Patient Stories with Grey Genetics

May 28 2024 94 ep. 43 mins 1.4k

Patient Stories with Grey Genetics Podcast artwork

Genetics isn’t always black and white. And the emotions and decisions surrounding genetic testing can be even more complex. Hosted by genetic counselor Eleanor Griffith, the show brings you the personal experiences of patients and genetic counselors.

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GRIN2B: An Odyssey from Diagnosis to Evacuation

May 28 2024 29 mins

Nadia Billous is a mother of two young sons, including 9-year-old Andryusha who was diagnosed with GRIN2B-related neurodevelopmental disorder. Nadia and her family are Ukrainian and lived in Kyiv at the time of Andryusha’s birth. At first, he was a typical, healthy baby but began to have some alarming symptoms around 3 months of age which led to a 7 year odyssey to identify this

Defying Cystic Fibrosis One Mountain at a Time [Rebroadcast]

Apr 23 2024 36 mins

This episode was originally published in August 2018. Last Sunday, Sophie ran the London Marathon—her first of 36 marathons she plans to run in 36 days, as she raises money for Cystic Fibrosis Trust. You can follow Sophie's progress on Instagram @sophiegraceholmes Sophie Grace Holmes was born with Classic Cystic Fibrosis (CF). When she was 19, a doctor told her she was going

Navigating Genetic Testing in Pregnancy & the Path to FiND Genetics

Apr 09 2024 52 mins

When Ushta was pregnant with her third child, she found herself being told which tests she would be having done—rather than being offered options and having them explained to her. As a genetic counselor working in reproductive genetics, she had also started fielding many questions from individuals looking for more insight and direction in a time of expanding prenatal testing opti

Next Chapter: Losing My Mother, Previving For My Children

Mar 26 2024 55 mins

Eleanor first interviewed Heather in 2018. At that time, Heather was several years out from completing a prophylactic mastectomy and oophorectomy related to her BRCA1 mutation and was living in Singapore. Her children were ages 10, 12, and 13. Heather shared her story of losing her mother to BRCA1-related breast cancer when she was only 13 and her determination to learn her risks a

Red Herrings, the Diagnostic Purgatory & Mitochondrial Disease

Mar 12 2024 72 mins

As a teenager, Devin experienced what she now describes as mito crashes and thought it was just a normal part of being a teenager. Her older brother led the way to a shared diagnosis of an autosomal recessive mitochondrial disease: mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome. Devin’s diagnosis came as she was beginning to develop an identity as an adult. In college, she found community,

Next Chapter: Living with Lynch Syndrome

Feb 27 2024 46 mins

Eleanor first interviewed Melanie in 2018. She was 29 years old at the time and had received a diagnosis of Lynch syndrome just before turning 25. Melanie shared her experience with receiving a diagnosis, recommended screenings and related challenges with health insurance coverage, and how Lynch impacted her experience with dating and thinking about having her own family one day. T

A Later Abortion Story

Feb 13 2024 91 mins

This episode was originally published in February 2019. On June 24, 2024, ⁠Roe v. Wade was overturned⁠. A few related links have been updated. Erika and Garin were 30 weeks into a complicated pregnancy when they learned that their pregnancy was not viable. Erika was denied an abortion due to New York’s 24 week cut-off so the couple travelled to Colorado to terminate her pre

A Late Diagnosis of Cutis Laxa and the Creation of ThinkGenetics

Jan 30 2024 38 mins

Dave and one of his younger sisters were both born with heart defects that required surgery. When Dave was 60, he was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm. By this time, he had a daughter, Dawn Laney, who was a genetic counselor and professor at the Emory School of Medicine. With Dawn’s help, Dave finally arrived at a diagnosis of Cutis Laxa for both himself and his sister. Motivate

Next Chapter: A Career in Genetic Counseling

Jan 16 2024 20 mins

Eleanor first interviewed Abigail in 2019 when she was still a second year genetic counseling student. Abigail shared the story of her diagnosis of Wilson Disease and how it led her to a career in genetic counseling. She has now been a genetic counselor for over four years. Second year genetic counseling student Kelsey Crocker interviewed Abigail for the first of the Patient Storie

Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: An Invisible Condition

Jan 02 2024 25 mins

Alexandra Parker is a senior student at Sarah Lawrence College. Alex describes her journey to a diagnosis of Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and the skepticism that she faced from medical professionals. She had to adjust emotionally and physically following her diagnosis with respect to sports. Self-advocacy has become an important part of Alex’s day to day. She discusses the