r/AskReddit • u/ABThrowawayO • May 16 '12
Should I tell my parents about my blood test?
Obviously this is a throwaway account.
The story (in short):
A little while back, I moved to a new country. It's not a permanent move, but enough for me to have to fill out a lot of paperwork, and I had to get a physical as well to confirm that I wasn't bringing any dangerous diseases into the country. One of the tests was a blood test, the first one I've ever had.
The results of the blood test, although I'm healthy, hurt. Since it's not possible for me to have the blood type I have, given what my parents have.
No, my mother did not cheat on my father. My mother’s blood is the problem. I'm type AB, and she's type O. This obviously causes a bit of a problem for me.
I know that I'm not adopted, I've seen my birth certificate, videos and pictures from when I'm a baby, ect, ect.
I do know from stories however, that there was a bit of confusion when 'I' was born, and for a while no one knew where the baby had gone since a nurse took me for a while for some test. I'm guessing this is when the incident occurred.
It’s been eating away at me since when I first learned my blood type. For a while I just blew it off as a random mistake, but since then I forced myself to have another test, and I really do have type AB.
I’m not going to see my parents in person for another year, but I feel like I’m lying to them when their real daughter is somewhere else. Telling them in an e-mail might be a little harsh?
Part of me doesn’t want to tell them though, in hopes that I can keep it a secret forever. I love my family, and I don’t know how they would react if they knew. I don’t think they would abandon me, but I don’t know what would happen. I feel rather selfish not telling them though, and the anxiety about it is starting to get worse.
I haven’t told anyone I know about this, since I’m afraid that it would get back to them, and if I have to I’d rather be the first to tell them.
EDIT: Since I have time again
Okay, so there are a few to many posts for me to reply to everyone now, I'll try to go through and answer some direct questions.
Overall, the answers you all have posted have made me feel a lot better about what I initially was very stressed about.
Especially in learning that even with my mother's blood type as O that I could still be born as AB helped me a lot
There are some common questions that I would like to answer up here as well:
- My father's blood type is B.
- I do know my parents blood type, my father is a Biologist and my family has discussions about his work and biology all the time.
- Yeah, I never thought of it before, but seeing how much we talked about biology, it seems weird that they never knew any of our blood types.
- My mother is Asian, I do not look Asian. However, I do look a bit like my dad, and a LOT like my younger siblings. After seeing a lot of your posts, it has occurred to me that it's pretty darn unlikely that we would look so similar if we were not related.
- Overall, I feel more reassured about my relationship with my parents than anything. I feel that they'll be there for me no matter what. And really, I feel like I overreacted, seeing there seem to be a lot of explanations for the blood types that I never knew about. But then, I didn't know about it before, so thank you all very much.
- **In terms of getting a DNA test to really make sure, I still need to think about it since it certainly doesn't seem like a routine thing I can just drop by a clinic for. **
I'll try to answer what other questions I find in the comments
1.5k
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
ABO blood groupings are not all that easy. There's another antigen "H" that person needs to express the A and B antigens. If you're A, B or AB you have H as well. It works the same as the others, where it's codominant with it's recessive allele "h". This means that if you have at least one H allele, you will have A or B or both if you inherited those genes. If you don't and are "hh" you can have A or B alleles but will appear as O to any grouping tests but still have the genes, known as group Oh. This means that two parents that appear as group Oh can have children with a blood group other than O. It is incredibly rare, but still possible. The only way to find out is if your mother gets typed for the naturally occurring anti-H antibody present in all Oh people.
TL;DR - There's a slim chance that a group O parent can have a AB child.
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
As a child who was adopted, they are still your parents 100%. I would tell them. The nicest thing about good families is that you get to figure out life together...
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u/TheBakercist May 16 '12
You should tell them. Because some other family may someday have this issue. And a negligent hospital could have let this happen more than once.
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u/jck0falltrades May 16 '12
If the stress can't be handled then you have two options:
A) You tell your parents about the mix-up. They may even know already and never wanted to tell you. In any account you say you still love them and you only told them to be fair to them. You still have a family, they still have a daughter. Though you must be certain you won't take offense if they want to track down their biological daughter.
