11/21/24

National Family Health History Day

 

Thanksgiving is also National Family Health History Day. Created in 2004, National Family Health History Day was established to encourage families to share health information during a time when relatives are gathered together. It is an effort to help prevent diseases like hereditary cancer.

Genetic variants that increase the risk of cancer can be passed down for generations, sometimes centuries. And at least 1 in 279 people carry one of these mutations. Knowing and sharing family health history can be lifesaving.

Discussing family health history is a great idea. However, let’s be honest; it probably isn’t the easiest of subjects to discuss at the Thanksgiving table. So here are a couple of items to help get the conversation started. A lighthearted graphic to show relationships, and a pedigree to record family health history. (Did my Pilgrim ancestors discuss health at the first Thanksgiving? Probably, considering nearly half the colony had died, including my 9th great-grandfather, William White. But I digress.)

The Pea Pod graphic is from a book project I’m working on that will hopefully help more people understand a little more about genetics and how learning more about your family tree can help prevent hereditary cancer. Once completed, I’ll try and provide as many free copies as feasible to any healthcare professional or inherited disease prevention advocate who might be able to use them.

To download this graphic, go to www.genetionary.org/family. To learn more about inherited cancer risk, go to www.genetionary.org.

11/13/24


Caregivers rarely get the opportunity to honestly share our stories, especially if they are heartbreaking. I’m so grateful for the support of the CGA-IGC* and the opportunity to share my story.

Here’s the link to the full story: https://www.cgaigc.com/post/recognizing-caregivers-in-observance-of-national-family-caregivers-month

*Collaborative Group of The Americas on Inherited Gastrointestinal Cancer (CGA-IGC)

11/8/24

First (and Last) Contact Repost

 

Do you ever look up at the night sky and wonder why, with the billions and billions and billions of stars and planets out there, we have no extraterrestrial pen pals?

Just thought I'd pull out one of my more popular cartoons from a few years ago.

11/2/24

The Sheep and the Turkey Again

  An Original Markix Fable

(I believe this is a rather fitting time to share this short tale again.
It was from a book project. However, the book is now on indefinite hold because of my wife's
death due to hereditary cancer
. It was originally posted back in November 2020.)

 

   One day several sheep, enticed by the site of a distant green meadow, wandered away from the flock and trotted far off the mountain path to graze. After spending several hours stuffing themselves on the rich, green grass, the sheep realized they were lost.

Panicking, they ran in circles, baaing at the top of their lungs, and crying uncontrollably. “The wolves will eat us!” they screamed. “We don’t know how to find our way! Is there no one to save us?!”

Hearing the panicked and distraught sheep, a turkey that was passing by hastened over to tell them how to solve their problem.

“I am the most superbly smart bird ever,” the turkey declared. “Just look at my beautiful feathers that show the world how smart I am. Listen to me and I will be your shepherd. I will save you from being eaten by the wolves!”

“Follow me and I'll show you!” he shouted. “The valley where you live is just on the other side of that big rock!” Then he hopped quickly over to the big rock and launched himself high up into the air. Unfortunately, being a large bird and a poor flier, the turkey went over the cliff on the other side of the rock and plummeted straight down into the river far below.

One by one the sheep rushed over and hopped on the big rock and leaped into the air. Just like the turkey, they all plunged down into the waters of the river below. All were swept away by the swift river current, never to be seen again.



Moral: Arrogant would-be leaders should always be questioned, not blindly followed.



10/29/24

National Cat Day


A cute little distraction and a little genetics for the day. Take the first letter of three of the four nucleotides, and you can spell the word “cat.” Take a look at the two genomes, and you'll find that over 90% of the DNA in humans and cats is the same.

To quote a few lines from a poem by one of my genetic relatives (7th cousin 1x removed)...

"You should need no interpreter
To understand their character.
You now have learned enough to see
That Cats are much like you and me..."
--from The Ad-Dressing of Cats by T.S. Eliot

Sorry dog people, genomic studies show that Fido and Fifi only share about 82% of their DNA with humans.

By the way, house cats share over 95% of their DNA with big cats.

10/24/24

Treating Cancer and Spooky Tails

Possible use of scorpion venom for cancer treatment? Among the items pictured here is a recently published scientific paper about that subject. Great! I’ll be glad to donate every one of the bark scorpions that make their way into my house weekly if some researcher can use them. If they can help fight the evil of cancer, the short-tempered little arachnids might have some redeeming value.

There’s also a snapshot of a home-invading bark scorpion (actual size: 4 cm) fluorescing under my ultraviolet flashlight. To contrast that image, is my whimsical illustration of the desert denizens for Halloween. But don’t let it fool you. Bark scorpions are not cute and not much fun to have around. And the stings of young bark scorpions can be life-threatening.

As a native Arizonan and nature artist, I have had close encounters with numerous venomous creatures -- rattlesnakes, Gila monsters, tarantulas, and scorpions. Except for the neonate rattler that had a single rattle too little to rattle, every rattlesnake has warned me of its presence, allowing me to avoid being bitten. Gila monsters are actually very charming and docile if you let them alone and don’t do something stupid to annoy them. And tarantulas are harmless if you avoid doing anything to threaten them. But bark scorpions can be stealthy and don’t need much of an excuse to pump venom into you.

