At first glance, this article may appear to be about health - or , survival. It is, but its foundation is in genealogy. Knowing about your family tree can reduce your health risk. It could even save your life. It saved mine. I was literally dying to know the truth!
>In most states, it is next to impossible for someone who was adopted to obtain their original birth certificate, due to existing laws. The Internet has continued to expand with help for an adoptee (or birth parent/s) who are searching. Adopted, or not, it is important to acknowledge that when someone has knowledge of any medical problem in their pedigree chart, there are many preventative measures that can be taken. THE PAST CAN PROFOUNDLY AFFECT THE HEALTH OF THE FUTURE.
I am a living testimony of the importance of gene awareness. After a challenging search, I did locate my biological mother, two years ago. She told me of repeated cancer on my maternal side. Armed with this information, and at my mother's admonition, I expedited my medical exams. What was discovered at that time, was that I already had a Stage II malignant tumor, with other cellular irregularities!
As we learn about the medical history in our immediate family, we can "branch out" in our family tree for yet more insight. It can not only be interesting to pursue, and is important. There is evidence that some genetic diseases can mutate when two people marry and each of them carry a threatening gene. The more I meet and get to know people, the more I realize that each of us holds the key for someone else. This works both ways, you know. Someone is holding the key for you.
A mouse hunt is a modern day miracle. It can give us astonishing speed in acquiring knowledge, and can be a real eye opener. It may help save a loved one's life…or YOURS! I encourage you to peel back the layers of your family's medical history and see what happens. There may be a common problem that is chained together through the generations of your ancestors that links directly to you. Especially, if you unearth questionable medical data, share the information with other family members.
Genealogy can be a key, and it is an increasingly popular hobby. The concept of a hobby saving lives is very sobering The Internet is a powerful tool. If you haven't begun your search, many sites have excellent introductions to ease you into your exploration.
Armed with this stimulating inspiration, where can we start? I offer the following suggestions.
1. Start now - with or without a genealogy computer program, and begin surfing. Having a computer program that will print your pedigree charts can be an efficient aid, however.
2. If you have a "paper" pedigree make a copy. As you research, you will be making a lot of notes, and you don't want to write all over your document. It is best to start with a blank sheet of paper, preferably a notebook. When you get started with this project, papers will tend to multiply like the proverbial rabbits!
3. Check any records that you have on hand. This would include death certificates, obituaries. Write down family oral histories especially specifics regarding diseases and health problems. If you don't have many of these types of records - make it a personal goal to dedicate some of your research time to finding more of them.
4. Call any family members who might be able to tell you more information about "who has/had what". You may be surprised at how little you knew about your family's health history. Of course, you will have to verify a lot of that information about your departed ancestors. That is where genealogy and additional research comes in. Deaths are on the Social Security Death Index, incidentally. You can order death certificates for cause of death. Something is better than nothing.
5. Write everything you can down on your "working copy" or in your notebook. Don't worry about getting everything neat. Later, go back and highlight the health problems in different colors. For example: heart and blood pressure in one color. Diabetes in another color, and cancer is yet a different color.
6. Check for patterns. This is where it will really hit home. You may see a health problem that points right at you! This can bring clarity and focus.
7. Share your findings with other family members.
It is helpful to know the jargon. A glossary of genealogical terms and abbreviations is at http://www2.palladiummnet.com/UFT/Glossary/glossary.html http://www.bucknell.edu/~rbeard/diction.html. This site is linked to more than 500 dictionaries - over 140 different languages! Understanding exactly what is stated in any record is vital before attempting to move to the next generation. With this help, you can interpret documents correctly.
One of my favorite sites, http://www.ancestry.com/home/ged/main.htm is for resources including getting started, chat, online genealogy lessons and more. Additionally, there is a list of suggested reading for Texas research. The genealogy home page http://www.genhomepage.com/ is updated daily. There's a wealth of free and shareware as well as genealogy software. A "warm and fuzzy" site is http://pages.prodigy.net/middleton/topten.html, and it isn't intimidating. It pulls you right in, just like the aroma of chocolate chip cookies in the oven draws you to the kitchen! I liked the format and the inclusive, well presented information. Dept. 14 topic is for people searching with adoption being an issue.
For netting ancestors, I found that sending my search engine to www.genserv brought me many sites worth a bookmark. The "webmaster" of this site calls San Antonio home!
Typing "Family Finder" on Yahoo, is a short cut to the Family Finder Index. There are many "lookup services" here. It's likely to be an invaluable resource for your family research. Last, but certainly not least is a granddaddy of genealogy newsletters, membership information at http://www.ancestry.com/member.htm. Access to out-of-date maps is an asset here. There is a fee for researching the databases, but if you're serious about this project, it could be worth the $6.95 a month (or just $4.95 per month for annual subscribers).
As long as your picking up twigs (of the family tree variety), there is a very comprehensive site with an outstanding overview…all sorts of hints/helps. Find it at http://www.cyndislist.com.
Are any of you that are members of royal families of Tonga, Fiji, or Zulus? If so, there's a page for you too! At http://www.dcs.hull.ac.uk/public/genealogy/GEDCOM.html there is fascinating reading. My latest "dig" is http://www.genealogy.net/gene/ for a wide scope of German documents. There are links to other realms here too.
The Infobahn awaits your speedy mouse. Take a trip into your past, perhaps with your future at stake. Meanwhile, happy, healthy (net) trails to you!
Sandra Larsen, member of the local Hoffman family which recently held its family reunion, can be contacted at sunshine@neptune.ConnectI.com. Her previous Internet Beat article is posted at http://lonestar.texas.net/~weersjt/club/articles/IB980503.htm
Editor's note: Due to space limitations, the details of the fascinating story of Sandra Larsen were edited, she will be glad to share the unedited version.
To contribute to this column contact Column Coordinator Gloria R. Rivera at riverag@connecti.com
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