55,000 years ago is difficult to wrap your mind around, but sometime during the Iron Age, the Celtic culture established itself throughout the British Isles. During that time, food was scarce and diets weren’t exactly well-rounded. So the body did what it had to do in order to survive. It started a gene mutation to protect the people of that culture. The diet was not rich in iron at that time, so the body fought to hold onto what little stores of iron it possessed. The war began long before I was ever born, yet once started, it seemed there was no way back. The mutation spread as people began to move and claim land in other parts of the world. The Vikings took it with them to Scandinavia, and much later, England, America and Australia were also blessed.
In my search for knowledge about all things connected to this gene, the earliest website I found years ago that I still use today is the American Hemochromatosis Society. Another particularly good one to reference is called Fighting Celtic Curse. Stephen Cobb’s story and how he has helped raise awareness was inspiring to me at a time when I felt lost as to what could possibly happen to me next. I was diagnosed at a young age…so I was lucky, but there was no one out there like me at the time. The year was 1998 when everything started to come out, and you can read more about my experience by going to the very beginning of my blog.
If you are one of the “cursed”, welcome. There is much you can change in your diet as well to continue to feel better; however, be advised. There is no cure. Bloodletting for life is our treatment and you must keep up with all your own tests. I advise you to start a folder and a running record on the computer. The year, the date, and what exactly is going on. There might come a time when you need to reference it because there is much “brain fog”. I know this also sounds strange, but there can be anemia as well, so if that is present, please reference this page on your diet from the Iron Overload site. It is very important to know that you do not treat anemia with IRON ever with this gene. Here is some information on anemia. The date on that paper is amusing to me because it was years ago and my diet was never addressed in 16 years of phlebotomies, or having pints of my blood taken. So I now fall into the anemic category as well. If you are new to this, please read up and be your best advocate. Happy St. Patirck’s Day to my friends near and far and remember this:
