Beach Experiment Day 14 Genetic Testing

Not much to share beach wise today, it was rainy and gray. We spent time on the balcony and we hung out around the condo just taking it easy.

Genetic testing

I thought I would share something that I did before I left. Over the last several months the idea of genetic testing has repeatedly come up seemingly everywhere I go; in conversations with several unrelated people, online, and with various medical people I know. You can get extremely detailed information. By simply ordering a kit, spitting in a tube and mailing off to the lab you will receive raw data about your DNA and a variety of family ancestry information. This data can then be run through various apps, some free some paid, to receive an interpretation of the raw data for things like diseases, supplements needed, drug metabolism, how well (or not so well) some of your body processes are working, and all sorts of mutations. Since it is your DNA you only need to do the testing once in your lifetime.

If you or your doctor are looking for something specific, the blood testing through their office will be a better fit for you. If you want to see a host of information from all those areas I spoke of previously, then a kit like this may be for you. I will do another post in the future about the results, but I will say, I found the them to be very accurate.

23 and Me

The kit I uses was for a company called 23 and me. The kit is $99 but if you have been diagnosed with Mastocytosis or another Myeloproliferative disorder and agree to let them add your DNA to a data base to help find drug treatments or a cure, it is free. The first thing you do is go online make a free account and order your kit. You fill out some questions online and then wait for a few days. You will get an email when your kit is on its way to you.

This is what it looks like when it arrives in the mail.

Now comes the hard part, waiting for the test results. In about three weeks you will know more about yourself that you ever thought possible.

To order your kit you can go to www.23andme.com

Or to participate in the Myelopoliferative Neoplasms Reasearch Inititive and receive a free kit go to

https://www.23andme.com/mpn/

Hope and healing,

Christal

The information contained on this blog is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. This is my experience and for informational purposes only. Please seek the advice of your physician regarding treatment for any medical condition.