Mixing Diseases

[smile86]

My doctor said that I cant marry an other person who has any sort of thyroid disorder or else I god forbid wont be able to concieve or the child whill be born with something wrong with him. However, does this apply to any other endocrine disorders or other diseases in general, or it only applies to the thyroid.

[hazelhurst]

I would ask your doctor for an explanation in writing--this is a serious recommendation and it sounds too vague to be taken seriously.    

[redheadaussie]

I think your doctor meant that if someone you marry has a history of thyroid problems the chances are that your children would have something wrong with their thyroids too. Only problem is, you could end up with children with other problems too...Genetics is a strange thing, and take myself for example....my mum and dad were both normal-ish people....then I came along, I have a deformity in my eye, and I am deaf in one ear....as an adult I had Hurthle Cell Adenoma in my thyroid...no one else has any of these problems. I am the eldest of 7 children! Even my own 3 children are perfect!
   So it is not to say you can't marry and have children...it really is luck of the draw. If you had a serious disease like Huntington's then yes I would say avoid having children as it is not a nice disease to pass onto a child.
   Any disease, diabetes, thyroid, kidney, any thing can be passed on, even if only one parent has the gene.
Go ahead, have a happy life and don't fret about what the doctor said. I am sure they meant it nicely.

[Rachel4]

I agree with the previous two posts. Definitely ask for a more in-depth explanation. As awful as these endocrine disorders are they aren't the end of the world. And your children would have parents that would understand what they are going through. Or there is adoption. Marry the person that is right for you and let God take care of the rest.

[stella5349]

I'm shaking my head on this doctor's freedom of speech.

I totally think the above posts gives you a clearer picture of happiness for you than what was suggested by your doc.

I wouldn't use an endocrine disorder like thyroid issues to stop a loving future for yourself.

[Thypatient]

From what I've read, yes, there is a genetic component to endocrine diseases.  However, I agree that your dr's candor might be a bit too off-the-cuff.  Especially since thyroid disease in itself is not such a cut and dry issue compared to other genetic disorders – like, say, the ones associated with Jewish lineage.  Also, many aspects of thyroid disease can be resolved with medications.  Whereas, there are other diseases that don’t have that kind of hope.

Might we ask, what kind of dr was he/she?  Maybe advising you to seek out more information or speak with a genetic counselor would’ve been better speak.  But since some drs can be real dolts – it’s not surprising.  On the other hand, it doesn’t mean this person needs to be written off or anything.

I think the more you do seek out information, the more it will all be put into perspective for you.

Good luck.