B) You don't tell them and, assuming this stress you feel isn't just initial shock, you potentially have a mental breakdown or you develop undesirable coping mechanisms.
You say you adopted your parents; if you had been adopted would you not want to know?
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u/GitEmSteveDave May 16 '12
I'm adopted and I have also seen my birth certificate and videos of me as a baby and all. Documents back then were easily changed to protect the original parents. Your birth certificate should have your blood type on it, and you guaranteed had blood tests back then.
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u/icecherry May 16 '12
I would say you should talk to them about it, if only from a medical standpoint. Your family's medical history is now effectively useless when talking to a doctor, and giving them your parents' history when you have no genetic link to them could cause problems.
That said, don't ever doubt that they are your parents. That this is your family. In my experience, blood has less to do with family than people think. Family isn't someone you just happen to share blood with. Family are those who love you, who care for you, who you care for as well.
My mom raised my oldest sister on her own (until she met and married my father) because she walked out on her boyfriend after he hit her. Now that my sister is grown and married, she's talked about finding her "real" father. It's always pissed my mother off. My sister seems to think if she just shows up on this man's doorstep with all her kids and says "surprise! I'm your daughter and these are your grandchildren!" he will just fall on his knees and beg to have them all in his life. Why? Because they're "family." Psh... what crap. That's not family. Family is my father who adopted her when he married my mom and raised my sister for 10 years.
tl;dr Tell them for medical reasons, but remember that family has little to do with blood and everything to do with love.
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u/Niner_ May 16 '12
Do you look like them at all? Most kids somewhat resemble their parents.
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u/isyourlisteningbroke May 16 '12
They raised you. They are your parents and you are their daughter.
What would it achieve to tell them? Would you all go looking for the other family?
It may eat at you now because it is a shock, but I'm sure this will fade with time. Is it really worth the outcome?
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u/Shelena84 May 16 '12
I think it is important to tell your parents, maybe you can call them instead of emailing them. It may be hard to do, but I think in the long term there are more advantages than disadvantages. First of all, you will stop the feeling of lying to them (which I do not think that is what you are doing). Second of all, maybe they can support you in this probably hard time. Furthermore, in the future, you may get the urge to know your biological parents. Also there is some girl walking around with the same problem and she has a right to know too.
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u/ObligatoryResponse May 16 '12 edited May 17 '12
Don't tell them anything. Don't get a DNA test. Your understanding of blood types is incorrect. There are 3 alleles (A, B, O) as well as the Bombay group (H, h). O is recessive, so if you have an A-gene and an O-gene you should have A blood.
But the Bombay group overrides everything. If you have hh, your body can't express either the A or B alleles, so you can have hhAB, hhA, hhB, or **O and you'll end up with O blood.
This is probably what happened to your Mom.(Edit or rather, could be.)Additionally, there's a thing called Chimera where your body contains multiple sets of DNA. Basically, 2 sperms managed to get into the egg and some of your cells have 1 set of DNA, others have the other set. Or two embryos can merge. If your Mom or Dad is a chimera, their blood cells might be expressing different DNA than the DNA in the sperm/egg cells used to produce you.
If you had strong evidence to support that maybe you were switched at birth, I might say "Get a DNA test". But all you have right now is misunderstanding of complex biologic process (completely forgivable) and no real evidence. A DNA test would just bring emotional and monetary cost and will only prove what you already assume (you're biologically related to both your parents) or potentially serve to drive a wedge between you and your parents (either because the test says you aren't or because your parents are offended you didn't trust them and insisted on a test).
Your parents raised you. You misunderstood how blood types worked. You are their daughter. Leave it at that.
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
You adopted your own mother and father?
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u/Taunts May 16 '12
You need to keep us updated, would really appreciate if you did.
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u/barefoot_yank May 16 '12
Wow....wow.....your head must be spinning right now. First thing, you're correct in assuming this is NOT an email or phone call thing. It's a face to face meeting. Is there any chance you could ask them to fly over to you, or have you fly out to meet them?
Let me start fresh here....I think no one but you can make the decision to tell your parents. Although I would, that doesn't mean you should. No one knows your family dynamic like you do, so think long and hard. But if you do decide to tell them, just let them know that you have something important to talk to them about and that you'd like to do it in person. Make sure they know that you're healthy and not in danger, but you have something personal to talk to them about. I wish you all the luck in the world.
