Haemochromatosis is an inherited condition that means too much iron is absorbed from food, which overloads body tissues, damages organs and can cause premature death.
Symptoms are general and Judi’s included aching joints and chronic tiredness.
The condition is more prevalent in families of Celtic origin and it was her family history — which includes two First Fleet convicts who helped settle Norfolk Island — that alerted Judi to her haemochromatosis.
Displayed prominently inside the book A nation within a nation by Peter McKay was a note to readers.
It read: ‘‘If you are related to these people you are twice as likely to have haemochromatosis.’’
Shortly after reading these words, Judi was tested and diagnosed with the condition then treated using the simple process of blood donation — known as venesection — to reduce her iron levels.
She felt as if she could conquer the world and was thrilled to be free of recurring and unexplained pain.
Since being diagnosed in 2006, Judi has settled into a four-monthly venesection routine to manage iron levels and often notices aching elbows and feeling uncomfortable before donating blood.
These symptoms are immediately relieved after the venesection.
‘‘If my daughters hadn’t given me that book alerting us that haemochromatosis runs in our family, I believe I would now be either very sick or dead,’’ Judi said.
Haemochromatosis is often under-diagnosed because people don’t know about it and symptoms are general.
That is why Haemochromatosis Australia is running a social media campaign to raise awareness about the condition, which is easy to test for, simple to treat, but tragic to ignore.
Judi is an advocate for Haemochromatosis Australia, providing community talks and telling her story about how having English, Irish, Scottish ancestors mean you are more likely to have the condition.
Haemochromatosis is the most common genetic disorder in Australia and affects one in 200 Australians.
One in seven Australians carry the gene, and you need to inherit the gene from both your parents to have the condition.
Haemochromatosis Australia president Dianne Prince urged young people to ask their doctor for a blood test and be aware that having Celtic or Northern European ancestors predisposed you to the condition, which was equally likely in both sexes.
‘‘There are people with the condition who, in hindsight, should have been diagnosed decades earlier,’’ Dr Prince said.
‘‘This would have reduced the suffering, medical cost and even loss of life that results from iron overload.
‘‘This has been confirmed by recent UK research that showed undiagnosed haemochromatosis quadruples the risk of liver disease, doubles risk of arthritis and causes higher risk of diabetes and chronic pain.’’
●To find out more, visit www.ha.org.au or view the awareness campaign videos at www.youtube.com/user/HaemochromatosisAust.
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