Health Scare - or Hypochondriac ?

[Tartan Hiker]

I'd like to add my congrats as well.

Also, I don't think anyone has mentioned the health benefits of donating blood, especially for men and post-menopausal women. There are several different forms of iron in the blood, and one un-bonded form will build up in your plasma over time (especially if you eat lots of iron-rich foods) leading to heart muscle damage and other undesirable consequences. The best way to reduce the levels of this iron is to regularly donate blood. This is not the same bound iron that is found in the hemoglobin molecules, so not related to anemia. I'm not sure if the simple "iron drop" test at blood centers can discriminate between the different iron compounds/ions.

I'm working on my 6th gallon, and strongly encourage everyone to donate blood if they are able.

[Ozman1944]

See? One thing to remember about life.....

It will kill us eventually.

[Galician]

Glad to hear the good news about your health. And it looks like you have learned an invaluable lesson about this gift of life which is given to us, so it's not a total loss.

[dpseadvr]

Iron 60 - 160 µg/dL (normally higher in males) this is the Ref range for Iron so you are WNL ( with in normal limits) as a Doc I would say your diet is what caused your low levels before.

[Chase]

Alex,

Glad to hear the good news...Did you ever get a chance to look at the Web MD and what did you think? dpseadvr is right on about the lab values, but I believe your originial results were erroneous and not diet related? Is that correct?

Chase

[cessna152towser]

Did you ever get a chance to look at the Web MD and what did you think? dpseadvr is right on about the lab values, but I believe your originial results were erroneous and not diet related? Is that correct?

Yes I looked at WebMD - found it a bit depressing, as I had none of the other obvious symptoms which could cause anaemia and I had to be worried that the only possible explanation had to be a cancer somewhere in the gut which was bleeding away slowly of which I had not otherwise yet become aware. The letter I received said my original sample had been retested in the lab and found to be within the acceptable level for blood donation so it would appear that the original result at the donor centre was incorrect.