In Back to Hell I told you about Daughter’s decision to see a Naturopathic doctor to get a fresh insight on her recurring mononucleosis. The doctor sent a ten-page personal and family history for Daughter to fill out, and she asked me to look it over to see if she had omitted anything of importance. I studied it in our cab ride downtown to the doctor’s office.
I don’t know if you’ve ever seen anything like this in detail about your family, but without even knowing you or your family, I can tell you you’d be freaked. Think about all the stuff everyone has: you, your siblings, your parents, their siblings, your grandparents, their siblings. The shit adds up.
So what would be on the average list: Heart disease, cancer, diabetes? Those are the biggies. But then there might be cataracts, Crohn’s, arthritis, rheumatism, seizures, asthma, Parkinson’s. Perhaps some alcoholism, depression, dementia. Anyone bipolar? Obese? ADHD? How about allergies? Seen anyone swell up like a giant tick after eating nuts at Thanksgiving?
These ailments all have meaning where genetic predisposition is concerned. In your spare time you might consider making up a list like this about your family. It will save time should you ever have to do it for medical reasons. It will also send you screaming into the night.
When I broke my wrist earlier this year, one of the questions I was asked was whether my mother or grandmother had osteoporosis, or thinning of the bones. When a woman my age breaks a bone, there’s a good possibility surgery will be necessary if the bone doesn’t heal well so family history offers a clue. In this case, I lucked out.
Riding in the cab downtown, I stared at Daughter’s roll call of diseases, surprised at the sheer number and variety of our family’s afflictions.
DTR: What do you think?
OSV: I think we’re a hot mess.
DTR: You’re telling me. And you already know the ones that affect you. I’m still waiting to find out.
OSV: Don’t be melodramatic. There’s medicine for everything now. It’s not like we have any serial killers.
DTR: That we know of.
More of Daughter’s Featured Fotos from Os Gemeos at Deitch Art
reflected
underground
singing
scared