The Lodged Lead Shot or Bullet Support Group aims to support people who seek information and advice on the life-long management and monitoring of lead bullets or shot which have become lodged in the body, in order to ensure that the lodged lead is not causing lead poisoning. The support group is open to any person with an interest (personal or professional) in the issue. The key data on which medical management decisions are usually made, are regular blood lead results (throughout life following being shot) in conjunction with observation of any obvious lead poisonong symptoms. For a list of symptoms of lead poisoning, see "The Health Impacts of Lead Poisoning" at http://www.lead.org.au/fs/fst7.html and also see "Blood lead testing: who to test, when, and how to respond to the result" at http://www.lead.org.au/fs/Blood_lead_testing_20090810.pdf ; "Dangers of a blood lead level above 2 ug/dL [micrograms per decilitre] and below 10 ug/dL to children [FACT SHEET]" at http://www.lead.org.au/fs/fst67.html; and "Dangers of a blood lead level above 2 ug/dL and below 10 ug/dL to adults [FACTSHEET]" at http://www.lead.org.au/fs/fst68.html
Be sure to keep a record of each blood lead test result - ask the doctor to give you a copy of the pathology report, so that you can notice if the blood lead level starts to rise, even if you have changed doctors in the meantime. As long as your blood lead level remains below 2 micrograms per decilitre, then you only need an annual blood lead test. If the result is higher than that, use nutritional intervention as laid out in "Nutrition to Fight Lead Poisoning" - research article in "Food, Nutrition and Lead Absorption" LEAD Action News vol 10 no 2, at http://www.lead.org.au/lanv10n2/LEAD_Action_News_vol_10_no_2.pdf