I’d been thinking about getting genetic testing for a while, but it was a tough decision. On the one hand, there was the worry about what the result might be, and on the other hand, there had been a lot of serious illnesses in our family recently.
As Told by the client
My grandmother had been fighting breast cancer for years and a few months later we found out about my uncle’s rare neurological disease. Basically, my worries got bigger and so I decided to get some DNA tests.
I needed to get these tests for a few reasons straight away. The first was the fear and uncertainty that was getting to me. I started to plan for the future realistically and I was worried about how my health might affect me in a few years. Would I still be active and able to do my job? Would I be able to take on more challenging projects?
What really convinced me was that the genetic tests would give me the information I needed to take control of my health. I could get early check-ups or start treatment and stop any disease from getting worse.
I could also tell my partner and we could use this information when making decisions about having kids in the future.
The meeting with the geneticist went well. He explained everything to me, including the issues, my health condition and the diseases that run in my family. He also explained what tests I would undergo and how we would handle the results.
Other stories
The story of Boris
“I am quite an informed older man, but I want to be able to make decisions about my health and work together with doctors.”
The story of Mirek
“My journey to genetic testing began when I experienced unusual symptoms that worried me. I had always felt healthy.”
The story of Marianna
“I can say with certainty that I have never paid any attention to the issue of early prevention, genetic testing and regular check-ups. I even ignored some check-ups because I am a young, healthy woman, an athlete, and the last time I saw a doctor was two years ago.”
