Gene Positive - a Column by Steven Beatty

The internet has transformed how we access information and learn new things. With the press of a button or a swipe on a screen, we can be instantaneously connected to limitless information about whatever topic is on our mind. This effortless accessibility can have both positive and negative consequences. Online…

Many occupations are described as being the most difficult job in the world: Firefighting, mining, roofing in a heatwave. Yes, those examples are full of their own risks and challenges, but they are trumped by the roles we take in life that aren’t “jobs” at all. Parenting is an example,…

Remember when people wrote letters? You know, when they sat down with an actual pen and let the ink roll out onto paper. Everyone had their own writing technique and style, their own spin on cursive. It’s a bit of a lost art in today’s technologically advancing world, isn’t it?…

Nobody is guaranteed a long life. Some people’s experience on this planet is going to be shorter than others’, even if they do everything they can to live a healthy lifestyle along the way. Having grown up with the dark cloud of Huntington’s disease (HD) over the family, I…

The identification of the Huntington’s disease (HD) gene in 1993 opened doors for new scientific exploration. The HD community of families and researchers around the world were excited about what the discovery could mean. Since then, that knowledge has informed researchers about where to focus their studies. The…

Last week, I had an appointment with my family physician to talk about prostate health. Yes, I know, this is a Huntington’s disease (HD) column. Why am I bringing up my prostate? Come to think of it, this probably fits into the “too much information” category, but stay with…

One of the more tragic aspects of Huntington’s disease (HD) is how the symptoms can begin to take control of a person in their prime adult years. There’s no cure or effective treatment available to us yet, so it’s like those of us who are gene positive for…

May is Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month in many parts of the world. It’s an excellent opportunity for those of us in the Huntington’s disease (HD) community to reach people who wouldn’t typically encounter this disease and share some understanding about the condition. There are many ways to raise…

There is some evidence in the Huntington’s disease literature that suggests people with the gene may lack insight into how they have started to show signs of the illness. This terrifies me for several reasons, but for the focus of this column, I’ll discuss the possible effect this…

It’s time for us to enter our Huntington’s disease (HD) time machine and travel back to the year 1872. It is here that we find Dr. George Huntington sitting in his clinic’s office handling a package. He runs his thumbs along the seam to ensure its closure, turns it…