Please write me about any medical issues that you think
might be hereditary, if they come from this bloodline. Many ailments are
hereditary, and it can be useful to know to which ones we may be prone.
HEENT (Head, Ears, Eyes, Nose, Throat): There
is a tendency toward thyroid disorders. See Endocrine, below, for
important information. This is a big one with us, folks, pay attention!
LUNGS: Lung cancer has been reported.
CARDIOVASCULAR: Coronary artery disease;
hypertension; hypertriglyceridemia.
GASTROINTESTINAL: Liver problems; irritable
bowel syndrome; cholelithiasis (gallbladder stones). Symptoms include abdominal
pain, particularly below the right rib cage, cramping, frequent diarrhea,
especially yellow. Get an ultrasound if you experience these, and have
your liver and pancreatic enzymes checked.
I have heard rumors of colon cancer in remote ancestors
in Italy, but have NOT had this confirmed in anyone on this side of the
Atlantic in my lifetime. If you have, let me know.
There is a history of bleeding diverticulosis in the colon.
If you have rectal bleeding, get a colonoscopy immediately. This is dangerous
if not fixed, and it is fixable. Plan to live to a ripe old age,
dying in bed of a clean shot from the young husband's gun, rather than
from this.
GENITOURINARY: There is an unfortunate history
of kidney cancer at an early age. Symptoms include painful urination, pain
in the lower sides. If you experience these, get seen right away.
I mean now.
There is a tendency to benign prostatic hypertrophy and
prostatitis in men. Get seen right away, boys, if you have problems with
urination. This is fixable, and new techniques can keep everything operational. Don't be shy.
ENDOCRINE: There is a strong tendency
towards diabetes in this line; and if you have diabetes, you should make
your doctor check your thyroid levels in the blood (TSH, T3, T4, T3 uptake),
because much diabetes in this line is caused by an underlying thyroid disorder,
which a doctor will not routinely check for. If the thyroid is treated,
the diabetes ends, in these cases. Benign thyroid tumors have also occurred
in the family, in some cases requiring thyroidectomy.
I can't say "thyroid" enough, trouble comes from the Cavallo line. Get it checked!
HEMATOLOGY/ONCOLOGY: There is an unfortunate
hereditary blood dyscrasia in the family; details and symptoms will hopefully
be posted by late November.
We also have a sad history of malignant melanoma and basal
cell carcinoma, in addition to the youthful kidney cancer mentioned earlier.
Recently reported are a case of esophageal cancer, and at least three of lung cancer.
PSYCHIATRIC: No proven history of Alzheimer's
in the bloodline, to my knowledge. However, patients on thyroid
replacement experience mental disorientation if they don't take the pills.
If you see an elder Ricca acting more oddly than usual, and you know he/she
is on thyroid replacement (usually a drug called Synthroid), see if the
patient has actually been taking it--(I bet he hasn't, you know how Riccas are).
Additionally, it should be noted here that we have a reputation for being stubborn.
This is most often a misunderstanding on the part of the non-Ricca spouse, who is not accustomed to
enjoying the company of people who are usually right. Time will usually cure this.
"And after I have tortured you, I will be the sanest man
alive." --Bela Lugosi in "The Raven."
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