The things we share

     For the first six years of C’s life, I took care of him without pause. We were running the circuit from specialist to specialist doing test after test to do whatever we needed to do to get him walking, talking, and feeling well. Once we got past all that, it was time to get back to life. About two years ago, I started to take care of myself.

     For six years, I didn’t really get sick or worry about my own health in any way. Now, it seems, my body is playing catch up, and I’ve been down far more than I’ve been up lately. Whether it’s due to neglect or merely that the floodgates have opened, I’m not sure, but all of a sudden I feel as though I’m spending as much time in the doctor’s office as any self-respecting little old lady.

     What I find so interesting is that so much of what’s going on with me mirrors what we’ve gone through with C. Gluten sensitivity, multiple food allergies, breathing issues, joint pain, and even some possible heart problems all seem to be rearing their ugly heads. Even more interesting is that I’m exhibiting symptoms my mother started having at 60. Mine started in my late 30s, and C’s started at birth. It would seem that not only are some of the issues genetic, but that they are worsening with the generations.

     I feel as though I am the key to the issue, and C is the lock. If I can change the course of my own health, coupled with addressing C’s issues so early, will we be able to overcome our own genetic predispositions? I’m not sure who is the lab and who is the rat in this scenario, but we’ll continue running that maze over and over again in the quest to find the cheese.