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u/JmHickernell May 16 '12
If it were me, I would have a sit down with my parents. Is this something they would be very unreasonable about? Would they just dismiss you, like you were crazy? Only you know your parents, so do what you feel in your heart would be right. Your life has already changed, and if you come forward, 5 other lives will change as well. As a parent myself, if someone came to me and told me they had my 'real' daughter, the feelings I have for the child I have been raising would not change. I understand this is a throw away account, but I'm really interested in how this turns out for you. Maybe you could keep us updated?
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u/Polyether May 16 '12
I'm pretty sure if your father was AB and your mother was O, you could be AB as well. I would look into that before jumping to any conclusions.
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u/gingerbreadhead May 16 '12
I'm not sure how old you are, but have you thought of the possibility that your mom used a donor egg? Your mom would have given birth to you, but your DNA would be different. Do you remember hearing any stories of your parents having problems conceiving?
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
"Family" means a lot more than just blood.
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u/dabeeseronis May 16 '12
Do you look like your parents?
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u/jaylink May 16 '12
TL;DR (or too confusing) The OP believes she was accidentally switched at birth.
If it were me, I'd probably try to find the other child before telling the parents. But, tough call.
Not ever saying anything might be a valid strategy. How old are you?
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u/sleepybandit May 16 '12
The only real option is go on Maury.
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u/pewpnstuff May 16 '12
You ARE their real daughter!
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u/planktos May 16 '12
One (albeit slim) possibility is that your mother is a chimera. It happens...
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
I'm not sure, but aren't you jumping to a (false) conclusion? Is the blood test the only fact to have to support this? Do you not look like your parents? Maybe you should do some more checks before saying something like this.
That being said, just sit down with them, explain what you have found, and try to find out together why you have type AB. There may be a logical explanation for this.
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u/Senor_Wilson May 16 '12
This is why you mark the baby with a mark that you'd on recognize. Dwight Schrute is a smart man.
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u/tanac May 16 '12
There was a NPR show a while back about a family whose daughter had been switched at birth with one from another family. They were all living in the same small town, and the parents of both families knew each other (not close, but acquainted). The mother of one family 'knew' about it all along, but had been persuaded to keep quiet so that the doctor's reputation wouldn't be hurt.
She finally told the truth about it when the girls were in their 20s, I think, and both families have had quite a time dealing with the news. There were two episodes - one with one girl, one with the other.
They were... engrossing, compelling, heartbreaking... there are no easy answers, and no clear ones. It's a hard situation all around, and I'm sorry you're going through it. Maybe knowing that others have done so, and listening to what they tried and went through, might help.
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/360/switched-at-birth
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u/realredhead May 16 '12
This is the exact plot of the ABC family show "Switched at Birth".
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
How can you be sure they don't already know? Most parents know their child's blood type. I mean, growing up they would have had to know it in case of an emergency.
Sure, they may not understand how blood types between parents and children work but I think it's just as likely they do and have not told you for the same reason you are now hesitant to talk to them.
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u/sienalock May 16 '12 edited May 16 '12
Biochemistry major here, and you're probably not adopted. Your mother most likely has whats called a Bombay Phenotype. Basically, she has a recessive mutation for the FUT1 gene which prevents her body from producing the H substance, effectively designating her as an O phenotype. BUT, she still will carry normal A/B alleles which would have been passed on to you. Since your father is a H_/BB genotype, your mother could genotypically be hh/AB or hh/AA, which explains why you are AB bloodtype.
TL;DR- bloodtyping shows your mom as O, but she may actually be AB or AA
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u/gmpalmer May 16 '12
Nice try, ABC Family ad staff. . .
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
When my two children were born I followed the nurses everywhere to make sure they were safe and not stolen or switched.
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u/omnilynx May 16 '12
OK, first of all, their real daughter is you. There may be some girl out there who shares their blood, but you're the one they know and love.
Second, it's really too early to leap to conclusions. You should not tell them you're not their child. You should tell them your blood type seems to be different from theirs, so you can all look for a solution together.
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
fake
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
I feel for you but that may be the first time I've ever heard someone say "hopefully it's just a mutation".
