DEAR DR. GOTT:
A while ago I was watching TV and happened to catch the end of a show. It was about a rare condition that a woman had had for 30 years. She has seen many doctors but no one could help her. Eventually she found a doctor who ordered a special blood test which finally gave her a diagnosis. Because I missed most of the show, it was only referred to as HAE in the last minutes.
Could you write a column about this?
DEAR READER:
I can try.
Unless I am mistaken, the condition referred to was hereditary angioedema, a rare but serious disease. Hereditary means that it is passed through families, although some may not know it, because other afflicted family members may have been labeled as having unexpected, sudden, premature deaths.
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