tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post2927560433130851747..comments2024-03-01T01:30:03.255-07:00Comments on Genetic Jungle: The finished imageAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16532403180123519635noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-65630253233781985182007-12-05T18:39:00.000-07:002007-12-05T18:39:00.000-07:00My son has juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, also cause...My son has juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, also caused by a genetic malfunction. Luckily it is (for the most part) controlled with meds.Clairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10740049258265150141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-31844184943854038192007-12-04T03:41:00.000-07:002007-12-04T03:41:00.000-07:00beautiful, yet scary post, eoh.it does tend to mak...beautiful, yet scary post, <BR/>eoh.<BR/><BR/>it does tend to make one a bit more grateful.<BR/><BR/>am liking the new design.. nifty.morbidnekohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17321660955286516970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-27333598252766390902007-12-02T18:44:00.000-07:002007-12-02T18:44:00.000-07:00When I was in elementary school, I became fascinat...When I was in elementary school, I became fascinated with deficiency diseases (scurvy, beriberi, etc.). I still am fascinated by disorders. Maybe I should have been a pathologist like I originally wanted.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-80245446101441718402007-12-02T18:05:00.000-07:002007-12-02T18:05:00.000-07:00adam: 'n mens is sweerlik nooit te jonk vir toetse...<B>adam:</B> 'n mens is sweerlik nooit te jonk vir toetse nie. Die belangrikste is om sensible te wees en nie paranoïes nie. Van 30 af behoort jy te gaan vir die prostaat "vingertippietoetsie". Nie pret nie, maar noodsaaklik.<BR/><BR/><B>trundling grunt:</B> I'll give it to you as a comment on your blog as soon as I've translated it!<BR/><BR/><B>aine:</B> you are fantastic and more compassionate than I'll ever be. Thank you so much for sharing; I believe it fleshes out the topic just that little bit more.<BR/><BR/><B>kristen:</B> all thanks to IF's friend.<BR/><BR/><B>twanji:</B> the twanje finally stoops to visit my humble webspace! Long time no see, eh?<BR/><BR/><B>singleton:</B> Wow, what are the odds: such a rare condition and <I>two</I> regular visitors have close experience of FOP. We should never underestimate the importance of awareness, even if it's sensationalist. People with genetic disease are much more robust against failing political correctness than we are led to believe. I think most would have you treat them at face value, rather than with condescension.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16532403180123519635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-57727308067204796462007-12-02T17:37:00.000-07:002007-12-02T17:37:00.000-07:00I'm blown away with the stuff you hit on...I have ...I'm blown away with the stuff you hit on...I have a friend with FOP, very active in research and fundraising, and probably now, the oldest living young lady affected. Years ago, she was tauted in the Enquirer magazine as "The Woman who turned to Stone", I was appalled, but in her wisdom she knew the value of telling it out loud, and in spite of her body, being frozen forever in a semi sitting position, her smile carved like an ice sculpture, her spirit soars, her fight for all the little ones continues.....singletonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03482545214687731218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-67701598463974510492007-12-01T09:10:00.000-07:002007-12-01T09:10:00.000-07:00Great post. Makes me so much more grateful about t...Great post. Makes me so much more grateful about the fact that I was born and that thus far in my life I am benefiting from great health.<BR/><BR/>I love the new look - great stuff. Planning a huge change to my web-presence in 2008. Stay tuned!twanjihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16985399755625013629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-68833298085787408282007-12-01T00:50:00.000-07:002007-12-01T00:50:00.000-07:00love the new look! the banner is beautiful!!!love the new look! the banner is beautiful!!!Adminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09031370976246712353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-69480275603092073452007-11-29T19:11:00.000-07:002007-11-29T19:11:00.000-07:00Stories? Well-- it was about 15 years ago when I ...Stories? Well-- it was about 15 years ago when I worked in an "adult wheelchair community" which is only one of 3 such facilities in the US. That's why I had the opportunity to meet people with some of the rarest of conditions. Unfortunately