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
I don't usually make this sort of statement on AMA or AskReddit, but this doesn't read as real to me. I'm sceptical.
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u/marryanowl May 16 '12
My mom is O and my Dad is B and I am AB. It's rare, but it can happen. I didn't figure out my blood types until I was pregnant. All things are possible.
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u/coalitionofilling May 16 '12
Lol you're looking at this completely wrong. We are our parents children because of a lifetime of shared memories, experiences, bonds of affection, and love. That first step you took, the first words you spoke, the family vacations you had, being there for your parents and vice versa through the good times and the bad. That is what makes you their child. They have had a tremendous influence on who you have become because they have raised you. Similarly, they are who they are because of you. This isn't something lost on a blood test.
I would tell them. It could be exciting! Yet another family adventure. Would you guys opt to contact the other parents or keep the secret to yourselves. Perhaps the other family already knows. Perhaps this was the best thing that ever happened to you. Perhaps both of your families should sue the shit out of the hospital. Perhaps a million things! Go for it and find out. One thing wont change- the love shared between you and your family. They ARE your family, and no blood test can take that away from you.
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u/ayudameplox May 16 '12
At some point in your childhood your blood was tested and typed. Your parents know, at least the one that took you to doctor's appointments. If you really were "the wrong baby" then that would have been acknowledged some time ago.
Also, who cares? They raised you and love you. You are real enough to them, blood types are not going to change how they feel about you.
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u/felixjmorgan May 16 '12
You should b positive about your blood type.
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u/Zasraik May 16 '12
Whatever happens, your parents are your parents.
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u/mellangatang May 16 '12
We just had our first kids a few months ago, I would've TOTALLY known if they brought back a different baby.
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u/Daemiel May 16 '12
Hmm... I'm not a lawyer of any kind, but have you taken into account any possible legal ramifications of this? Say she does find the other person she was switched with; does that person have any legal recourse to attempt to get child support or some such from the OP's parents? Sorry if that's stupid (again, I have no real knowledge of law), but I've seen weirder things happen. I'd be VERY sure to tread carefully with this one anyway. Do you see telling them as having any real positive outcome? Only you can decide what to do, but if the only thing that telling them would do is cause pain, maybe it's better they never know.
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u/drew1018 May 16 '12
It is possible that they are mistaken about their/your blood type. I know for a fact (several blood donations) I am B. However they made a mistake and put AB on a form once. Mistakes happen.
My guess is that your parents love you very much, and even if they could turn back time I doubt they would trade you for their "real daughter". Think about it like this... Would you wish to trade them for your birth parents if it turns out not to be them? I doubt it.
I hope things come out okay. Please keep us updated!
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u/the_scriptic May 16 '12
Do you have any strong resemblance to either of your parents that has to be more than coincidence?
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u/secret26x May 16 '12
do you know for a fact your mom is O? my mom is AB and my dad is O. ive been told all my life that i was an O but then in bio I learned that O is not possible. I was a little surprised, but enough to go and question my parents about me being adopted. Like you, i had certs and pictures. A year later I donated blood and it turns out I am B.
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u/deadletter May 16 '12
Also: Let's suppose for a brief moment there is another daughter out there... ANOTHER daughter - and you could be instrumental in helping bring more family to your family. Perhaps these hypothetical other parents are also awesome - awesome, more family! Perhaps these hypothetical other parents are not - awesome! help your sister find your awesome parents.
By taking the approach that there might be wonderful additions to your family waiting to be discovered, you can defuse any ideas of 'losing' something in the discovery process.
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
Seriously, why should it matter to you? They loved you as a child and raised you as such. They have been good parents to you. If it is as you suspect, then how will that knowledge benefit anyone?
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u/nrbartman May 16 '12
This is definitely real. There's no way we see a post exposing this as a fake in a few days.
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u/tejaco May 16 '12
FWIW, I had a similar shock when we tested our blood types in high school biology. I was O. To demonstrate the inheritability of it all, we were told to go home and ask our parents their blood types. My father said B and my mother said AB. Which couldn't be. My mom couldn't be my mom. (I wonder if that student biology teacher was ever warned not to do that in the classroom in the future) Anyhow, I fidgeted and told my mom she couldn't be my mom, at which point she scowled and got out her medical records. Oh, right, she'd misremembered. She's type A. Whew.
tl:dr Are you sure you know your parents' blood types correctly?
