In my last post, Thankful, I eluded to having some unfortunate genetic issues.  I’ll dive into some of the medical mumbo jumbo further down but in short, I recently learned I carry three deadly genes.  My father died of a blood clot, my mother a stroke.  I’ve always had a morbid sense of humor and often joked that one of these two medical conditions would take me too. Turns out… the likelihood is high.

It’s because of this family history my doctor and I agreed genetic testing was the only way to know for sure.  My blood was drawn in California, and sent all the way to Boston for review.  The whole process took about three weeks.  Then, I was presented with a 35 page report on my overall health.

And overall, it was good.  But for the genetics.  The fancy names for the genes are Apolipoprotein E Gene (ApoE), and Blood Clot Protein Genes Factors II and VI.  I just call them the Carl and Marie genes after my dad and mom.  So, there’s nothing I can do about genetics but I’m told clean eating can increase my odds of being here longer for my girls and my husband.  Problem was, I kinda thought I ate pretty healthy already.

Whoa was I wrong!

Clean eating is basically consuming foods in their most natural state. No preservatives.  My doctor also advised against consuming dairy, eggs, and sugar based on the story my blood work told.  This isn’t about weight loss, it’s about shedding bad cholesterol and reducing inflammation in my body.  That means I eat fruits, vegetables, salads, and lean meats (though my appetite for meat is waning).

I didn’t embrace this new lifestyle right away.  I did it, sure.  Kicking and screaming on the inside.  This path appeared much like reaching a T at the end of the road – except there was only one way I could really turn, right?  Toward health or away from it.  So I turned toward it. Sharply.  The lifestyle change was so swift. It started the very moment I left the doctor’s office February 13th of this year. I lost my father at 58 and I am just 42.  Many of my siblings died before they turned 50.  They likely carried one or more of the same genes too.  So, there was no intellectual hesitation.  Making the pragmatic decision for change was easy – it was the emotional side of this new journey I found surprisingly difficult.

Admittedly, I was scared, then angry, then a little sad.  The first emotion came over me with such consternation.  Like I’d been pushed off a sky scraper and into a week long free fall waiting to smack the pavement (and die) at any moment. Then came some anger.  Why wasn’t genetic testing a thing 30 years ago? My father could have made better choices about his lifestyle and been with us longer.  The sadness ebbed and flowed.  I just wanted my parents back.

It’s been a little more than 30 days and I’ve settled in now, though I get stumped about what to make for dinner some nights.  Brad’s joined me both in having his genetics tested and in eating healthier.  We’re slowly making changes with the kids’ diets too.  It’s all still so new, and we’re conscious of it every, single, day.

I do love that I’m off on yet another new journey and I’ve had to re-align my life to realize these new desires for health :).  It’s always about alignment.

More to come,

Tanya B.