Is Robert Jaworski afflicted with a mysterious disease? Not really.
According to Dr. Edwin Bien, a well-known integrated medicine practitioner, the retired basketball icon could be suffering from high ferritin disorder.
Bien based his observation on the statement of Jaworki’s son, Dodot Jr., who said his father’s “iron level is high, but at same time anemic siya.”
“We’ve been trying to look for doctors here and abroad, but none of them can understand kung ano ‘yung nangyayari sa kanya,” Dodot told Anthony Taberna in a recent interview on his Youtube channel.
Bien said high ferritin disorder is normally caused by too much alcohol intake, but since Jaworski is not known to be an alcohol drinker, other causes may also be considered
“Ang mahirap niyan if the cause is due to other conditions like genetics, leukemia, lymphoma or thyroid disorder,” said Bien.
The doctor said he needs to check on the CT scan result so he can make further comments.
Mayo Clinic describes ferritin as “a blood protein that contains iron.”
“A ferritin test helps your doctor understand how much iron your body stores. If a ferritin test reveals that your blood ferritin level is lower than normal, it indicates your body’s iron stores are low and you have iron deficiency. As a result, you could be anemic,” said its website.
Dodot clarified though the 75-year-old former player-coach, who popularized the never-say-die mantra in the PBA is doing fine, but has not recovered his usual strength.
A check on the internet site medicalnewstoday.com also showed “secondary hemochromatosis”, a form of blood disorder, where a patient suffers “from some kinds of anemia, such as thalassemia, or chronic liver disease.”
The website further stated that people with iron overload disorder may experience tiredness or fatigue, weakness, weight loss, abdominal pain, high blood sugar levels or hyperpigmentation, or the skin turning into a bronze color.