Reviews from

If Only They Had Known ...

my parents wouldn't have dared to play genetic roulette

35 total reviews 
Comment from Spitfire
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Wow! A scary story. Especially with all the hoops you had go through to get to the truth. Was genetic testing available back in 1965? I remember now my sister did say her husband got tested and that's how they discovered he carried the gene that affected their son.

 Comment Written 10-Jan-2023


reply by the author on 10-Jan-2023
    Thanks for stopping by, Shari! It was a week from hell waiting between the scary possibility and the good news from the second lab. I got through it by watching the comedy movie "This is Spinal Tap" around the clock! Cheers. LIZ
reply by the author on 10-Jan-2023
    I was born in 1957 before genetic testing was available.
reply by Spitfire on 11-Jan-2023
    I remember when that movie was BIG!
Comment from AnnaLinda
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Liz,

This is quite an interesting and almost unbelievable personal story you
have shared here. I have never even heard of Tay-Sachs disease. Wow!
your story makes a point without stating it out right.

I'm sorry you had to go through all that. And at 5 months pregnant! You must have been so concerned throughout the rest of the pregnancy...
and beyond. Your title is a great match for...

Your last line "Thus, it is to their merciful state of ignorance that my sister and I owe our lives."

Therein lies the message - Or at least it sends one to me.

Thanks so much for sharing this (and selecting my photo?)

AnnaLinda

 Comment Written 25-Apr-2021


reply by the author on 25-Apr-2021
    It was a week from hell waiting between the scary possibility and the good news from the second lab. I got through it by watching the comedy movie "This is Spinal Tap" around the clock! Cheers. LIZ

    Great pic, thanks again.
reply by AnnaLinda on 25-Apr-2021
    Oh, never heard of it...That's a joke, right?
reply by the author on 25-Apr-2021
    That's a real movie--a spoof on a rock band on tour.
Comment from mobileliz
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good story, convincing dialog and responses to the news, while heart-wrenching, the ending wasn't as gruesome as it could have been. good job on a tough subject

 Comment Written 25-Apr-2021


reply by the author on 25-Apr-2021
    It was a week from hell waiting between the scary possibility and the good news from the second lab. I got through it by watching the comedy movie "This is Spinal Tap" around the clock! Cheers. LIZ

    Thanks for stopping by, namesake!
reply by mobileliz on 27-Apr-2021
    I've had a few weeks like that myself. A great-grand was 4 weeks early and was diagnosed with brain cancer at 3 weeks. Major surgery a week before his due date. Had he been term, we probably would have lost him. That was in July, and so far, so good. You have a great day and I'll add you to my prayer list.
Comment from Melodie Michelle
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Believe it or not I share your pain although I can't reveal why on your review thread! PM me anytime and we can chat!

Thank you for sharing your soul and may God bless you and your family;-)

 Comment Written 25-Apr-2021


reply by the author on 25-Apr-2021
    It was a week from hell waiting between the scary possibility and the good news from the second lab. I got through it by watching the comedy movie "This is Spinal Tap" around the clock! Cheers. LIZ

    I'll PM!
Comment from Sally Law
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I apologize that I don't have a six for this. I missed this post initially. I have a genetic blindness, the worst one, but a rare form of it. I've often wondered, that if I had been diagnosed as a teenager, if I would have married and had children. To my husband, my blindness doesn't bother him at all. He seems to take everything in stride and help me the best that he can. Life is a gift no matter how it comes, or how unorthodox it is. I'm glad you're here.

A wonderful write, and a blessing to read.
Sending along my very best,
Sally XOs...

 Comment Written 20-Apr-2021


reply by the author on 21-Apr-2021
    Thanks for stopping by Sally--I fear you got two cents--the promotion ran out days ago. So pleased you liked this.

    It was a week from hell waiting between the scary possibility and the good news from the second lab. I got through it by watching the comedy movie "This is Spinal Tap" around the clock! Cheers. LIZ
Comment from Father Flaps
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Hi Liz,
Huntington's is a cruel disease. My wife came close to inheriting it from her mother's side of the family. Her aunt and uncle, (her mother's sister and brother) suffered with it. It's indeed sad to see... no control over their bodies, arms and legs, head and face features flailing about. And an early exit from this world. Her mother's older sister was fine, too.
My mother's side of the family has suffered with Alzheimer's Disease. The last member to pass away from complications of Alzheimer's was my 60 year old brother, Peter. In the end, he couldn't even chew or swallow food. Cruel diseases! I'm 70, and so far I'm okay. Life can be very cruel.
Hugs,
Kimbob

 Comment Written 07-Apr-2021


reply by the author on 08-Apr-2021
    Heartbreaking--your wife must have lived in dread for years, wondering if/when if would develop. The good news is your children have no chance of getting HD!

    It was a week from hell waiting between the scary possibility and the good news from the second lab. I got through it by watching the comedy movie "This is Spinal Tap" around the clock! Thanks for stopping by. Cheers. LIZ
Comment from Sharon Davis
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This piece of biographical non-fiction highlights the theme that sometimes ignorance, is in fact, bliss. The heavy burden of knowing the possibility of a negative outcome, can be detrimental to moving forward, and can result in devastating decisions being made.

 Comment Written 07-Apr-2021


reply by the author on 08-Apr-2021
    It was a week from hell waiting between the scary possibility and the good news from the second lab. I got through it by watching the comedy movie "This is Spinal Tap" around the clock! Thanks for stopping by. Cheers. LIZ
Comment from Ric Myworld
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

Wow, this is one of those stories that brings back thoughts I would rather forget. My best friend's father became a vegetable due to Huntington's. His mother hung herself in the attic, and wouldn't you know, we found her. Of the two children, his sister came down with it. But fortunately, she fell, hit her head and died at 30, before becoming bedridden. Thanks for sharing.

 Comment Written 06-Apr-2021


reply by the author on 07-Apr-2021
    Heartwrenching story!

    It was a week from hell waiting between the scary possibility and the good news from the second lab. I got through it by watching the comedy movie "This is Spinal Tap" around the clock! Thanks for stopping by. Cheers. LIZ

    Lovely ssssssurprise!
Comment from muffinmama
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This is truly one of those OMG stories. Pure luck for you and your sister that they were not actively testing in those days. Pure horror for those who passed it on to their children and watched them die an agonizing and prolonged death.

Thanks for sharing. God wanted you around!

 Comment Written 06-Apr-2021


reply by the author on 07-Apr-2021
    It was a week from hell waiting between the scary possibility and the good news from the second lab. I got through it by watching the comedy movie "This is Spinal Tap" around the clock! Thanks for stopping by. Cheers. LIZ

Comment from Iza Deleanu
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The moral is don't poke the bear, something are better left unknown. You are so right sometimes ignorance it's a bliss. Thank you for sharing and good luck with your writings.

 Comment Written 05-Apr-2021


reply by the author on 06-Apr-2021

    It was a week from hell waiting between the scary possibility and the good news from the second lab. I got through it by watching the comedy movie "This is Spinal Tap" around the clock! Thanks for stopping by. Cheers. LIZ