I'm sorry that your father doesn't have any tact. Perhaps I don't either. This thread touches a guilt I feel to my very soul. I have four children that I love more than anything but there have been times when I have asked myself if I would have had them knowing what I know now. Not just mental illness, although I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy, but there are other genes that I've passed on too.

My father was the oldest living male in his family for as far back as we can trace and he died at the age of 54 of heart disease. I happened to fall in love with a man that also has severe heart disease in his family, his father had his first heart attack at 42 his mother died from it at 60. Nearly every female member of my family has had some form of female cancer. Breast cancer in my family is a death sentence even with modern medicine. And on hubby's side his maternal grandmother was one of the first women in our state to be diagnoised with this new disease breast cancer. She died in her early thirties leaving three children 12, 9, 6 behind.

I feel very guilty for placing these additional burdens on my kids. My youngest two sons already show signs of heart disease. When one of these issues come up I really feel guilty for not being fully informed when I made the decision to have kids.