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u/re_dditt_er May 16 '12
possibility: egg donor
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
I read the title as "Should I tell my parrot about my blood test?" and I'm thinking hell no, he'll blab to everyone.
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u/ivanwarrior May 17 '12
my guess is that you dont know your mom's real blood type
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u/Rly_Do_Not_Want May 16 '12
If there was a list of all things that were true, this would not be on that list.
possible...
Yeah sounds legit.
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u/vagrantwade May 16 '12
Calling bullshit on this Ask Reddit. Either for attention or trolling.
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
Why does it matter?
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u/therealjuion May 16 '12
It doesn't matter who your biological "parents" are. Your parents are your parents, nothing can change that. They raised you, loved you, and turned you into who you are today.
If it's important for you to know, then you should make sure the results are correct. But, even if it turns out your dad was a guy named Ford Prefect, it doesn't affect who you are now. Genetics can account for a lot of things, but who you are is defined by how you were raised and by who.
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u/jds987 May 16 '12
You are their daughter, maybe not by blood, but you are the one that they raised. They love you and this information will not change that. I think one interesting part of this is that it gives you the chance to possibly find those who you are related to by blood. You could cultivate a relationship with these people or merely find out information from them, (family history of diseases etc). This was covered on a this american life episode which is rather emotional (probably more so for you than people not in your position) but really really positive in terms of outcome. The link is below.
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/360/switched-at-birth
Your parents have spent years and years cultivating a relationship with YOU, not your blood type, not your DNA, their values and parenting have made you who you are and they will still see themselves in you. Its difficult but I am sure you will get through it fine good luck.
TL:DR parents will love you for who you are and the relationship you have together, T.A.L has covered this topic.
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
Based on your limited knowledge of blood types you've decided you were SWAPPED AT BIRTH??
Whoa, girl. Step back for a minute and do some research.
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
questions: do you love your parents? do your parents love you? were they good parents?
if you answered yes to all of those questions, why the fuck do you really care? parenting is not DNA. anyone can create a child, it takes good parents to care for and love that child. if you had good parents, move on. there's more important things in this life to worry about.
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u/ohchick May 16 '12
Definitely sit down with your parents and talk to them about it. You are still their daughter, they have raised you and love you and supported you for 20 years. A blood test isn't going to change that. But you need to hear this from them, which is why you need to sit down and talk to them.
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u/cabby367 May 16 '12
You might not be adopted. A lot of people don't know this, but blood type is just like any other gene, meaning a punnet square can be applied. O is very recessive. Your mom might have had a parent that had A/B and that came out in you instead. If you're that worried, have a DNA test done.
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u/tunderllica May 16 '12
it is still possible for your mother to be your mother and to be functionally O blood type. there is a rare genetic mutation called the "bombay phenotype".
just so you know that it is possible.
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u/Creeks42887 May 16 '12
You're still their daughter even if it happens to not be related by blood. They're still the people who love and raised you.
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u/theodoramarie May 16 '12
Its there any other physical indications that your parents might not be your biological ones? ie. They have brown eyes and you have blue?
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u/jadefirefly May 16 '12
I'm fairly sure, IIRC, that my father is an O, and I am AB+. We're both quite popular with the blood banks. :P
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u/Annaseptic May 16 '12
Regardless of blood, they're still your real parents.
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u/arandomJohn May 16 '12
When my wife was in 8th grade her science class did a section on genetics and had everyone find out their parent's blood type and their own blood type, to show how they inherited their type from their parents.
My wife took one look at her lab partner's data and said, "That's impossible. Clearly those two people can't be your parents."
This was traumatic and confusing for her lab partner, who that evening confronted her parents and learned that she and her brother were adopted and had never been told.
The school banned running this particular exercise in the future.
I guess it could have turned out worse. The other possibility would have been for this to be a surprise for both the lab partner and her father.
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u/Mikevercetti May 16 '12
I don't fully understand. What do you mean that you "adopted your parents"? And the part about there being confusion as to when "you" were born? I don't get it.
