bree

[misslux]

I would have loved to know about my high risk for MS before. I would have done things SO differently if I knew and wouldn't have wasted years in a stagnant relationship and would have travelled more!

If I found out now that I had something quickly terminal, I'd totally live it up!

[Tawanda]

I would have loved to know about my high risk for MS before. I would have done things SO differently if I knew and wouldn't have wasted years in a stagnant relationship and would have travelled more!

If I found out now that I had something quickly terminal, I'd totally live it up!

Of course, high risk doesn't mean for a fact, but I think I was actually happier not knowing. I think the thing that worries me the most is the future of my child. No doubt she carries the same gene variant. Unless you are Bill Gates rich, MS is going to be a pretty hard disease to prepare yourself for, so my advice to her, should she ask, is enjoy her life...and marry "a mighty good man" if she does marry. Advice any mother would give.

I had 40 healthy years. I should count my blessings for that, but sadly I don't. I wanted more!

[Tawanda]

You're brave! I don't know if I want to know what I'm possibly up against Especially is there's nothing I can really do to prevent some of them.

By the same token, I am curious. So who knows, I may do this in the future -- thanks for sharing this info.

Bree

Hey Bree, diseases considered "too scary" have a lock on them...you can choose to keep them locked. They were genes for Breast Cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimers, and TTR-Related Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy (say that last one 3 times fast!).

The good news is that the people at 23 and Me didn't feel that the M.S. was bad enough to padlock!

[Jules A]

Hey Bree, diseases considered "too scary" have a lock on them...you can choose to keep them locked. They were genes for Breast Cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimers, and TTR-Related Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy (say that last one 3 times fast!).

The good news is that the people at 23 and Me didn't feel that the M.S. was bad enough to padlock!

It strikes me as odd that someone would be able to resist the urge to open the locked diseases in their profile. Maybe its just me but if you had a chance of getting one of those diseases who wouldn't want to know so they could make appropriate plans.