Hi Ed, if you THINK you've inherited your father's disease, you will. The mind is a powerful tool. A few years ago, a friend of mine who was attending Divinity School had a professor who was dying. The man was in his early 50's, and he had cancer of the liver. His son, who was travelling in Europe, had to be called urgently to return home to see his father before he passed away. Now that story by itself doesn't mean a great deal.

BUT the dying man's father had died in his early 50's of cancer of the liver, and he (they dying man of today) was travelling in Europe and had to be called to come home quickly to see his father before he died. You might call this heredity. I call it a state of mind. And I hope the scenario is not repeated for a few more generations, that someone gets hold of the mindset and turns it around.

I wonder if some counselling would help you deal with your fear. It's quite common, actually.

Good luck,