Did my DNA test with Ancestry a while ago.  Have also got my Mum and brother to do theirs. I have also uploaded to GEDmatch to link to more family members who do DNA tests through other genealogy sites. Have met one third cousin that I had never met before and also been in touch with others overseas.  Learning so much about my Dad's family I didn't know about.

Genealogy can be very addictive.  :)

Re Health Insurance - Ancestry doesn't do genetic medical issues.  However I was part of some research in 2016 where they did a blood test to look for gene matches for a certain medical condition.  In the questionnaire I had to complete as part of the research I was asked if I wanted to know about any other genetic health issues that might show up but they warned me if there were any I might have to declare this information to any health insurer.  I decided I didn't want to know anything further.

Wouldn't the health insurance issue only apply to taking out a new policy?

kiwifidget:

 

Wouldn't the health insurance issue only apply to taking out a new policy?

 

Yes and No.  I guess it means checking your policy very, very carefully and any changes in that policy in the future. DNA tests are becoming more common and more sophisticated.

An interesting article: How DNA Testing Botched My Family's Heritage, and Probably Yours, Too

My wife and I are doing the Living DNA out of the UK, which I 'think' is linked to Ancestry.co.uk which may be linked to Ancestry the rest of the world.  It's my wife who is into it all and organises it.  The whole package is expensive at over NZ$200, but that gives you HEAPs of data.  My wife did hers ages ago, but I am waiting results.  I had notification that they had received the samples a week ago.  The kit comes from England, and takes a week to get to NZ. 

I also paid for a kit for my mum who is coming up to 90.  I ordered her's and mine at the same time, and she has had hers for a couple of weeks now.  My mum's result was interesting.  All the others we have seen have the expected spread of regional backgrounds, but my mum's was predominantly Welsh!  My wife had done her family tree, and was expecting that.

If you order the book, that takes much longer than the emailed results, so because my mum is still waiting for the book, we did a printed summery and sent it to her. My wife would kill me to death if I shared the medical stuff, but I can't see any harm in the location background

The health stuff is staggering.  The PDF they send has thousands of lines, most of which are either not interesting, or completely blank.  That still leaves hundreds of interesting content.  They give you a score for each pointer.  1 is OK, 2 not quite so OK, and 3 is a you are going to get this.  The score goes on up to 10, but you don't see many 10s because they all died already.   All the pointers we have seen for various family members have been 100% spot on, so you need to take them seriously, but you get a chance to change your lifestyle if it would make a difference.  I didn't know any of this when my wife talked me into doing it, and was more than a bit taken aback when she said that 'perhaps she should look at my results before I do, in case there is any bad stuff'.   I'm 68 and overweight, and feel like shite every morning because of meds I take for a chronic back problem.  I might share the interesting bits here when I get the results, as long asd they tell me I have the time left to write out the post.

BTW  My mum's health DNA was excellent.

After posting that I was interested in doing a test, I still hadn't gotten around to do doing anything about it. Then a few months ago I was approached by someone who believes they are related to me, and as part of their own journey of discovery have asked me to do a DNA test to confirm if we are related (it's very likely). Have just done the test tonight so won't get results for awhile yet, but i'm a bit terrified and excited all at the same time.

@linux and @sbiddle,  Freitasm suggested I tag you guys seeing as he unlocked the thread for me.

@Lias I am waiting on 2 lots of DNA results to come in and I am sure 1 is my 2nd cousin and the other is 1st cousin or half sister

I am also pleased to report that @scottjpalmer and @sbiddle and myself are not related

John

Linux:

 

I have in the last few months looking for ' unknown ' birth father and just wondering how others have got on?

 

I have a story I could publish into a book on my 25 year search but I am sure my search is coming to an end just waiting on DNA results to be processed it looks like my birth father passed away March 2017

 

Linux

 

I should of updated this the DNA result came back on the person that tested and she was a 4th cousin so the person who I thought was my bio father was a 3rd cousin

But now I have a DNA match that is much closer and waiting on some further results to see if she is my sister or 1st cousin

The interesting thing is here her father remembers my bio mothers name :)

John

Linux:

 

@Lias I am waiting on 2 lots of DNA results to come in and I am sure 1 is my 2nd cousin and the other is 1st cousin or half sister

 

Very cool. I may have a much older (and possibly deceased) half sibling, have been contacted by a child of the potential sibling who's similar in age to myself. 

Linux:

 

I am also pleased to report that @scottpalmer and @sbiddle and myself are not related

 

John

 

I'm sure you breathed a giant sigh of relief 

Lias:

 

Linux:

 

@Lias I am waiting on 2 lots of DNA results to come in and I am sure 1 is my 2nd cousin and the other is 1st cousin or half sister

 

 

Very cool. I may have a much older (and possibly deceased) half sibling, have been contacted by a child of the potential sibling who's similar in age to myself. 

 

Linux:

 

I am also pleased to report that @scottpalmer and @sbiddle and myself are not related

 

John

 

 

I'm sure you breathed a giant sigh of relief 

 

Not related.. yet!

sbiddle:

 

Not related.. yet!

 

As long as you haven't gone past 3nd base, it will all be okay even if it turns out you are related :-P

As of this afternoon I am pleased to report my 25+ year search is over, Small world I went to school with one of my new sisters

My bio father is living here on the North shore in Glenfield, DNA test done on his daughter proved she was my half sister at 1698 cM shared across 61 DNA segments

John