Marsha has stated that she is merely trying to avoid "misinformation". That's exactly what I'm trying to do.

I stated that I thought statistics based on the possibility of BOTH parent's carrying the HD gene in America is virtually ZILCH!

Still - being a big fan of statitics, myself - I PMd Marsha about my concerns about her conjectures over the probability of inheriting the gene from TWO HD+ parents!

Although virtually non-existant in America - I nevertheless played with the idea.

Every possible scenario is of interest.

I have repeatedly expressed my respect for Marsha. I think that ANY long-term poster can attest to that.

It's out of my great RESPECT for Marsha that I have chosen to take my prevailing argument about the "facts" that she has posted - into a private discussion.

I simply disagree with Marsha's basic premise (that ALL persons having TWO parents with the HD gene, have two parents who have only ONE copy of the aberrant gene.

This, of course, is not a given.

As previously stated - I consider the likelihood of that in an America to be so far-fetched as to not be worth the effort to discuss.

But, as I generally give everyone the priviledge to decide for themselves what's worthy of discussion - I've extended that courtesy to Marsha.

I've PMd her. I've explained to her my reservations. In private (out of my great respect for her).

I have not received a response to my issues.

I have received no PM from you, JL.

And I don't know what you are talking about. I did not say that all people who have two copies of the HD gene have parents who each had one copy of the HD gene. They had to get a copy from each parent but one or both parent could have two copies. This happens a lot in Lake Maracaibo.

I personally know two women who have two copies of the HD gene, one in person and one from an HD list. They live in America. They aren't nonexistent.

Indigo's husband's neurologist threw out a scenario after answering her question about her children's chances correctly. He said that each child had a 50 percent chance. That was correct.

However, he said that if each parent had one HD gene, a child would have a 50 percent chance of having at least one HD gene. That isn't true. The figure is 75 percent. I stand by that.

Consult an expert if you like.

JL... excuse me, I won't mention names, but I KNOW of a person, not on this list or any other list, who both parents had HD> She has the misfortune of inheriting BOTH the higher cags. Her child WILL have HD. So do NOT think it cannot happen in America. I know the family of this women and it's VERY emotional to me, so to hear you say it's virtually imposible in America is hard for me to hear. I COULD go on about HOW this could happen with an HD family. Do I NEED TO???

With all due respect, "virtually impossible" and "impossible" are two different things.

I try to avoid "absolutes".......

I did NOT claim that it was "impossible" for BOTH parents to have HD in America. That would be silly.

Of course, it's possible.

There's a great big difference between "virtually impossible" and "impossible".

I did indeed send Marsha a PM on the subject. In fact, I painstakingly cited 7 specific instances of situations where people might inherit the HD gene from BOTH parents. In 3 of those situations, the chance of iheritance would be 75%, as Marsha stated. In 4 of those istances, the chance of inheritance would be 100%

I genetically mapped out all of those possible scenarios in a PM.

I even carefully checked the "keep a record of this PM" box.

Now it's missing. Go figure!

Once again, I was responding to the neurologist's hypothetical example. In that example, each parent had one HD gene. That's HIS example. EACH PARENT HAD JUST ONE HD GENE. In that case, each child has a 75 percent chance of inheriting at least one HD gene.

At no time did I say that someone with two copies of the HD gene had to have parents with only one copy each. WHY WOULD I SAY SUCH A THING? THAT WOULD BE STUPID, WOULDN'T IT?!!

In real life anyone might have two normal genes, they might have one normal gene and one HD gene. They might have two HD genes. But in the neurologist's example to which I responded, each parent had one HD gene.

Here's the set of equally likely outcomes in the NEUROLOGIST'S HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE.

HD gene from Mom, normal gene from Dad
HD gene from MOm, HD gene from Dad
normal gene from Mom, normal gene from Dad
Normal gene from Mom, HD gene from Dad.

Therefore, in the neurologist's example to which I responded. there is a 75 percent that their child will inherit at least one HD gene.

Make up all kinds of possibilities for Mom and Dad, JL. I don't care! But I was responding to the neurologist's example WHERE MOM AND DAD EACH HAD JUST ONE HD GENE.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/11/2008 11:15PM by Marsha.

Whatever........

I hardly think you're stupid, Marsha!

Else I would not have floated other possible hypotheses past you.

I'm sorry now that I did.

JL, I certainly don't want to start another disagreement, but is it possible that you didn't send the PM? I have done that before. Otherwise, it sounded like you might think someone had deleted it from your sent file.

Sally - I honestly think I sent a PM to Marsha - or else, I'd not have said so.

I even took great care to check the "save it" box prior to doing so.

I considered it that important (since I thought Marsha and I were disagreeing for no reason).

Indeed - not disagreeing at all! I STILL think that. We were simply basing our arguments on different hypotheses.

I thought that had been clearly posted.

So, I'm quite unsure as to why this discussion has devolved to some sort of "pissing contest" between me and my detractors!

That said - of COURSE it's possible that somehow my PM did not get sent or recorded. ANYTHING is possible.........



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2008 10:15PM by jl.