Shout it from the mountains!

‘I was 59 when I was diagnosed with haemochromatosis and for the previous five years, I had been on medication for gout, pseudo gout, high cholesterol and eventually, rheumatoid arthritis. 

But when my GP checked my ferrtins levels, they came back as 1400, whereas the normal level in men ranges from 30-300.  The percentage transferrin saturation level was then checked and this level was also raised. Because both levels were raised, the doctor suspected that I had Haemochromatosis, which was confirmed by a genetic test. Considering I was a blood donor with over 169 donations, I would have thought that such a blood disorder would have been diagnosed earlier on in my life. 

I was encouraged by my GP to inform close relatives. My two brothers only inherited one faulty gene each, so they were carriers but my sister who inherited a gene from both parents was also diagnosed with Haemochromatosis.

After diagnosis I was sent for an ultrasound on my abdomen region and a fibroscan on my liver. Fortunately, both came back fine. No damage had been done to my liver or other vital organs. The reason that no apparent damage was done was put down to the fact that I had donated so much blood over the years. I feel very lucky that I found out. My dad suffered from terrible abdomen pains all his adult life. He was only 58 when he died in 1982, after having two major operations in the space of four days on his stomach. My father always had a high colour and I believe now that he had undiagnosed Haemochromatosis. His father died in 1950, aged only 57, with heart muscle issues. I believe Haemochromatosis was an issue in his early demise.

I feel strongly that people who know that they have the condition have a moral imperative to be proactive in creating awareness of the condition. We are the lucky ones, as we know we have it and it is very treatable. Shout it from the mountain tops if you have to!