Latest news with #twin
New York Times
05-07-2025
- Health
- New York Times
My Cancer Might Be Genetic. Should I Tell My Relatives?
I'm being treated for cancer and was referred to a genetics counselor. He informed me that because two other people on my side of the family have also had cancer, I'm eligible for screening for BRCA mutations, which increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancers. But I've decided against it because it won't change my treatment and I don't want the prophylactic surgeries typically recommended. For my mental health and quality of life, I prefer not knowing. Though I don't have children, I do have siblings, including a monozygotic — or identical — twin, which is something I've also taken into consideration. I believe I should inform my family about our eligibility for genetic screening without specifically mentioning BRCA to avoid panic. My plan is to tell my siblings, aunts and uncles that we have a sufficient history of cancer in our family to qualify for genetic testing and that they should discuss it with their doctors if interested. I would offer to share more details from what the counselor told me and let them decide what to tell their adult children. Does this approach seem reasonable, or am I obligated to share specific details with all potentially affected family members? — Name Withheld From the Ethicist: Dealing with these decisions isn't easy while undergoing cancer treatment. But yes, it's completely understandable to hesitate about genetic testing that won't change your medical care, especially given the weight such information carries. Your doctors are already monitoring you closely. People often worry about BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, which raise breast-cancer risk in women who have them to about 60 percent over a lifetime, compared with 12 percent without them. These mutations also increase risks for ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancers. But having two relatives with cancer doesn't necessarily mean you're likely to carry a BRCA mutation. Unless your family's cancers occurred at unusually young ages or were types specifically linked to BRCA, the odds remain low. Only about one in 400 people in the general population carries these mutations; among people of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, it's one in 40, but still the exception. At the same time, learning that they carry a BRCA mutation can motivate people to pursue earlier screening and potentially lifesaving interventions. There's a reason that such screening is made available. There's also a reason that it's a decision. By informing your relations that your family history qualifies everyone for genetic screening, and suggesting that they speak with their doctors if they wish, you're encouraging them to make their own informed decisions. You're not hiding information; you're offering support and leaving the door open for more conversation if they want it. In short, you've thoughtfully balanced your own care with consideration for others. May that approach guide you in all that lies ahead. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
News.com.au
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Dad ‘makes' 5 month old baby apologise to passengers after flight
A dad has turned a mid-air meltdown into a moment of pure adorableness. Babies cry on planes. It's a fact of life, but this creative apology is melting hearts across the internet. The five-month-old's mum, Hannah, shared a video of her baby watching fellow passengers disembark after a long-haul flight. With her gummy grin and rosy cheeks, you'd never guess this tiny tot had caused any in-flight drama. But some of her fellow travellers might beg to differ. 'We told her she had to apologise to everyone face-to-face' But, perhaps her fellow long-haul passengers might disagree. The cheeky clip, taken after their 8-hour journey from London to Atlanta, was posted to the Instagram page The Mum Crew, where it quickly racked up more than 4 million views. Hannah captured the moment her daughter beamed at passengers passing by on the jet bridge as they waited for their pram and car seats to be returned by airline staff. 'We told her she had to apologise to everyone face-to-face for what she put them through on that flight,' the text overlay on the video read. The baby wasn't alone in stirring up mid-air mischief. Her twin sister had also joined in to bring a little double trouble to the cabin. In the post caption, Hannah added: 'She actually did surprisingly well on the flight.' 'It's been so fun to see the video go viral. We never expected such a silly moment to reach so many people so quickly,' she told Newsweek. 'She's such a little conniving little bundle of joy' Reactions to the clip were mixed. Some commenters were less than charmed. 'Fun fact... Not everyone feels the same about your kids as YOU do. I don't want to see you after the flight you antagonised me on,' one user snapped. Another scolded: 'Dude. Take a hint. They're not interested in you making yourself feel better. Move on. Leave them alone. You've done enough.' 'And not one of them cared. They just wanted to get going to where they were going,' a third added But most saw the humour, and the heart, in the moment. 'She just smiled that gummy little heart melting smile and everyone just forgave her. She's such a little conniving little bundle of joy,' one person praised. 'She looked at everyone like 'and I'll do it again, watch this,'' a second joked. A third questioned how more people weren't reacting: 'How are all those people walking past without smiling at that beautiful baby?' Sometimes, a little charm really does go a long way. Even when delivered by a five-month-old in pink footie pyjamas.
