Charlie has been wanting get his Genealogy done and I had been thinking of getting Charlie and my sister a kit from Ancersotry.com and they could do this together. Although I hadn’t had the opportunity to talk to David about it.
Finding out November 28th is Family History Day has given me the push to do go ahead get them the kits because I believe everyone needs to know about health issues from the past that face there families as well as where they came from.
With yesterday being Thanksgiving Day I can’t wait to let Charlie and Debbie know about Family Health History Day which is not only a time to gather with friends and family to eat a sumptuous meal and count blessings the idea is to take a day when everyone in your family is assembled and discuss the family health history, specifically any occurrence of Colorectal Cancer. Healthcare providers encourage you to use Family Health History Day to share and care about this and other serious diseases.
How to Observe National Family Health History Day
- Grab colored pens and have poster board ready because today is a great day to put together a genealogy tree that adds information about the family’s health history. Get the elders to provide as much knowledge as they can.
- If you have the opportunity and the means go “old school” and put everything in a binder. Make colorful copies and distribute the binder to everyone so all the information is accessible and easy to read for family members as well as health care providers.
- Before Thanksgiving, ask every family member (even the little ones) to write down whatever questions or concerns they have about the family’s health history. You would be surprised at how curious children are about family history. On National Family Health History Day, take the questions out and start discussing everyone’s concerns.
Families Need To Know Their Health History
- If you have chronic health conditions that run in your family, it’s important to discuss the family’s health history, especially if there were family members who died before the conditions became evident.
- The most common conditions that run in families are Heart disease, Diabetes, and Cancer (including Colon, Stomach, Endometrium, Lung, Bladder, Breast, and skin) as well as high blood pressure. Which I seem to have. What about you?
- Many European royal families either had Hemophilia, a blood clotting disorder known as the “Royal” disease, or carried the gene, Including Queen Victoria and many of her descendants as well as the son of Czar Nicholas II of Russia.
- Research shows that someone’s life span is mainly determined by a combination of genetics and environmental factors.
Why National Family Health History Day is Important
It’s important to note that many of the risk factors for Colorectal Cancer are preventable. However, the best way to get the jump on this disease is to have a Colonoscopy. Screening guidelines vary for those with high risk, but most healthcare providers recommend earlier Cancer screenings, especially when there is a family history of this specific kind of Cancer.
Family time is special as we all know and Thanksgiving is one of the most wonderful days of the years simply because everyone comes together to share a meal, watch a game, and rehash old family stories. But this year on Thanksgiving, also known as National Family Health History Day, spend some time educating each other.
Young people often don’t realize how important it is to know about hereditary factors that could cause trouble down the road when they marry or have children. This year, in between the Pecan Pie and kickoff, have a serious discussion about your family health history.
Colorectal Cancer is a Cancer of the Bowels and it is the second leading cause of Cancer death in women and the third leading cause of Cancer death for men. Some of the risk factors include obesity, diets high in red meat, age, sex, and most importantly, a family history of Colorectal Cancer. That history is increased when a first-degree relative including a parent, sibling, or child is affected. That’s why it’s so important to discuss family health history when the entire family is present.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
