Introduction

Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Iron Man... ok, not THE Iron Man, just AN Iron Man.

Whilst I don't have any super powers (that I know of), I do have iron. Too much iron in fact. So much iron that I need help to get rid of it. The human body is designed to absorb just as much iron as it needs for the production of haemoglobin. Excess iron is stored in the organs since the body can't dispose of it, and too much can lead to big problems. Which leads us to my condition - Haemochromatosis. It is a genetic disorder that causes my body to absorb iron even though I don't need it.

I only discovered this fact during a routine health check. A blood test showed the high iron levels, and a genetic test showed the disorder which caused it. There are some symptoms, but none are particularly striking. I'm 40-something with 2 kids... of course I'm lethargic and have joint pain! So the symptoms are pretty common, but so is Haemochromatosis. It is the most common genetic disorder in Australia and affects about 1 in 200 people of northern European origin.

The upside is that the treatment is relatively straightforward. Since iron is used to produce haemoglobin we just need to get my body produce more and work it's way through my iron stores. This is done by donating blood.

Notice how I referred to this as an 'upside'. Obviously the upside is for the lucky recipients of my blood, but not necessarily for me. I know there are lots of AWESOME people out there that donate blood regularly, and I'm sure they think this is no big deal, and they're probably right. There are a few things to consider though:

I'm not good with needles.

I tried to donate blood once, many years ago. I almost fainted after the pin-prick test on my finger, and was summarily rejected. I actually DID faint during a doctor's consultation for a Tetanus shot. It's not that I'm scared... I just don't like the thought of someone sticking a needle into me. I've had plenty of injections since then and I can deal with the mental side pretty well now. Still, it's not fun (but at least it's not leeches).

WEEKLY donations.

Apparently, when you're a blood donar, you should only give blood once every 8 weeks. Due to my 43 years of iron accumulation, it will take an intensive effort to bring my iron back down to a normal level. This means I have to give blood EVERY WEEK...

FOR A YEAR!!!

Now you should be starting to see it from my side. It is estimated it will take at least a year to get that iron out, probably longer. When I am back to normal levels, I'll still have to be a regular blood donar to maintain that.

My first blood-letting is this week.

And so, my journey begins.