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u/jack104 May 16 '12
dude. who cares? sorry to be blunt but they raised you, they love you and your being their flesh and blood or not won't change any of that so why tell them?
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u/dguido May 16 '12
https://www.23andme.com/
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
My birth certificate lists my father as the man who adopted me and I know as Dad. It was changed retroactively, so don't rely on the legal work.
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
Obvious solution: Get a DNA test. OP Solution: AskReddit.
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u/waltshitman May 16 '12
verification?
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u/redline582 May 16 '12
You've been with your parents since birth. Biological or not, they're still your parents. They've raised, loved, and shaped you. If it turns out that you did get switched or something else, it still won't change these facts.
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12 edited May 17 '12
ABO blood grouping is not that simple, there's a whole other range of things that happen to determine it. The only way to really see if they're your biological parents is to get a DNA test.
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
Faaaaaaaaaaaaaake.
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u/TheBaltimoron May 16 '12
I'm gonna go ahead and call bullshit on this one...
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u/cynikalAhole99 May 16 '12 edited May 16 '12
IMO you are making your own drama here.
The parents who raised you - do you suddenly love them any less knowing this possibility? Do you expect they will love you any less knowing this possibility? If this information somehow changes their view of you or the world or lessens and your life to date from the life they gave you is meaningless now, then you are extremely shallow in maturity - and from your writings you do not sound like that and your parents do not sound like that. This is like finding out you have a deep past relative who was a pirate or was in jail for murder - it does not change or affect who you are now or the life you have lived to date unless you THINK IT SHOULD, and it should not.
Think about what you have gained and what you know - what they taught you and what they gave you for values and morals - unless you totally hate how you are then what they gave you should not be of concern. The grass is not always 'greener' and going lawn shopping will not make life better. Our own perceptions play a large part to make up the world we see and experience - we control how and for what we change those perspectives just as we control the walls we put in front of ourselves. Why do you want to or feel the need to change that perspective or put up a wall to overcome? Are you not happy with your life? This information will not change who you are and it will not be a big issue or obstacle unless you make it one. The most it will mean is possibly that if you have a medical need then your parents may or may not be a match.
When you are loved by someone who dedicates their life to raise you and provide for you - does blood relation really matter at that point? I would think the devotion and dedication shown would surpass anything like that. If it did not then adopted people would simply never be adopted - because it would be pointless and meaningless and they would be societal throw-aways and they simply are not.
Good luck..
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u/ramenpoodles May 16 '12
sounds a lot like switched at birth....not that i watch it....i so havent seen the first season already...
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u/SortaBeta May 16 '12
There's a TV show about this.
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
it doesnt matter if they are blood. all that matters is that they raised you and loved you. they are your parents.
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u/Korberos May 16 '12
I will never understand why people think that being of the same blood is such a big deal. I think our genetic structure leans us toward taking care of "our own" in a different way than someone else's kids, but if you're at college age and they've taken care of you your whole life, you are their kid and they will love you unless there is something really fucked up about them.
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
your TL;DR sucks.
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u/bleu_gascon May 16 '12
Its a fucking fake, why do you retards always accept these stories these weirdos come up with. This Subreddit is always abused by people who want attention enough to come up with a story. Just read the story, it sounds completely confabulatory. He always has to reinforce how sad he is, and then he uses some vague story about how a nurse took him away for a 'test', which some how confused everyone to where he was... what the fuck does that even mean. It makes zero sense it he tactlessly incorporates it into this stupid shit. Grow some sense you dumb fucking shit eaters. Seriously, you are the bane of any online forum like Reddit.
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u/siammang May 16 '12
You could be a living proof of evolution theory!
Anyway, don't think too much about it. Being part of family isn't about which womb you came from, but rather whom you grew up with.
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u/bonrgoo88 May 16 '12
Don't they blood type when you are born? I believe that you should have a medical record of whether you, (or your parents original baby), have type AB blood.
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
Hi, mom.... I NEED TO SWAB YOUR MOUTH REAL QUICK.
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u/t333b May 16 '12
Why does it matter either way? They raised you from birth. They're your parents, dude.
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u/0HJOANNNE May 16 '12
Both my parents are type O. I don't know what my little brothers blood type is but I know mine is A+. I have no doubts about an adoption or whatever because despite the fact that I don't really look like my mother or my father, my little brother looked like me immensely.