I was merely a student at the time, so I did not provide treatment as a full-fledged therapist. But, I remember spending a day with a woman with FOP during an outing to a botanical garden. She was independently mobile in a power wheelchair (using "sip and puff" technology-- the person controls the chair by simply blowing or sipping on a straw-like device). The wheelchair was modified to fit her unique shape (arms and legs were bent in a loose fetal position, and she suffered some torquing of her trunk. The most difficult fusion for her was her neck which was gradually assuming an extended position (which would eventually interfere with safe swallowing.)) She was very interested in taking photos, so I held the camera to her eye, enabling her to choose the angle, etc, and pushed the button for her. The most fascinating aspect to me was the "hard feel" of her joints because of the bone fusion. It is a very different feel than the more common joint contractures (when muscle tone becomes abnormally high) that occur after neurological impairments (such as strokes or late stage Alzheimers).<BR/><BR/>The Huntingdon folks that I remember were a brother and sister who were in their 40s. Very intelligent, interesting, active people who had to deal with the loss of coordination and subsequent reliance on wheelchairs. They were both amazingly accepting (not depressed).Ainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08402176500997528105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-60523284624649992142007-11-29T19:05:00.000-07:002007-11-29T19:05:00.000-07:00The staggering thing is how a small variation in a...The staggering thing is how a small variation in a gene can have such a devastating effect. It makes you feel humble.<BR/><BR/>And let's face it, it mutations hadn't occurred we wouldn't be here to discuss them. Unless it did all happen on a particular day in 4004 BCE. Yeah, right.<BR/><BR/>So where's your mother's recipe then?Trundling Grunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03496714919635364962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-87076787282386731212007-11-29T05:16:00.000-07:002007-11-29T05:16:00.000-07:00Dit maak my bietjie bang soms. Ek dink ek is genet...Dit maak my bietjie bang soms. Ek dink ek is geneties gepredisponeer tot kanker. Op watter ouderdom moet ek begin toets?<BR/><BR/>Btw, jy is getag...Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00009744871678998826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-46560029419939399512007-11-28T23:43:00.000-07:002007-11-28T23:43:00.000-07:00aine: that would be interesting. That's why the sp...<B>aine:</B> that <I>would</I> be interesting. That's why the species concept is actually all nonsense. Every species is a 'work in progress'. You've worked with FOP and HD people? That's amazing; care to share any stories?<BR/><BR/><B>kristen:</B> thanks.<BR/><BR/><B>sleekpelt:</B> sorry about your ear. Hope it clears up soon. If you find yourself interested in something you wouldn't have been bothered about otherwise, then I've done my job. Awareness is power.<BR/><BR/><B>church lady:</B> thanks. It's difficult to discuss disease in anything but a dark light, unless a cure is around the corner. On Aine's point, there's also something to be said for neutral mutations; changes that don't impact health. They might get fixed in small populations due to founder effects and genetic drift. Or, they might be fixed via sexual selection. Think of the peacock's tail. It has no benefit to survival, it just looks cool to females. What's going to be sexy to people in the next century?<BR/><BR/><B>wreckless:</B> woah. I don't want to sound preachy or like a teacher. I just like to share. You ain't no dummy, but if the average person can understand the post, then I've succeeded. <BR/><BR/><B>infumb:</B> excuse me, but she approached me of her own accord, because my blog is so inspiring... seriously though, she is fantastic. And thank you for sharing your talented friend. It's only a question of time before everyone wants a piece of her.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16532403180123519635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-50955671860620452912007-11-28T20:24:00.000-07:002007-11-28T20:24:00.000-07:00I'm still trying to figure out how to pull it all ...I'm still trying to figure out how to pull it all together - it'll be better by the end of the evening...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16532403180123519635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-11263905448134831152007-11-28T20:12:00.000-07:002007-11-28T20:12:00.000-07:00Hmmmmm... NICE HEADER TEOH. Looks strangely famil...Hmmmmm... NICE HEADER TEOH. Looks strangely familiar!!!