Sergey Brin, Google, now blogging...his personal experience of being at risk for PD
 

Now Blogging: Google Cofounder Sergey Brin

Search Engine Land Thu, 18 Sep 2008 2:59 PM PDT

Sergey Brin becomes the first of Google's three major executives to begin blogging. Spotted via TechCrunch , his blog at too.blogspot.com covers today his personal experience of being at risk for Parkinson's Disease. In his first post , he explains the name of his blog: Click to continue reading...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Except from Sergey’s TOO

Thursday, September 18, 2008

LRRK2

For more than 20 years, my mother has worked with computers at NASA. So, when she developed a pain in her hands the diagnosis seemed easy -- Repetitive Stress Injury. Except that it wasn't so easy. As her mysterious symptoms progressed it varied -- RSI, fibromyalgia (unexplained pain), Lyme Disease, and so forth. It was only after visits to many specialists over a number of years that the diagnosis settled -- Parkinson's Disease. Since there is no clear test for Parkinson's -- it is defined by its symptoms -- we only grew certain as those symptoms developed and as her medications began to alleviate them

I want to be tested for the G2019S mutation. My dad had PD, and we're in the Ashkenazi gene pool (I hate that 'nazi' is in that word). In Ashkenazi family members with PD, 30% have that mutation.

ABC World News tonight had a terrible report on this. "Ask yourself this: Do you really want to be warned of a disease you can't prevent and that doctors can't cure?" People interviewed all said no.

They quoted this part of the blog only:

He wrote that he feels fortunate, that:
"I have a better guess than almost anyone else for what ills may be mine -- and I have decades to prepare for it.'

NOT:

"I know early in my life something I am substantially predisposed to. I now have the opportunity to adjust my life to reduce those odds (e.g. there is evidence that exercise may be protective against Parkinson's). I also have the opportunity to perform and support research into this disease long before it may affect me. And, regardless of my own health it can help my family members as well as others."

Bad report by Ned Potter. Did he even speak with Sergey?