For reals. I have alpha and beta thalassemia minor. It causes funny bloodwork (namely, it looks like I'm anemic). When I first got my results, doctors wanted me to see an oncologist and cardiologist and do all these tests and procedures. I thought it was odd because my bloodwork had always come back this way, so I researched a bunch of conditions that could cause the numbers I had (because my numbers weren't quite conducive to cancer or heart problems either). Anyway, I realized after making lots of lists and ruling things out that I likely had mild thallassemia, and when I finally got tested, it turned out I did.

No surprise there given my ethnic background (which frankly should have been a dead giveaway, because thalassemias are not uncommon at all), but I saved myself from being put on iron supplementation which is already potentially dangerous for a man, but especially dangerous to someone with thalassemia.