[Big Bruin]

Hi - New guy here!

I was treated for severe Aplastic Anemia at the NIH in Feb. 2007... Rabbit ATG, followed by 6 months of fairly heavy Cyclosporine. Countless platelet transfusions, and perhaps 30-50 bags of red blood over that period.

No transfusions of any kind since August 2007.

In early 2009, they decided I was healthy enough to start stripping out the excess iron with phlebotomies, and I did one every other month.

I started out with a ferritin level near 2800, and it came down with each of the first 5 phlebotomies... Something like 2400, 1800, 1100, 900, 700...

A few weeks after the 6th phlebotomy we checked the level and it was back up to 1189. Checked again three weeks later and it was the same.

Seems odd to have a spike like that... and not enough time has passed to have a sense if this is an upward trend, or just some fluke.

Anyway - they are now doing Hemachromatosis / HFE gene testing. ANyne ever get diagnosed with Hemachromatosis after transfusions? Would it suggest I may have had it or was susceptible to it previously?

Doesn't change much no matter what the results are... I am back on the phlebotomies in a few weeks, btu I was just curious if anyone else has something like this.

Thanks!