[jfengel]

I didn't realize that. I was briefly thought to have hemochromatosis, and had been "self-treating" via the Red Cross for years.

It turns out I didn't have hemochromatosis. It was merely a bit high, but knowing that I donated so often (both whole blood and platelets, which you can do more often), there was concern that the "self-treatment" was covering up a real problem.

I had not heard at the time that they wouldn't have wanted my blood. It was over a decade ago, and it's possible that the policy didn't exist then.

[dvdgsng]

I have hemochromatosis and here in Germany it's impossible for me to donate blood. It's not actually forbidden, afaik, but no company want's to give 'contaminated' blood to patients, even though it would be perfectly fine.

[jfengel]

Do you do phlebotomy some other way? Do you just draw the blood yourself and discard it?

It amused me very much at the time to think that "bloodletting" might, in fact, be medically prescribed.