BillH
Active member
- Joined
- May 2, 2015
- Messages
- 53
- Reason
- Lost a loved one
- Country
- US
- State
- ID
- City
- Ada county
Here is a gene question that my brother asked the last time we visited and I had never thought of it before.
Like a lot fALS families, I think we all share that thought "I wonder if I have it?" Before my Mom's onset and before she passed away in 2001 she was tested because it was obvious we are a fALS family. At that time our family gene wasn't identified and her tests for the genes known at the time came back negative. She went for a time thinking/hoping that she would not get ALS. I think some in our family misunderstood that. Years later the family gene was ID'd and a few family members were tested, most were not. There were a few positives and a few negatives, as you would expect. And there are currently 4 in the family who are diagnosed.
Now, my brother's question... if there are more than just a few genes associated with ALS, and if not all are known yet, is it possible there could be two genes running in a family? Has anyone heard of such a thing? I haven't, and that is what I told my brother, but also said I'd toss it to the forum and see if anyone else had any input.
Sometimes the fear of ALS runs deep in fALS families, and even having a negative genetic test doesn't always alleviate it.
Like a lot fALS families, I think we all share that thought "I wonder if I have it?" Before my Mom's onset and before she passed away in 2001 she was tested because it was obvious we are a fALS family. At that time our family gene wasn't identified and her tests for the genes known at the time came back negative. She went for a time thinking/hoping that she would not get ALS. I think some in our family misunderstood that. Years later the family gene was ID'd and a few family members were tested, most were not. There were a few positives and a few negatives, as you would expect. And there are currently 4 in the family who are diagnosed.
Now, my brother's question... if there are more than just a few genes associated with ALS, and if not all are known yet, is it possible there could be two genes running in a family? Has anyone heard of such a thing? I haven't, and that is what I told my brother, but also said I'd toss it to the forum and see if anyone else had any input.
Sometimes the fear of ALS runs deep in fALS families, and even having a negative genetic test doesn't always alleviate it.