DNA testing

Sour Lemon · Feb 6, 2019

I think it's great, but my interest is in the ancestral part. I already know I'm going to die from some horrible disease if I live long enough. Finding out which exact one(s) would be anticlimactic. I didn't do any health testing.
My ancestry was exactly as I was taught it was, bit it was fun to see the "official" breakdown and finer details.

**LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM** · Feb 6, 2019

I did an Ancestry kit two Christmases ago for fun, just for the knowledge of my genealogy, I haven't done health testing. To echo Sour Lemon, I honestly don't care to have that information. I know enough about my health and my family's health to get by ?. The genealogy info was cool to learn about, and my account has since updated itself a couple times as more and more people have done kits and they've been able to fine-tune their data.

I listened to an Audible original series about the search for the Golden State Killer, and it was so fascinating learning about how they finally caught him because of these DNA databases. I know it's made some people feel like Big Brother is watching and all that, which I understand, but in that case, they wouldn't have ever found this guy without the help of these genealogy kits. Interesting stuff for sure.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Feb 6, 2019

My spouse and I did the ancestry kit. I was born in a country with a more homogenized lineage for majority of the population but the result was still interesting in that it reinforced some theories of migratory patterns of early settlers in the region where I’m from. Either that or I bought into the hype of a story so more DNA kits can be sold, ?.

**LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM** · Feb 6, 2019

5 minutes ago, juan de la cruz said:
My spouse and I did the ancestry kit. I was born in a country with a more homogenized lineage for majority of the population but the result was still interesting in that it reinforced some theories of migratory patterns of early settlers in the region where I’m from. Either that or I bought into the hype of a story so more DNA kits can be sold, ?.

I did wrestle with that paranoid fear as well, juan! At least it was a Christmas gift ?

Davey Do · Feb 6, 2019

12 hours ago, Sour Lemon said:
I already know I'm going to die from some horrible disease if I live long enough.

Does that mean, Sour Lemon, if you don't die from a subdural hemorrhage from getting a hard punch in the face some Saturday night?

We're all going to die from something. People use to die from old age. Now they have to die from some fancy-smancy diagnosis.

My maternal grandparents both died around the same time, when I was about 7 years old. When a classmate asked me what they died from, I said, "Old age". They were the age hat I am now and if I died right now, it wouldn't be from old age, it'd have to be some disease.

Woody Allen said, "I'm not afraid of dying. I just don't want to be there when it happens". That's funny, but there's also a lot of truth there. As Sour Lemon stated, "die from some horrible disease", it's really not the dying that I fear- it's the living in pain before the death.

Now; What's this about DNA?

Davey Do · Feb 6, 2019

12 hours ago, Emergent said:
What does our nursing community think of DNA testing.

I think DNA testing is another one of our kind's endless search for immortality and it all goes back to our need to feel safe and in control or be the one who's in power. And that's not a bad thing- it just is what it is.

One of the great things about being considered old is the fact that immortality or longevity, or the fear of death, like sex, isn't all that important anymore. If it comes, it comes, if not, I'll find something else to do.

But DNA testing could be a good thing if there's some sort of genetic anomaly that could be headed off at the pass and significantly improve the quality of a life.

Otherwise, I think it's cool that I learned how to say deoxyribonucleic acid when I first got into nursing and know how to spell it, but the allnurses' spellcheck doesn't!

OldDude · Feb 6, 2019

As kids, we were always told one side of our family were native american descendants; but as to specifics there was nothing. Just last year my sister submitted a DNA sample to find out...no native American DNA whatsoever...OMG she was mad!! She said it was like finding out you had been adopted and your parents never told you!!?

Emergent, RN · Feb 6, 2019

32 minutes ago, OldDude said:
As kids, we were always told one side of our family were native american descendants; but as to specifics there was nothing. Just last year my sister submitted a DNA sample to find out...no native American DNA whatsoever...OMG she was mad!! She said it was like finding out you had been adopted and your parents never told you!!?

DNA markers can fall off after a few generations. Just because it doesn't show up, doesn't mean you don't have a certain ancestor.

I uploaded my DNA to a free service GEDmatch. It lets you do comparison to various things. I ran a test that compares your DNA to ancient DNA obtained from these frozen bodies, or extracted from bones. It's a way to find out if you carry Neanderthal ancestry.

I did share some segments with Neanderthals, but also found that I shared with both Kennewick man and Clovis boy, both Native American finds.

Most of my ancestors came to the New World before 1800, so, someone along the way likely took a native wife. Too dilute to show up on my ancestry.com sample, but nevertheless part of my story.

OldDude · Feb 6, 2019

5 minutes ago, Emergent said:
I did share some segments with Neanderthals...

My Sweet Petunia is positive I'm a direct Neanderthal descendant; especially after trying to dance with her one time.

Emergent, RN · Feb 6, 2019

36 minutes ago, OldDude said:
My Sweet Petunia is positive I'm a direct Neanderthal descendant; especially after trying to dance with her one time.

We must be related. ?

Daisy4RN · Feb 6, 2019

I think it is interesting for finding out your ancestry etc. but it also scares me because someone will have all this information about you/your family and how will it be used. At the risk of sounding paranoid I think people (big brother, google etc.) already have way too much of our personal info and who knows how it will be used, lost etc. later. Insurance companies denying coverage for one comes to mind, among others.