If I were a Blacksmith I'd be loaded!

Well it has happened. For those of you observing the patterns of my life, we have been overdue for a hospitalization this past year and a half. First and foremost I think I should thank the norovirus without who I would not have gone into such serious crisis that my underlying disease was caught. As it were, my fella's went on their typical Chicago vacation this year. I had thrown up once before they left and put it up to food poisoning. Since raising my metformin I am very sensitive to food allergies and GERD attacks. Turns out once I was in the house alone my food poisoning turned into a day and then three days. By the time it hit a week of constant diarrhea and a possible heart attack I made sure someone got me to the hospital.

It was the first time I've ever seen blood in my urine. That was pretty scary a thing. So once they started filling me with what ended up being 70 Liters of saline iv solution over a 3-day stay they found I was having renal insufficiency due to a serious lower and upper UTI. That would be all fine and dandy but I still was not rebounding. My bloodwork found that I was very seriously high on Ferritin among other things. So once the fluids and antibiotics levelled out the rest of me what was underneath was a surprise. I have Hemochromatosis. most likely type 3- the Transferrin receptor mutation.

I have yet to have my follow ups with specialists but for the time being now I have started the Hemochromatosis diet. I will see my primary care doctor this week and what a anvil to lay on him. Both he and my endocrinologist have been wondering about odd changes in my blood levels recently. I myself was far more terrified by the psychiatric angle. I have at least an identified enemy now.

What was interesting is that I also cleaned out my old medical binder this week. There was a lot of old information that pointed to this same diagnosis. Old blood work with the cardinal raised Hgb, or the symptom clusters which matched diet changes that could have aggravated the symptoms. Heck I even need to rethink my Wheat allergy as it may have just been a reaction to "iron-enriched wheat".

Thus far I've only eaten too much Iron according to the diet once. I did get my usual stomach cramps that I had identified as a wheat and soy problem. It's so strange that all my symptoms and experiences really do fit into this one niche. I'm not sure my head is completely wrapped around that yet.