Anthony
HIGH STACEY MY NAME IS TONY AND IM RESPONDING TO YOUR REQUEST TO MEET SOMEONE LIVING AT RISK. I LEARNED I WAS AT RISK WHEN I WAS 22 YEARS OLD AND HAVE LIVED IN THE SHADOWS OF HD FOR THE PAST 14 YEARS. THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY ADVANCES IN MEDICINE RELATING TO THIS ILLNESS I TRY TO KEEP CURRENT WHERE I CAN. MY DAD WAS THE CARRIER OF THE GENE AS HE INHERRTIED THE GENE FROM HIS MOM. THERE SEEMS TO BE A CORRILATION BETWEEN THE AGE OF ONSET AS TO WHICH PARENT YOU INHERRIT THE GENE FROM. TWO OF MY SIBLINGS INHERRET THE GENE AND ONE DIED IN 1998 FROM HD. I LOST MY DAD IN 1995 ON THE DAY OF MY BIRTH. I REMEMBER WHEN I FOUND OUT MANY YEARS AGO HOW FRIGHTENED I WAS, I WOULD WATCH EVERY LITTLE WRONG MOVE I MADE AND THOUGHT ITS HAPPENING. I FOUND THAT EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT AND NOT TO BE ASHAMED, WE'VE DONE NOTHING WRONG. I SOUGHT COUNCIL THROUGH L.I.J. HOSPITAL AND THERE MET AUDREY HYMLER A LEADING GENETIC RESEARCHER WHO COUNCILED ME ON MANY OCCASSIONS IN RELATION TO THIS DISEASE. SHE NOW IS DOING HER WORK IN CONNETICUT I RESENTLY FOUND OUT. I HAVE BEEN UNDECIDED AS TO IF I REALLY WANT TO KNOW MY OWN FATE AS I AM SURE YOU ARE TO?. THERE IS A HOSPITAL HERE WHERE I LIVE THAT DOES OFFER IT, AND CAN BE DONE IN APPROX. 3 VISITS. THERE IS MUCH TO CONTEMPLATE EVEN BEFORE YOU DECIDE. THE IMPACT IS IMENCE ON MANY LEVELS. I AM HAPPY I AM IN A WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIP AND I HAVE A VERY REWARDING CARRER AS I BECAME A REGISTERED NURSE. MY ADVICE FOR YOU IS TO EDUCATE YOURSELF AND TO BE HAPPY. I LEARNED AT A VERY YOUNG AGE LIFE BRINGS NO GUARENTEES. IF YOU LIKE ADD ME TO YOUR BUDDY LIST OR WRITE BACK. PERHAPS I CAN GIVE YOU MORE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS AND MAYBE YOU CAN TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF. HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING. SINCERELY, ANTHONY.