Did you tell them, simply, that having HH can lead to heart problems, cancers, diabetes, and death? If that doesn't work- I don't know what will..

How about going this route:
I don't think they necessarily need genetic testing. You can ask them to ask the doc to add ferritin check to the blood tests they do in their yearly physical., every year. If it's elevated- they'll go from there. If not- check again next year.

Thanks Thattoo: I have even taken their other halves aside and explained it all showed the documentation etc.. Still not sinking in. I think it easier to blame all the issues I've had over the years on the usual or past misdiagnosis's . Their favorite is my PTSD. Stress doe's affect the body as well as the mind. They don't even understand that HH has phycological side affects etc. Like PTSD. or ... I keep trying . They are young. I know HH knows no age limits...
thanks again for the great advise. Keep um coming cause I am always open for more ideas.. duane

Hi Duane,

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink!

I talked about this with my father as he clearly has the gene and has two sisters that have children. He was more concerned that I blamed him.

He talked about it with someone as he found out a another relative knew about it and has been having blood taken for years.

I don't know if he talked with his sisters. I did my best! It is not a close family. Families are weird!

Nobody likes bad news!
The more you push the more they will resist. and as humans we are really great at blaming things on things, other people. or our selves.

Maybe they will think about what you have said on there own?

YOUR RIGHT THERE STEPHEN.. I HAVE 3 CHILDREN. TWIN BOYS AND A DAUGHTER WITH A G-SON. IF I UNDERSTAND THE GENETICS THE FATHER PASSES ON THE GENES TO THE DAUGHTER AND VISA VERSA FOR BOYS.. MY MOM HAD IT AND MY SISTER IS A CARRIER, AND I HAVE IT. WISH I COULD GET RID OF IT AT THE FREE CLINIC!!! HA HA
I WONT' QUIT BUT IT MAKES NO SENSE .. WHATS A FATHER TO DO.??

When I asked my family to get tested, they were all scared enough to do it. However, as genetic testing is not good enough (not all mutations are known), I had suggested that they have their ferritin level tested. As of their last physical- all had normal ferritin level. So I don't even know who to blame LOL.

maybe you got something there thattoo.. push the ferritin as apposed to the genetics... I'll see if that works.. I guess it is their life.
Thanks again. Oh yeh I see you said that before. I really have to pay closer attention. sorry. They are young and don't see misery and death as something to worry about till they are old, like that old guy that used to hang around the house all the time.....

Well, I know that I may seem old to young adults, but I am 34- not really THAT old, and still- have this HH thing, which was found by a ferritin check after I complained about being tired all the time with no good reason

I am C282Y/C282Y. I am lucky that my Dad goes to VA, so I asked his doc to test him. His ferritin was 28! I asked my hemotologist to ck my Mom (she had him last yr for chemo tx's). He said she was fine. I guess myparents are just carriers.
My sister died at age 27 from cancer of the colon.(27 yrs ago). My only neice won't get tested for ferritin levels, nor has she had a colonoscopy, tho her Mom died, and Melissa is now 37. None of my Mom's brothers or sisters will get tested, and only my Dad's brother and one of his son's got tested. They are OK, too.
I can't seem to get those horses to drink, either!!! It's frustrating!

I agree, you can't force them.
I was diagnosed two years ago, and to date, no-one has been tested in my family - its a personal choice I suppose.

My brother and sister get tested . . . . . . though it took them a few months. Though brother still hasn't got his results, but doc did say "nothing to worry about" on phone . . .

None of my cousins or aunts & uncles seem interested, despite being high risk (they are all married to people who are either of Scottish or Scandinavian descent!). Sent them all 2 emails 6mths apart with details and spoken to some directly . . . . they all say something like . . . . . "I don't think I've got it" . . . . nor did I several months ago!!!

I emphasized that they may be carriers and can go generations without being affected, then someone marries another carrier and then the kids likely get it! Most have young kids .......

well I've done my bit (though I will tackle them again one day)

YRECADEC
The gene can be inherited by a child of either sex from either parent, i.e. daughter can get it from mum or dad. To get both copies you need to inherit one copy from your father & one from your mother.

Well I guess I am glad I am not the only one with stubbornness running in the family. Here I thought I was unique..
ZZZZ I am looking at my original test results for the genetics test. It says c282y Homozygous. Doe's that mean I only have a single mutation? Oh lucky Me.
Thattoo; you are the same age as my daughter, eeek . I really don't need another thing to worry about. But thats what us Dads do. She will come around I am sure.. She doe's have a Masters Dagree, and that makes you smart, right ?? thanks again folks you really are a help in all this, this , this um, stuff... got to love ya.

Duane, I tried to get my brother to go for tests for nigh on 3 years. He's in London, so has NHS, doesn't even have to pay. Eventually, about 2 months ago he finally went, reluctantly. I had an email saying 'got gene. Iron normals. On warfarin.' And that was it. I asked a dozen times for his ferritin levels etc, but he just didn't reply. So I've given up. I've explained everything in detail, even found him the UK's top specialist. I've told him he needs to get his son (my nephew) tested as well, but I doubt he will. Nothing else I can do - he's 59 and nephew is 27. They're adults. Done my best.
(both my kids, 32 and 21) have been tested and are carriers, btw)

.......not only did my brother test positive for hh but they also found out he has acute leukemia too ,he had no symptoms ,his ferritin was over 8,000 ,now he has to phelb slowly because of his white cell count ,.....whew,glad he had me to warn him of my diagnoses of hh........nobody warned me,I am the first on the family tree ever to be diagnosed .I was calling cousins I had not seem since I was a child to warn them of this silent dis-order .

I was diagnosed in Jan 2008..I have talked my head off to these folks in my family. I finally had to drag my Mom and Sis to the Independent lab that I go to and ask for their Ferritin to be tested. Mom's was right at 300,,Sis's was a little over 400. They have both donated blood 2 or 3 times since then..it's been over a year,,I guess I'll have to drag them back and see what's happening with it now.
I have an Aunt who has all the same symptoms that I always did, I have never been around her much in my life till now, she even has the artificial joints in her thumbs too..it all just screams out to me. I finally talked her into having her Dr test for it, she was excited, he said ok. I waited for a long time to find out, she called ..Doc said no. We all here know how docs are sometimes..now I can't find out what he actually tested. BUT, she now thinks all is fine.
I still know she's got it!

YREKADC..You have 2.

People who have inherited two copies of the same gene such as C282Y/C282Y or H63D/H63D are known as "homozygous" and those who have inherited one copy of a gene are known as "heterozygous"
About 90% of people who have hereditary hemochromatosis have the combination of C282Y/C282Y.

http://www.haemochromatosis.org/genetic-disorder.html