Fugates of Kentucky....

[bantiebabe1200]

All I can say is, wow! These poor ppl. http://gma.yahoo.com/fugates-kentucky-skin-bluer-lake-louise-200247843--abc-news.html I've never heard of this before. I can't imagine being blue.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Everything comes in blue in Kentucky... Moon, grass an people...

 

[Imp]

Too bad it is a disease that causes it for the Fugates.

Here's a guy that turned blue from taking colloidal silver as a home remedy.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...lue-self-medicates-silver-skin-condition.html

 

[Bunnylady]

I heard about this in the early 80's, when I was taking genetics in college. I'm not sure how clear it is from the article, but the problem is that these people have a shortage of an enzyme that causes the hemoglobin in their red blood cells to release carbon dioxide, and take up oxygen. The gentleman who researched this condition actually came up with a treatment. I think what he was using at that time was Methylene Blue, which is actually a dye, to encourage the hemoglobin to give up the CO2, and take up O2. At any rate, the nurse who was assisting him said that you could see the skin getting noticeably less blue within minutes of the injections. The effects of the injections was only temporary, because the blue dye gets filtered out by the kidneys. So the skin turns pink, but the urine turns blue.

I just followed a link in the article; apparently, Methylene Blue is still one of the treatments used!

 

[bantiebabe1200]

This seems to be a good look at what the people would look like, but I would say thats obvious od on colloidal silver. I didn't know it could do that. Poor guy.

Too bad it is a disease that causes it for the Fugates.

Here's a guy that turned blue from taking colloidal silver as a home remedy.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...lue-self-medicates-silver-skin-condition.html

I'm amazed that the body can surive like that and I'm glad there's a treatment for it so that a person could go out in public for a short period at least with out being stared at. This makes it make more sense. Thank your for sharing your learnings Bunnylady.

I heard about this in the early 80's, when I was taking genetics in college. I'm not sure how clear it is from the article, but the problem is that these people have a shortage of an enzyme that causes the hemoglobin in their red blood cells to release carbon dioxide, and take up oxygen. The gentleman who researched this condition actually came up with a treatment. I think what he was using at that time was Methylene Blue, which is actually a dye, to encourage the hemoglobin to give up the CO2, and take up O2. At any rate, the nurse who was assisting him said that you could see the skin getting noticeably less blue within minutes of the injections. The effects of the injections was only temporary, because the blue dye gets filtered out by the kidneys. So the skin turns pink, but the urine turns blue.

I just followed a link in the article; apparently, Methylene Blue is still one of the treatments used!

One thing I'm still not clear on, is how a gean like this could even start in the first place?

 

[Yetti]

I read about the "Blue Fugate's" way back in `82. Smithsonian Magazine did a whole story on them

 

[Bunnylady]

One thing I'm still not clear on, is how a gean like this could even start in the first place?

Random changes (called mutations) occur all the time. Some affect very important things that the body does, and aren't survivable. Some make small changes (for example, in the shape of your earlobe) and make very little difference in how you live your life. A person who carried one copy of this particular gene (and one copy of the normal gene) most likely wouldn't be any different than any of their friends, neighbors, or "normal" relations. It is only when two people that have one copy each have children, and a child gets the changed gene from both parents, that the blueness appears.

 

[bantiebabe1200]

Ok, I see how that works. Thanks for the info Bunnylady.

I still think it's sad, but atleast now I can understand the workings of it.

 

[sourland]

Back around '67 or so I was doing horticultural work at the Duke Garden Foundations. Part of my job involved conducting tours through the display gardens. On one of these tours there was a 'blue' lady. In apparent good health and a very attractive woman, but she was indigo blue. Perhaps she was of Fugates heritage.

 

[Matthew3590]

Inbreeding at its finest.