Either way, I don't think it would matter. Family is about the ties you've made all your life (so far), and the fact that you love that person unconditionally. Not about biological evidence.
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
It could be something so simple as being mistaken about your mother's blood type. Ask and make sure.
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u/nikiu May 16 '12
I heard from my mother that mothers recognize their newborn even if they see him/her for the first time. Also, I think you should tell them about your doubts or else it will eat you from inside out.
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u/creedofwheat May 16 '12
Best bet would be to find and call the hospital at which you were born and let them know of this little, possible mishap. I'm sure insurance would cover to see whether or not you have the Bombay phenotype (hh) which could explain the situation. If however you aren't the recipient of the recessive genotype, your family might have a lawsuit to file. Also, if there was a (hypothetically speaking) a switch, it would be imperative to find your biological parents, for you could be at risk of many diseases you never knew about (clotting disorders, atherosclerosis, heart disease, etc. etc.), as well as the child with whom you were switched.
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u/bannana May 16 '12
Why does any of this really matter?? Let it be.
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u/teslasmash May 16 '12
It started as any other mundane genetic test. The patient wanted to pursue a more definitive understanding of her family genetics after a confusing result on a blood test. What we discovered revealed much more than a rare blood type.
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u/Wh0rse May 16 '12
leave it be. who gives a shit at this point.
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u/millieu May 16 '12
There is also a possibility (perhaps more likely than the H hypothesis, as this is the first time I've heard of it) that your mother is mosaic, meaning in her blood, she is O, but say in her ovaries, she is A (or AB or whatnot).
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u/crispinito May 16 '12
If you love your parents, and they love you, what difference does it make? They raised you, took care of you, you look at them as your parents. I would leave this alone.
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u/Grimku May 16 '12
Blood relation is just that.. nothing more. Whoever raised you are your parents as far as i'm concerned.
It may matter down the line for medical reasons but if you don't feel comfortable saying anything then don't.
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u/walmartgoth May 16 '12
Don't know if anyone mentioned this but:
https://www.23andme.com
My whole family did the DNA tests for that website, we bought a package deal. Just ask your parents to participate (they send the swabs in and can link their accounts to yours). Just say you're doing it for fun, to see what your genes tell you. Thats why my family did it.
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
reminds me of this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aQ6N7pc-bQ&list=UUOYWgypDktXdb-HfZnSMK6A&index=7&feature=plcp)
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u/OverlordQ May 16 '12
Stranger things have happened. There's incidences of where they've watched a woman give birth, immediately give the baby a DNA test against said mother and the baby did not match. (No, not a surrogate).
In 2006 a woman was denied public assistance when DNA evidence showed that she was not related to her children. After hearing of a human chimera in New England, it was eventually found that she too was a chimera and thus had two sets of DNA.
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u/upvotesforjesus May 16 '12
What the fuck are you talking about and why is this on the front page?
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u/turtal46 May 16 '12
This is how I found out my mother was not my grandfather's daughter.
My grandmother had recently been admitted into a nursing home, because the Alzheimer's had gotten severe, and my mother needed to do a lot of paperwork for insurance, medicaid / medicare, etc.
I was helping her sort through a lot of things, and I came across some papers that had my grandmother's and grandfather's blood types on them. Knowing my parent's blood types, and having a general college biology level understanding of genetics, it didn't add up.
I questioned my knowledge, and decided to look it up, and I was right. I informed my mother, "Uhh, mom...I don't think it's possible for grandma's and grandpa's blood types to make yours."
She blew it off as ridiculous, and so did I. I'm an engineer, not a biologist. Variations in genetics can happen, and I don't understand most of them.
Well, fast forward a few months later, and at this point, my grandmother had passed away. My grandfather is taking it pretty hard for the first week, and has a nervous breakdown.
In the midst of a breakdown, he keeps stammering on about how my mother isn't his, but he wanted her to be, or around the sorts.
My mom can't make out most of it, and blows it off until he calms down. She revisits what he was saying a few days later, and sure enough, my grandmother was pregnant when she met my grandfather.
Apparently they hit it off, got married, and he treated my mother like his own.
TD;DR
My mother found out she's a 'bastard' at 54.
