Thread: Straights: Good for the Blood

I just found out I'm a carrier of the haemochromatosis mutant gene. I've got slightly elevated ferritin levels, but it's unlikely it will develop into the full-blown condition. Blood tests every 6 months for the forseeable future

But I'm not overly worried about that. The thing is, because your blood builds up iron and can't get rid of it, your liver can end up getting cancer. So the treatment for the condition involves "blood letting" on a regular basis. They take like a litre at a time, apparently, for as often as is needed to get your ferritin count down.

My doctor joked with me that medicine hasn't really evolved too much from the old days of leeches. My mind went immediately to the old barber surgeons and straights - for me, at least, the occasional nick with a straight might be beneficial!

James.

James I always realized you were some type of mutant ----hope the condition is easily controllable. I'll give myself a good slice next time I shave in a show of solidarity -let a little blood out for o' Jimbo. (mostly just piss and vinegar anyway)

Stay well buddy.


Justin

I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum - I'm on blood thinners (due to a deep vein thrombosis I picked up 12 years ago when I was regularly flying back and forth to Asia). One little nick, and it bleeds FOREVER!!! I finally found the Proraso Styptic Gel, which seems to work pretty good for those....ahem.....rare... ....occasions when I get a little frisky with the 'Cold Steel'.

It's good that they caught your condition early....at least now, they can treat it and watch it.

-whatever

-Lou

Originally Posted by jaegerhund

James I always realized you were some type of mutant ----hope the condition is easily controllable. I'll give myself a good slice next time I shave in a show of solidarity -let a little blood out for o' Jimbo. (mostly just piss and vinegar anyway)

Stay well buddy.


Justin

Cheers Justin. Actually, that was something else I wondered as the doctor was talking to me - maybe I'll get superpowers a' la spiderman. With all that iron floating around in my blood I may become magnetic: "Magnetman"!

Originally Posted by scarface

...

I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum - I'm on blood thinners (due to a deep vein thrombosis I picked up 12 years ago when I was regularly flying back and forth to Asia). One little nick, and it bleeds FOREVER!!! I finally found the Proraso Styptic Gel, which seems to work pretty good for those....ahem.....rare... ....occasions when I get a little frisky with the 'Cold Steel'.

It's good that they caught your condition early....at least now, they can treat it and watch it.

-whatever

-Lou

Yep, I've already designed an experiment protocol for a repeated measures ferritin study. Just have to work out the sample size and I'm done

That's no good re the DVT Lou. Do the thinners work OK?

Er yeah, that's right. I meant to say on those very, very, rare occasions that I nick myself it will be beneficial for me to leave the styptic in the drawer....

James.

So now every time I nick myself I can excuse it by saying "Just showin'a little solidarity for the brotherhood, Maan!" Kind of got a catchy ring to it, huh?


Seriously though, I hope everything will be fine!


God bless,
Mark

Originally Posted by JMS

So now every time I nick myself I can excuse it by saying "Just showin'a little solidarity for the brotherhood, Maan!" Kind of got a catchy ring to it, huh?


Seriously though, I hope everything will be fine!


God bless,
Mark

LOL! Yep, it's catchy alright. Instead of ribbons and arm bands we can wear facial scars

Thanks Mark - I'm sure it's all fine. There's only a very small probability of developing the full condition.

James.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Cheers Justin. Actually, that was something else I wondered as the doctor was talking to me - maybe I'll get superpowers a' la spiderman. With all that iron floating around in my blood I may become magnetic: "Magnetman"!

Ahem....Magneto is already taken. I'd check with Stan Lee and see what names are available for superheros (or super villians )

I'm sorry to hear about your condition but I'm glad they caught it early.

Originally Posted by steve

Ahem....Magneto is already taken. I'd check with Stan Lee and see what names are available for superheros (or super villians )

I'm sorry to hear about your condition but I'm glad they caught it early.

X might know!

So you don't think "Magnetman" is different enough from "Magneto"? Bugger... "Haemochromatosis-Man" just doesn't have that ring to it.

I know! How about "Iron Man"? No, that one's taken too. "Ferritin-tin"? ...

James.

Hmm... I wonder what my iron levels are... My sister said that hospitals may not accept my blood since my diet seems to carry high concentrations of iron...

BTW, not too long ago leeches were used in surgery. The top of someone's head was torn completely off by some sort of machine. I forget why they had to use leeches to collect the blood... I thought they would just be able to hold a bowl or something under the head while performing the surgery.