I had never heard of this illness before, but I sure wish I had.

I was recently discussing my general state of health with my cardiologist when we started getting into my IBS issues. He then started asking about my heredity and we went through each of the different bloodlines. At the time I didn't think I had any Mediterranean background, but upon further research, discovered I do have a very strong bloodline from the area. That's what the doctor was looking for. He said that many people get misdiagnosed with IBS, when it's actually this genetic disorder.

Now, this isn't exactly fantastic news because there is no cure for this illness. BUT there is treatment (usually colchicine).

There are a number of other symptoms associated with this illness that happen to be very strong in my family. So this diagnosis may solve a very old mystery in my family, and may help to prevent future misdiagnoses. If anything, I think it's good to know for that reason alone. I'm getting tested this week and hoping we can finally get some clear answers.