Scientific Abstract Assignment

I finished a paper last night... typed it up this morning. We had to summarize three articles and then give a personal interaction to them. I chose to do mine on the molecular genetics of bipolar disorder. Here is my personal interaction as I'm handing it in: (This is not my best writing ever - I was tired and cranky when I wrote it.)

Bipolar disorder can destroy a person’s life, if left untreated. The complexity of the disorder is in itself a wonder. The emotional as well as mental effects can be devastating and very painful. As a person with this disorder, I know firsthand what it can do. These articles had a very personal effect on me. Learning about what I already know to be a difficult illness to get under control was enlightening, even if science is still baffled, ultimately, by it.
Medications have come a long way in getting symptoms under control. A few of them were originally used for epilepsy, which would make me wonder about a possible link but none of these articles mentioned it. From the days of lithium for all to now, the choices are varied and have finally become exactly that – a matter of choice.
One very interesting personal side note from the first article is the mention of kidney disease. I have the illness, my mother has the illness, and my maternal grandmother also had it. While my grandmother was still with us, she had a type of kidney disease though I can’t say for certain what it was. It began when she was young as a terrible kidney infection. As a child I also had horrendous kidney infections, once leaving me debilitated for almost a month. Also, the mention of maternal mitochondria piqued my interest though it didn’t go into enough detail to go any further than the piquing of interest.
It is mildly disappointing that the genetics are still so far from understood. Though I do find it encouraging that the scientists are seemingly finding direction in where to go next. While I simply could not understand much of the technical language, particularly in the journal articles, the gist of what I got here is simple. They’re not sure. Though, as I know from personal experience, it runs in families.
In time, I’m sure the molecular genetics of not only this mental illness but most will be understood. One of the questions that remains is a big “when?”. Changes in understanding can come quickly so I will not assume any length of time, long or short, though I hope for the latter.
The hope for all of us who deal with this issue as well as similar issues of mood disorders is that a cure will eventually be found. However, I am incredibly thankful to the same science that does not understand the genetics of my illness. Medication has come such a long way and with medication there is hope and relief that our lives can be full and not erratic as it is pre-meds. And as long as research continues, hope exists in an even more obvious way, one day it will be understood and one day they may be able to fix this.