CJD is a disease caused by a misfolding protein, called a prion. (PREE-on) Prion diseases are a group of rare and fatal brain diseases which occur in both humans and animals. In humans, it is known as CJD. Cows get BSE, which stands for bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Deer and elk contract CWD, or chronic wasting disease. There is no cure or clinical diagnosis for CJD. There is no cure for any of the diseases in the prion family.

Sunday, April 02, 2006

The E200K, 129M Club

One of my goals with this blog is to find and network with other E200K, 129M families. I found one man in Chile in the same age range as me, who lost a parent in the same age range as my mom. It's a small world when you're E200K! There's a big language barrier there, unfortunately, as my Spanish isn't great and his English isn't either. Right now, I'd like to gather as much information on the E200K mutation as I can possibly find.

I don't wish to be tested to see if I carry the mutation myself for a variety of reasons. I would only want the answer if it wasn't a death sentence. I've got a 50/50 shot. I guess those aren't terrible odds!

posted by Heather Larson at Sunday, April 02, 2006