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Man criticised after admitting he can't stop fantasising about his girlfriend's twin sister
A man has been criticised online after admitting that he has started to fantasise about his girlfriend's identical twin. The anonymous man, who is believed to be US-based, took to social media to ask people for their opinions on his predicament. In his post, he revealed that he has been dating his girlfriend for over a year, and is 'super happy'. He described their relationship as the best he has ever been in. However, he admitted, he has found himself starting to fantasise about her identical twin. This happens at different times, he wrote, saying 'sometimes it happens during sex, sometimes when i'm alone by myself'. The man wrote: 'Recently the twin was out of divorce and found herself a new boyfriend that me and my girlfriend dislike. We feel he's just not good enough for the sister and she deserves better. It almost instills a sense of jealousy in me, as she spends all her waking moments hanging out with this guy then spending time with us. 'At times I find myself with the thinking of her having sex with her new boyfriend and it makes me angry/sick to my stomach. Sometimes I can become obsessed with this scenario and it just keeps repeating in my head over and over; Making me feel sick and upset. 'I feel guilt about it but I can't seem to get the thought out of my head. We met them in person the other day and I saw the boyfriend with his hands all over the twin and it made me so mad. But of course I didn't show it. 'Any advice? Am I just crazy? I know these are just feelings and I would never act on them to ruin my current relationship. I love my girlfriend very deeply, but I also care very much about the twin and want her to be happy. 'I just find that these feelings of attraction/jealousy come out of nowhere and seem to be more frequent ever since she met this new boyfriend.' The majority of respondents chided the poster, telling him that he needed to 'get over' the feelings he has for his girlfriend's sister. One said: 'I feel sorry for your girlfriend. She deserves better, you sound like you don't really love her. Tell her and let her make her decision to stay or leave. And get away from the twin for good.' They added: 'Distance is the only thing that will work. Remind yourself why you're with your girlfriend, why she's your girlfriend. That you need to get rid of these feelings, because if you don't you'll lose the most important woman in your life. The fear of losing someone you love will make anything else feel unimportant. Eventually.' Meanwhile, another wrote: 'You need to take a break from spending time with the twin sister. If you marry your girlfriend the line could get blurry. Set boundaries now and get over your crush/sexual fantasy. Also there is bo world in which this would work out.' In a similar vein, a further Reddit user said: 'Honestly it sounds like you need to try and spend less time with the twin because you're too involved to be able to make sense of everything. Your attraction does make sense considering she's identical to your partner and similar in personality, but she's also her own person and she is allowed to date whoever she likes and it's not your place to get involved other than to give your opinion on him if she asks. They continued: 'I would find a way to tell your girlfriend about this in a way that won't make her uncomfortable. Maybe just say that you're feeling to involved in her sisters life and overprotective because of how similar she is to your girlfriend and it's making you uncomfortable. You don't need to mention the jealousy but you do need to tell your girlfriend about it in some way because you need her support to get some space.' 'Well I would work on having less of these feelings it's gonna damage the relationship if it gets worse whether you realize it or not,' said another Redditor. 'Girls can smell that stuff and also twin sisters r just on a different level almost psychic.' However, another respondent was more sympathetic, and agreed that it must be an odd situation to be in. They wrote: 'I'm not going to say it's okay or normal or try to justify it, but I could see how dating an identical twin would be even weirder? Harder? Idk the word I'm looking for, but a girl having an attractive sibling is one thing, an identical twin with almost the same personality? That's a whole different ball park than most situations.' Responding to the comments telling him he needed to put some distance between him and the sister, the poster said: 'This makes the most sense to me. It's going to be hard, as I do very much enjoy hanging out with her and spending time. But I feel that when I do; the feelings come back, I sometimes tell her she looks pretty (sometimes unconsciously) and it just gets weird sometimes. I don't think she picks up on it. I'm gonna put some distance between us until these feelings die down.'
