Question:
Does anyone here have hemachromatosis ?

I am fairly new here to this web site and also to WLS. I have a disease called hemachromatosis. I would love to know if there is anyone here with that disease who had this surgery. It is a genetic disease where your body produces and stores too much iron. The iron acts like rust does and attacks organs and nerves and well pretty much everything. It is terminal, but luckily it is also managable by giving a lot of blood. I have the worst form of it and I give blood quite frequently. This just wreaks havok on your immunes system because when you get rid of blood you are getting rid of the good things in the blood as well as the bad. I am so curious to know if anyone has had this so I can hear if the malabsorbtion part of this surgery may partly cure my need for blood letting because I will not absorb as much iron from my food. This is what I am praying for. The weight loss is secondary to gaining a renewed healthy life. I also have fibromyalgia from the blood letting and that is tearing my life apart because of the pain I am in from joint pain the fibro and the blood letting. Anyway, sorry for going on, but I probably cry once a day because of the pain and bad health. I would love to lose weight, but I am just more excited about being healthy again. Anyone else out there feel or felt like this? I have five young children I hope and pray that one day I will be able to be the mom they deserve not the one who is always sick. :)    — Red T. (posted on May 15, 2002)

May 15, 2002
Sorry to hear of all of the pain that you have had to put up with in your life. No, I havent heard of this but I will make sure to research it. Good luck to you. You are in my prayers...
   — Karen M.

May 15, 2002
I have heard of it once before but never really knew what it was until today (after reading your post) I did a little research and found a site that might help. http://www.ironoverload.org/ I hope it helps.
   — Samar M.