<BR/><BR/>I can't believe you hijacked my friend! I'm kidding... how cool and bizarre that my real world and blog world is starting to mesh together.<BR/><BR/>She wants to get her name out there as a graphic designer... which I'm going to try and help her with in my next blog posting. I'll obviously feature you in it... :)HopSkipJumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04816447897382423830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-78464780110444244112007-11-28T14:39:00.000-07:002007-11-28T14:39:00.000-07:00It's a good thing you have a blog to vent all that...It's a good thing you have a blog to vent all that info you have. I think there would just be a huge explosion somewhere if you didn't. I love reading your posts, because it is book like and class like. <BR/>Thanks for another good one and boiling it down for we dummies (haha)out there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-12689470128452421142007-11-28T10:18:00.000-07:002007-11-28T10:18:00.000-07:00This is a great post. While dark, it makes you als...This is a great post. While dark, it makes you also feel grateful.<BR/><BR/>I knew of the first one, but I had never heard of the other ones. <BR/> Aine poses an interesting question.Chris Eldinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11794946908789120139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-41984195606413304732007-11-27T19:58:00.000-07:002007-11-27T19:58:00.000-07:00Another fine post, Teoh. It makes me almost thankf...Another fine post, Teoh. It makes me almost thankful for this freaking ear infection that's driving me crazy. <BR/><BR/>Before finding your blog I hadn't been interested in scientific detail for a very long time. You've affected me, Teoh.SleekPelthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13113791901297551978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-13960495105316240922007-11-27T15:29:00.000-07:002007-11-27T15:29:00.000-07:00super interesting post!super interesting post!Adminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09031370976246712353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-14464994092264121642007-11-27T13:57:00.000-07:002007-11-27T13:57:00.000-07:00Great post!! You could've broken this up into a s...Great post!! You could've broken this up into a series of posts on different genetic disorders. I'm envious of your ability to fuse knowledge with writing to discuss issues that are often avoided because of discomfort or ignorance.<BR/><BR/>As an occupational therapist working in rehab, I've worked with people who live with fibrodysplasia and Huntington's. And, as a bio major, I found myself just as fascinated by the randomness of genetic mutation. I wish I could peek 200,000 years into the future to see which genetic "mistakes" will have been selected and enhanced our survival. Somehow, I think the successful changes will be involved in human emotional processing and behavior (limbic system perhaps?). It seems as though human interaction has become the environmental force that exerts the most environmental pressure on our evolution.<BR/><BR/>Thanks again for the fascinating discussion!Ainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08402176500997528105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-27886112923002581572007-11-27T13:11:00.000-07:002007-11-27T13:11:00.000-07:00Dude, don't you just hate that word: "remission"? ...Dude, don't you just hate that word: "remission"? Your ordeal is over, and yet it's not. You are allowed to feel sorry for yourself, you were also drafted to be brave. And yes, you are lucky, because you live in a country that can assist you with doctors and medication. In many parts of the world people just let their tumors grow and consume them, because they simply lack the access to good medical care. It's not just genetics; it's also the environment. May the term "remission" still apply to you for a very long time to come.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16532403180123519635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17953699.post-72900018717077800232007-11-27T10:52:00.000-07:002007-11-27T10:52:00.000-07:00I was diagnosed in 2001 with mixed papillary/folli...I was diagnosed in 2001 with mixed papillary/follicular cancer. After two surgeries and 6 months of radiation, I have been in remission for 7 years. To be honest, the cancer was more of an issue for my family and friends than it was for me and truth be told, if you were to be diagnosed with cancer this is the one you would want.<BR/><BR/>I am still struggling to get my medication levels correct and I occasionally feel sorry for myself with the amount of times I have to go to the doctor... but your post has reminded me how truly lucky I am. Thanks for that.HopSkipJumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04816447897382423830noreply@blogger.com