Genetic clinic

Hi and good morning everyone, I am off to the genetic clinic this afternoon and I am not too sure what will happen there, I am just wondering if any of you have been to one, I don't have much family history I can give them, I only have my elderly mother now, and she could only give me information on my dad, and her mum and dad, it just doesn't seem much to go on, xx

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star]

Hi Chaz. I went to the genetic clinic. They made a family tree with whatever information I could give them, asked of any medical history I knew of. I didn't know much. They asked me about my condition - symptoms and how it had come to light etc. They said I didn't have anything genetic that could be tested for but took blood samples to keep on file for any tests that become available in the future. This year they tested my sample for something new and wrote to tell me, though nothing was found. They were really nice and explained everything. Definitely not anything to worry about. Good luck x

[Hidden in reply to laura_dropstitch]

Hi, Thanks I think I will be the same I just don't know enough about my family history, most of them did die fairly young from heart disease, but I have no details, I would have liked to have found out if it is genetic, I have two sons and a wee granddaughter and I would like to hope they haven't inherited this, more my house they are after lol 😂 xx

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star in reply to Hidden]

Ha! My parents and sister were all given an ECG, purely precautionary, which the genetic clinic helped to arrange. They all came back normal. My daughter gets an echo every five years. Again, it's precautionary and the one she's had so far didn't show anything out of the ordinary. Sure you would be able to arrange similar for your family.

[Hidden in reply to laura_dropstitch]

Hi thanks that's a bit more reassuring that they would scan them, it can be such a worry xx

[FMW62]

I was referred to genetics because of cardiomyopathy. A very friendly consultant was mostly interested in living siblings and descendants - preventing future problems. Interest in any of previous generations is helpful for seeing the picture as a whole, but not the main object of the consultation.

My sister was tested and had the same as me. Our daughters both got tested willingly. Our sons baulked at the idea! I persuaded mine that he may not want to know for himself, but how about worrying about his baby son!

[Hidden in reply to FMW62]

Thanks that was very helpful, it's cardiomyopathy I have, I thought they might want to know about past relatives, which I know nothing about, three of my grandparents alone had died before I was born, I have no aunts or uncles either! A very small family, I have one brother and my own grownup children, I am not too sure how they would feel about being tested, I think they are still trying to come to terms with my diagnosis x