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Any advice on how to persuade doctor to test my elderly mother for HH gene, please?

Posted , 2 users are following.

haircrazydaisy
haircrazydaisy

Hello,

My brother, sister and myself all carry 2 HH genes - brother has different combination (2×C282Y). Looking back, our father clearly was affected by the disease and passed away many years ago.

Our mother has had rheumatoid problems since she was very young. Her bones were described as "like lace" when she was in her 60s. She has undergone hip & knee replacements & her spine is curved. She frequently falls & breaks bones. She has always weighed too little to donate blood & is now, also, too old. However, she has had lots of operations & after each one she has seemed much improved, perhaps because of the blood loss.

I feel that the doctor should allow mum the gene test - he says she's essentially too old to warrant it. However, seeing how much better she is after losing blood in operations, I feel that a diagnosis may be a way of her being allowed occasional venessections.

Should I say that we would be happy to pay for the gene test?

We are in the UK.

Many thanks.

1 like, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • chorleyboy
    chorleyboy haircrazydaisy

    Posted

    Hi, I would definately ask for a test to be done to ascertain whether she is affected by haemochromatosis especilly as you have said she is much better after losing blood.   After all, it would be useful to know this, because women should have ferrritin level around 35 and men aroound 50 and if nothing else, it would be good to know what her ferritin level stands at.and if it comes back too high, then venesections can be done to reduce her level.        If it were me, I would not take no for an answer, stick to your request and see it through, kind regards Elizabeth
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