What is your name? Nathan Wilmoth
How old are you? 43
At what age were you tested for HD? 38
At what age did you start showing symptoms of HD? about 35
Which parent did you inherit HD from? Mom
Do any of your siblings have HD/JHD? No.
Did you get tested because you were showing symptoms or because you wanted to know your gene status? What was your reasoning for getting tested? My wife Heather and I were getting life insurance since we'd just had a baby boy, and I have a daughter from my first marriage. I was a diesel mechanic, and we had to pay a higher rate because of my Mom's HD. I decided I was tired of it hanging over my head.
How were you feeling after receiving your results? How did you cope? I was sad. Though I felt like my world had ended, we used bad humor to get by.
What are the top 3 hardest things you have to deal with due to the symptoms from HD? I hate not being able to do things I want. I was very social, and now I'm not as much. I hate that I now have anxiety where before I didn't.
Have you ever been arrested or questioned by law enforcement due to the symptoms of HD? Not yet; that's a worry my wife and I both have.
What is something you love to do that is harder to do, or you can no longer do due to HD? Playing with my kids, video games, going to the movies and being social.
Are you employed? Occupation? (Previous occupation?) No, my wife calls it early retirement instead of disabled. I was a diesel mechanic.
What is your biggest strength? My wife and kids
What is your biggest struggle? Some days it feels like everything!
How much did you know about HD by the time you were tested? I knew some from seeing my Mom, but she went into a nursing home by the time I was the same age my son is now.
Are you enrolled in any clinical trials? Not currently, but I have done two, and right now, there aren't any enrolling mid-stage HD. I'm hoping to get into another one soon.
Do you have children? Yes. If no- Do you want children? If yes- How do you feel knowing that they have a 50/50 chance of having HD or JHD? I'm worried for them and pray every day they didn't inherit it.
How do you describe HD to people? Usually, start off by saying it's like having ALS, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's, then going on to describe what I'm going through.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? At the moment, Disney with my family, it changes.
How do you spend your days? My wife likes to say with my girlfriends, youtube, and Netflix, but to me, the worst part of the day is when my wife and son leave for work and school, but the best is when they come home at the end of the day.
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