Was reading on thalessemia, trying to figure out all these horrible symptoms I've been suffering with..scared to discuss with doctors cuz they look at me as tho i am dumb or out of my mind if i ask whether or not its possibly connected to the trait...so i came across this site, and felt warmed to the soul when i found so many others are going thru the same things as I am, I AM NOT NUTS!!! ITS NOT IN MY HEAD! ITS REAL! FINALLY SOMEONE KNOWS WHAT I AM SAYING! When i was 6 I was first misdiagnosed as having leukemia, then a specialist found it was thal b trait/cooleys trait.......I have always been very tired, short of breath easily, achy muscles and joints, feeling dizzy, vertigo, sluggish, cloudy minded, headaches, etc..... now that i am older it is so bad, especially since an accident in 2001, I cannot work anymore, the pain is unreal, my hips feel like they are coming apart, my back, my knees, my feet, my shoulders, etc....I know i sustained spinal injuries, but now they say i have arthritis as well...my thyroid levels go up and down, never one way or the other, my vit d levels are very low, but when put on vit d supplements, i had a very bad reaction, my joints actually locked up and i could not move, the pain was so excruciating, had there been a gun around i would certainly have shot myself because the pain was just that severe, i had a metallic taste in my mouth and became severely constipated with spasmic stomach pains that had me bent over...getting up was a job in itself...I am always exhausted. Will write more and check in with everyone , just happy to have found a place that others also go thru similar things.