X: X factor

 

So what is it about some of us that makes us susceptible to these lovely and mostly rare diseases?  Is it genetics?  Is it environment?  Is it the right combo of the above?

I know for me that the fibro comes from one side, my mother’s, and the autoimmune can come from both.  My mother’s cousin has autoimmune in her eyes.  But four members of my dad’s family have autoimmune.  Oh and the migraines plague both sides. I know genetics plays a role.

I had mono when I was 14, I do know that the Epstein-Barr virus stays forever and has been linked to chronic fatigue.

I grew up in Pittsburgh, the former steel capital of the world, and I have swam in its three rivers, which will probably never, ever be 100% safe for human swimming.  Did some of that seep into my skin and cause this?

What is it about me that makes me a lightening rod for all these things?  I have always wondered that.  Maybe with all of the genome mapping and leaps in medical science I will someday get an answer.  It is just a curiosity.

My biggest fear is that Sunshine will develop my issues.  I truly fear passing down these illnesses to her.  I am super vigilant for anything that even resembles what I have.

I think I had inklings of fibro as a child.  I had horrific growing pains.  My arms and legs would ache for hours.  Just awful, awful pain that would bring me to tears.  I remember this even going into my teenage years.  And the next day they would disappear.  I can remember the pain to this day.

Also as a teenager, I can remember having “knots” in my back.  Really awful tender spots that radiated pain.  I just thought it was stress.  My boyfriend at the time was pretty adept at massaging those tender spots out.  I just thought it was par for the course.

So I am aware.

I wish that along with the specialness of these diseases, we could get superpowers too….