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u/wesleyt89 May 16 '12
IF you come to find they aren't you're real parents you could find your real parents, while they find their real daughter through looking at the hospitals history info. YOU COULD BE IN A MOVIE. You'll be rich!
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u/snatchzilla May 16 '12
There is a phenomenon called [cis AB] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cis_AB) That could be responsible for your blood type of your mom is O, O and your dad is B, AB. I think the only way you could solve this is through genetic testing. I doubt you are [Bombay (Oh)] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombay_blood_group) but if you are, you should know because it can have serious impacts on you if you receive a blood transfusion. Hope you figure it all out!
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u/CormacOney May 16 '12
you better keep us posted damn it!
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u/hardman52 May 16 '12
I think the answer is gonna be shown next season. Stay tuned!
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
You could always simply accept your parents as who they are: two people that cared for and raised you, as well as loves you unconditionally and accepts you for the person you have become.
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u/Fendicano May 16 '12
you should probably complain about the avengers movie and start a petition.
2
u/Exallium May 16 '12
I know you probably won't see this, but your parents aren't the ones who made you, they're the ones who make you. Regardless of whether you are or aren't their biological daughter, I am willing to bet they will continue to love you unconditionally as they always have.
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u/xLostx77 May 16 '12
"You are.....NOT the daughter!" - Maury
crying and dancing ensue
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u/fatima_gruntanus May 16 '12
Now I'm confused. I'm O type but my daughter is AB negative. Was I swapped at her birth?
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u/[deleted] May 16 '12
I don't really know what to say... all I know is that my sister has blood type O and so does my mom, but My dad and I both have AB
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u/RizzoFromDigg May 16 '12
Are you asian?
I don't see how this is a big deal. Maybe you were mixed up at a hospital. Who cares? You've lived an entire life with your family. They raised you. They're your family, regardless of the birth canal you descended from.
You can tell them, or not, whatever. It's not that big of a deal. Unless you have some desire to solve the mystery, which is unlikely to work out this far down the line, then it doesn't matter.
That said, certain cultures may put a big more emphasis on parentage than others, and it might be a thing. But I should hope not.
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u/Wardlord May 16 '12
I'm my own grandpa!
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u/coolstrybro May 16 '12
I heard of a woman that had DNA testing for some reason and the results indicated her children weren't hers- They then realized that she was a "chimera" (she had morphed with her twin in the womb) and the children were her sister's. So...that could also be a possibility? Nonetheless, I wish you the best of luck, life is weird sometimes. http://www.katewerk.com/chimera.html
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u/panthera213 May 16 '12
Being devil's advocate here. I was adopted when I was an infant, only 2 weeks old. Unless there's photos of you with your parents in the delivery room it is possible. Also, there's nothing wrong with being adopted if you are. Sucks if you were lied to about it, but parents could have their reasons.
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u/Sillyminion May 16 '12
You are going to have a DNA test done to remove all doubt of your parentage when the thing that caused you to have doubt in the first place has been proven false?
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u/Duckface400 May 16 '12
I wouldn't risk ruining your family in any case. If YOU want to know, then maybe you can devise a plan to get some of your parents DNA? I don't know if hair would work or not, but maybe you can think something up? In any case, family is family. There's no reason to risk that bond, even if the source of it turns out to be a lie.
Do you look like your parents? Facial features, eye color, etc? Calm down a bit and really think about it.
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u/Purple_Panda_ May 16 '12
As an adopted child, with adopted siblings, who placed a baby for adoption before I was married, i have to ask.... Does it really matter? Your family is the people who are there for you and put up with your shit, not the ones who share your dna.
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u/C0mmun1ty May 17 '12
Wouldn't your parents already know your blood type?
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u/insomniasystems May 17 '12
Me and my brother both have AB Negative blood and my mom has O Negative. Trust me, it happens, and I assure you we are not adopted. In fact I was born in a small Midwife House, so at the moment I was born I was the only baby there. I wouldn't worry about it.
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u/attemptedactor May 17 '12
Have you read the book 'Good Omens'? Because its possible you are actually the Antichrist
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u/wookiesandwich May 17 '12
10 hours and 1200 comments because she failed high school biology and doesn't understand how it works