Is cancer, diabetes or some type of heart disease in store for you? Your DNA can show you your future... for a price.

During these miserable winter months, the common cold is not really a new visitor to these parts. But what if some other sickness was right around the corner?

Would you want to know about it? What if that sickness was genetically destined to get to you, and there was no known cure? Would you still want to know about it?

Scientists have been working for years on mapping the entire human genome, and now there are people taking advantage of their research. There is a company in Iceland called deCODE Genetics who will, for a ‘nominal’ fee, be able to tell you what genetic diseases you are in store for.

All it takes is a painless swab of your cheek and almost $1000. For this fee, deCODE will map your entire genome and let you in on what secrets your DNA may be hiding from you. Is cancer, diabetes or some type of heart disease in store for you? Your DNA can show you your future...for a price.

Now, let’s say you are thinking of doing this, because every college student just happens to have a spare $1,000 lying around. Your family history is clear of any major medical anomalies, and you feel the threat of any hereditary disease is slim to none. Are you ready for the shock of your life when you get to find out that Parkinson’s disease is lying in wait for you sometime in the future? How would you be able to deal with that?

How would anyone be able to handle the information that their life in the future may be drastically different because of a disease they now know about, but can do nothing to prevent? I know I would never dream of having this kind of testing.

My DNA is doing just fine inside of me, and I really have no want to know what has been genetically mapped for me from my hereditary background. If there are diseases in there, I say let them stay in hiding, I will find a way to deal with them when they decide to show their ugly faces.

It has been said that that which does not kill us will only make us stronger, but I ask the question, will knowing what may or may not kill us do the same? Will we be stronger for knowing? I am not really sure how.

What this really boils down to is, are you willing to risk $1,000 and a whole lot of energy worrying until the results come in just to find out you may “be dying?” There are only two guarantees in life: death and taxes.

While I am not welcoming death with open arms right now, I know that when the time comes, it will be my turn to go. And spending a ton of money to find out how you may go just seems like cheating the system.

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