A finger of mine recently encountered the business part of a bark scorpion’s tail when I went to place recyclables in my outside container. The scorpion had decided that the inside lip of the container cover was a great place to hide or maybe look for a meal. Fortunately, it was an adult scorpion so I didn't have to go the emergency room. This was the second time I have been stung, so I was aware of all the nasty effects of a sting. However, the sting was still very painful and caused many uncomfortable whole-body sensations for about 36 hours.

10/20/24

Holiday Countdown Pages




Do you or your little ones want to know how many days are left until Halloween or Christmas? Here are two countdown pages for your holidays anticipation. IMHalloween.com & SantaTimes.com

10/5/24

Hereditary Cancer is Preventable

 

Downplaying the risk does not make it any less of a threat to those who may be at risk. 

Germline genetic testing is NOT done on every cancer patient. Nobody knows for sure what the true percentage is. The ONLY message that matters is that hereditary cancer is preventable. That’s why I created this graphic and gave it to CGA IGC to use.


10/3/24

Hereditary Cancer is Preventable, Dammit!

Poster graphic, black background with white and red lettering:  “I will prevent disease whenever I can,  for prevention is preferable to cure.” From the Modern Hippocratic Oath. Most medical school students swear to the oath at graduation. Hereditrary Cancer is Preventable, Dammit! “Modern” medicine, please acquaint yourself with modern genomic science.  genetionary.org
A final thought as National Hereditary Cancer Week draws to a close.

 

10/2/24

Previvor Day

Previvor Day Shirt

It's Previvor Day. I should have two previvors instead of just one in my family celebrating the day. Nobody should die of a preventable cancer. That’s why I’m a hereditary cancer awareness and prevention advocate.

To learn more about what it means to be a previvor, go to genetionary.org/previvor.html

10/1/24

DNA, Genes, Genetic Mutations, & Hereditary Cancer Simplified

 
Since becoming an advocate, I have encountered far too many people who don’t seem to have a clue about DNA, genes, genetic mutations, and hereditary cancer. Tragically, I'm a hereditary cancer widower because people who should have had a clue (my late wife's relatives and her doctors) didn't have one.

As juvenile as this may appear, it’s actually for grown-ups. I have found in my decades of professional illustrating that the simpler you make the subject when first presenting it the better, no matter the age of your audience.

This is National Hereditary Cancer Week. Let’s start with the basics to get people talking and thinking. Hereditary cancer is preventable!

A PDF booklet of this story can be download at www.genetionary.org/genes
 

 

9/29/24

Hereditary Cancer Week Poster

 Poster for National Hereditary Cancer Week and Previvor Day. Breaking the Cycle of Cancer in Families Starts Today! Knowing & sharing family health history can help prevent cancer. Genetic counseling & testing saves lives. 1 in 279 people are born with an inherited genetic mutation that increases their risk of cancer. It’s more than BRCA and breast cancer. Colorectal, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, melanoma, and other cancers can be hereditary. genetionary.org
National Hereditary Cancer Week starts today. As an advocate and parent of a previvor, my personal message for the week: Hereditary cancer is preventable. Let's change the way we talk about hereditary cancer.

9/24/24

Hereditary Cancer is Preventable

Hereditary cancer risk is not an individual issue, it can involve half the family tree. Hundreds of thousands of cancer cases could be prevented and thousands of lives saved every year if we just changed the way we think and talk about hereditary cancer.

National Hereditary Cancer Week begins this coming Sunday. Do you know the health history of your family tree? Hereditary cancer is preventable.

A sidenote: Angelina Jolie is said to be a Filles du Roi descendant on her maternal side. Angelina has a BRCA1 mutation. Her mother, who died of ovarian cancer, was of French-Canadian descent.

 



9/16/24

Puking on the Mayflower

I Puked My Guts Out on My Voyage to the New World. The true story  of 5-year-old Resolved White, by Mark A. Hicks, Resolved's 8th great-grandson. Coover of a unfinished shildren's book.

The Mayflower/Thanksgiving thing feels kind of awkward for me with all the books, websites, merchandising, and total BS about some of my ancestors. And then I also have Native American ancestors on my father’s side (DNA-yes, exact tribe-it’s complicated). Thanksgiving is a mixed bag at my house.

Many of the Pilgrims did not survive that first year at Plymouth. I’m thankful Resolved did survive; otherwise (duh), I would not exist. My 9th great-grandfather did not. But my 9th great-grandmother did and likely helped prepare the first Thanksgiving dinner.

Obviously, I don’t have total reverence for my heritage. While I do have some decent notable ancestors and genetic cousins – adventurers, writers, artists – from the history books, some of my genetic relatives were just plain as…, er, not great humans.

Go to www.MARKiX.net/mayflower to read some truths about the Mayflower voyage.

---

Postscript. Something to contemplate: Many famous people (Clint Eastwood, Sally Field, John Lithgow, Noah Webster, and others) are descendants of William Bradford and his second wife. They would not exist if my cousin, Dorothy (May) Bradford, had not died. Dorothy "fell" off the Mayflower and drowned in the icy waters while the ship was anchored off Cape Cod Harbor.