I Am A Thalassemia Carrier

Lethargy has been the order of they day for me for as long as I can remember. When I had my first full blood test done in 2004, it showed I had elevated level of serum creatinine and mild anaemia. The serum creatinine of 188 umol/L indicated that I had chronic renal failure. The nephrologists that I consulted linked the anaemia to renal failure. However nothing was conclusive until recently.

Iron supplements have done little to improve the situation. I went to see a haematologist regarding the anaemia in April. I had my blood tested. The results indicated that I may be a thalassemia carrier. A hemoglobin electrophoresis was done to confirm it. The results are out. My blood profile is consistent with alpha thalassemia trait.

According to the Northern California Comprehensive Thalassemia Center, individual(s) with alpha thalassemia trait will experience no significant health problems except a possible slight anaemia which cannot be treated with iron. It also stated that thalassemia trait is common in people of Southeast Asian ancestry including Malaysians and Chinese. This is like striking first prize in the lottery together with the jackpot. What remarkable odds!