“Did your mom come with you?” asked my family doctor as he stepped into the office. I nodded. “Go get her” he told me. My family got lots of test results from our family doc: everything from my lactose intolerance to my mother’s pregnancy (all those years ago) – he had was always the one giving us the news. This was the first time he asked me to call in someone else into the room….
Full medical disclosure and my reaction after the jump…
After I got my mother into the room, she was already prematurely shaking nervously, my doctor looked at my chart and chuckled a bit. “Your an interesting guy Shawn… I’ve never seen this before”. He paused for a second as if trying to figure out how to explain it to me – as if he was trying to find a way to explain it to himself first. After a moment’s pause, he just tossed the chart to me and started pointing at some numbers.
As he explained it, the human body has a normal level of iron within the blood. If it’s under 120 – you’re anemic. If it’s above that (but under 300) you’re either in the normal or in the excessive range. The doctor pointed to the top of the chart (as high as the scale went) “300 is considered excessive” he explained. He then looked at me and said “Your level is 812″.
I’ve actually know this news for months now. But I held off releasing this information to all but my closest friends because I didn’t want to sound alarmist (many of whom have dubbed me “iron man” now). How did this happen? The fact that my iron levels seem to be lowering considerably since returning home from Bangladesh suggests that it is most likely caused by the food and water (most likely water) that I drank in Bangladesh as opposed to any medical condition that I have inherited.
It seemed surreal to me: I had taken every precaution I could in Bangladesh – buying bottled water when possible to using LifeStraw to filter water when it wasn’t. But unfortunately, metals like arsenic and iron are one of those things you can’t get rid of from water without expensive distillation – the kind you can’t get in Bangladesh. Even boiling the water – which kills bacteria – actually just concentrates metal content.
So what does this mean for my health? For starters, according to the specialist I saw (and seen in one of my previous videos), I have abnormal liver function test results from this iron poisoning. If I can’t keep the levels down – something which will be tough to do if I return to Bangladesh – I can be at risk of organ failure in the liver, kidneys, or heart.
This has also got me thinking. I had the luxury of modern Western medical technology to learn about this problem. What about the countless people in Bangladesh drinking the same metal heavy water? This has got me thinking. Remember the story of the young widow who I helped in Tangail district? I thought it odd her young husband would die of organ failure at such a young age. And, whenever I visited that area, I would always complain about how the water there (I would often drink from tube wells there) tasted like licking a rusty pipe. Maybe what doctors over there calling appendicitis or heart disease is actually due to the water?
As the personal, medical, and financial cost of this project continues to rise, I feel even more compelled to keep on doing this. Afterall, the people I’m trying to help don’t have the luxury of flying away on a jetplane…
Your dedication is amazing, Shawn. Thank you for pressing forward with your work! Is it OK if I pray for your iron poisoning?
I can use all the luck I can get – so by all means feel free to pray
You're so inspiring! Most people would say they were never going back to the place they got poisoned…but all you thought about was helping those poor people still there. Thank you for being so awesome! The world needs more people like you.
Hey Karaline! That's very kind of you to say. But I think a lot of people would probably do the same if they spent some time seeing the kind of things I've seen. If I can quote Barack Obama, WE are the people we have been waiting for. The world needs people like US (that includes you, me, and anyone who cares about the issue of global poverty)
Hope that gets back to normal soon.
Is it that those tube wells need to be replaced? (which I'm guessing is likely…even if it isn't the source) Or is it localised pollution effecting the ground water?
It's not due to rusty tubes. The metal (be it iron or arsenic) exists in the ground water unfortunately…
I hope you get well soon buddy. I remember seeing a video in youtube that talked tube wells were placed to help people have access to clean water. Then those same tube well become rusty and were causing Arsenic poisoning to those same people. How ironic isn't? Even with bottle water, they are not really regulated by the Govt/EPA to make sure that, they are clean or up to standard. My guess is those water are just as contaminated as tap water in Bangladesh (heck, maybe that's their sources). I remember seeing another video where poor street kids were collecting empty bottles and putting tap water inside them and took them to some plants to have the caps placed in and looks like it hasn't been tempered with and selling them. Just because, the water is wrapped in some shiny bottles, they are just as bad if not worse. There is actually a water brand called "MUM" that stores water and redistributes out of my Grandfather's garage in Dhaka. I think I will ask them where does the water really come from, when I go back to Bangladesh in 3 weeks for you
..
Wow, Shawn. I am in awe of your unbelievable dedication. I hope that you get better soon and that you can continue the project.
I really want to help you out and make donations and also start a charity fund for this please. I am in key club at my highschool. Its a club for helping people that are in need and i would like you to tell me all the details of your project and how we can
help or how we can donate to this. You are such an inspiration for me you are now my new romodel God Bless you on you journey.
After seeing this video i know what i want to do when i get into college. I want to become a doctor and help people out in Bangladash for free. While im in college i will study there language thank you sooo much for being my inspiration. Please email me or comment me back: My email is moya_moya_1215@yahoo.com.
As i said i want to do anthing to help raise money, donate things, or even go out there to help you=]
Hey Stephanie
I can use all the help I can get to grow this project. But I have to mention that I'm not a formal charity – I'm just a guy. Your school may prefer to donate to a registered charity instead.
But even more important than donations is helping to build momentum for this project. If you can get your friends to start watching my videos on YouTube, getting them to subscribe, and sharing it with others – that helps this project build momentum
You are indomitable – you deserve to be known as iron man!
I know this project is very important to you and I admire your commitment, but be sure to take care of yourself and don't do anything too risky. As someone who has had an organ fail… it can be sudden and surprising (I was about to fly to China in my case).
Is there anyway to test iron levels in yourself or the water you drink while in Bangladesh? What about boiling water like in your recent post? Will the iron rise as well?
I knew I should had paid attention in chemistry…..
Best of luck!
Hey Ken! I can do blood tests here and in Bangladesh to monitor my iron levels. But finding water with low iron maybe tricky. You see boiling water kills off the germs – but actually concentrates dissolved metals. So I'd be concentrating the water and making it worse! haha.
This is very important to me and – as long as there is an ounce of financial ability – I don't want to stop doing this…
You are really incredible. I wish more people would be able to do what you do, including me. I am so sorry for the people who are facing this problems not because of misinformation, but because they have no alternative. I really like your blog, I will start reading more posts now. Thank you for opening my eyes.