Tuesday, May 5, 2009

My UC family tree

Because my grandma had ulcerative colitis I’ve often wondered if it’s something I’ve inherited, or it’s just an unfortunate coincidence. As far as I know no one has ever proved for certain that UC is hereditary. But recently I discovered something that may add some weight to the argument that it is. My grandma had a sister called Eileen, and it turns out her grandson has Crohn’s. His name is Grant and he lives in Melbourne. I’ve never met him, but obviously we do share something in common. Could it be possible that UC and Crohn’s is in our genes? Is it something that has filtered down through the maternal side of our family? Admittedly it may not make a particularly thrilling episode of Who Do You Think You Are? It’s not like discovering your great-great-great-grandma was William Pitt the Younger’s bit on the side, but it is kind of interesting. Maybe our family has been plagued by tummy troubles throughout history? Below is a diagram of our immediate family tree showing family members affected by UC or Crohn’s.