Dear Friend and Family I am currently working on a project with a neurologist. We will probably start working with a physician from a research facility sometime in the near future There are some medical conditions that are hereditary in the Messer lineage and the neurologist has found a new gene that has never before been found for two of these conditions in the Messer family. I am working on the genealogy part of the research with him and will continue with the physician from Duke. I am trying to help them identify persons who are living in the Messer lineage who have the symptoms and persons who are deceased who were diagnosed with either of the conditions [as well as those who most likely were afflicted with the conditions that were not diagnosed]. I am asking everyone in the Messer family that will participate to give me a medical genealogy [known medical conditions and observations of possible conditions] for both living and deceased family as far back as possible. The conditions are Charcot - Marie - Tooth Syndrome {CMT} and Trigeminal neuralgia {TN}. There have been many studies of these conditions over the years with different groups {families]. A group of Messer families participated in a study in 1975 and I have found that a large group of the family members of the participants in that study are afflicted with one or both of the conditions. The neurologist that I am in contact with has isolated a rare {never before found in any group that has been tested} and is needing help in getting the family medical information that is so vital to further the research of these conditions. CMT wasn't recognized as a distinct entity until 1886 when Charcot and Marie, and Tooth independently, published their papers; so any references before about 1900 in the family records would be to funny feet, peculiar walking, or "the family curse." I have a more detailed description if anyone would like to receive it. “The trigeminal nerve is the fifth cranial nerve; if you sawed the face off, from the top of the head to the angle of the jaws just ahead of the ears, that's the territory of the nerve; it has a scalp-forehead eye branch, a cheek and a lower jaw division on each side. Typical TN involves either the second or third divisions, the first less rarely, and multiple or bilateral areas very rarely. The typical neuralgia is a single blast of enormous pain, recurring every few seconds or minutes for a while; stopping; and starting up again. Typically, bouts last days or weeks at first, disappear for a while, then come back. Almost every patient has trigger points where a touch, shaving, putting on makeup, touching the gum with the tongue etc. will be likely to induce a burst of pain during an attack. The typical patient has the disease in isolation; about 5% of patients have a family history. Very rare families have been reported in which TN occurs along with CMT. TN can be accompanied by twitching, twisting or other facial movements called hemifacial spasm; or by other neuralgias. This is considered to be one of the most painful conditions known to man, so it would be had to overlook.” If anyone has already been diagnosed and is seeing a physician and would be willing to talk to this physician and / or have their medical records relating to these conditions to him, please contact me and I will give you the address. With the data that he has already shared with me [with the patients consent, of course], I have been able to determine that these conditions are quite prevalent in two of Christian Messer's children's direct lines. Most likely when I have contacted others and gotten more information, we will find it in the rest of the lineage. I currently have three Messer families in my database that I, nor the members of these families, have been able to connect to Captain Robert Messer and his descendants who settled in Haywood County, NC in the later part of the 1700's. I am asking those who are connected to these other lines to please look into your lineage, both past and present and see if there are any of these conditions and share your medical lineage with me. I realize that this research will most likely not help most of the persons who are living with these conditions today, but hopefully it will help our future generations. The neurologist that has discovered this new gene will be at the Messer Family Reunion on October 7, 2000 at Panther Creek Baptist Church in Haywood County, NC. Everyone who has an interest is welcome to attend. Any and all help will be appreciated and your confidence will be upheld. Regards Brenda Messer 828-433-7003 windsong@compasonline.net Messerville Mayor Home Page http://members.fortunecity.com/messervillemayor/ Messerville Gazette Pages http://www.fortunecity.com/millennium/ironbridge/1170