A few years ago I had some blood tests and my doctor said I was anemic. So I started taking an iron supplement and continued diligently until the bottle ran out.
About a year ago I had more blood tests and my doctor said I was still anemic. So I bought another bottle of iron supplements and took those. I might even have bought a replacement bottle, and took those as well, though I can’t really remember.
A few months ago I got a new doctor who looked at my labs and told me I should definitely be taking an iron supplement. Was I? No… but I bought another bottle and kind of sort of took those for about two months, when the bottle ran out. I did buy a second bottle, but for some reason it never got opened.
Two weeks ago I had another blood test and I got a very worried message on my voicemail saying I was severely anemic, and needed to take massive doses of iron IMMEDIATELY. I emailed her back, confessing that I had been “lax” about taking my iron, sorry, and that I would start taking the pills right away. I opened the bottle and have diligently taken an iron pill every day since a week ago Thursday.
Yesterday I had an appointment with said doctor where she explained that my iron levels were so low that one treatment would be a BLOOD TRANSFUSION.
Oh.
___________________
I’m writing this here for several reasons.
- If you are experiencing “Helium-Head” or have a strange aversion to doing anything other than the bare minimum, get your iron checked.
- If your doctor says you need to take iron pills, take them.
- If your husband says you need to take iron pills, take them.
- If your friends say you need to take iron pills, take them.
- If you have been wondering what is going on with me lately (lack of posts, concentration, follow-through, etc.), now you know.
- Though Steve says I can’t blame my behavior lately solely on my iron deficiency, I don’t believe him one tiny bit. In about two weeks, after the increased iron dosage is working in my system:
• I will be able to walk up a flight of stairs without getting out of breath.
• I will be able to do the dishes.
• I will be able to fold laundry and go to the grocery store.
• I will be able to change the litter box.
• I will be Superwoman.
See you in two weeks!
carlasonheim.wordpress.com 
good grief Carla! I’m glad to hear that you’re taking the pills and are on the mend.
wow-i think i would take those pills! much better than transfusion-
get better soon!
If I had know this I would have nagged you. Next time I will. Thank goodness you are finally cooperating Carla!
I’m a terrible patient.
Thank you about being so honest re taking/forgetting to take the supplements. This is exactly what I do and I am sure others do too. Hopefully we will all take notice and begin to look after ourselves again. Take good good care and look forward to feeling better and having a much easier life when doing things won’t feel like climbing a mountain.
I had a very similar experience with thyroid disorder, specifically hypothyroidism. I couldn’t make dinner or do normal things. I wondered how other people got so much done. I cried a lot. When I found out I needed thyroid replacement hormone, my life changed 200%. I heart doctors. Glad you have gotten your wake up call! Kelli Perkins
Oh Carla, Sorry to hear about the iron bit. Well, at least you have a physiological excuse for your lack of [fill in the blank]. Maybe I’m iron deficient but I fear — yea I believe– the deficiency lay elsewhere. Pump that iron.
I think that’s why some kids eat red dirt! Ha ha! There’s iron in that soil!
http://www.healthcastle.com/iron.shtml
But, don’t step on rusty nails, or nails in any form. They hurt badly. Carla, you could do an entire art project about old “ironsides”! Or, in your case, “young no-iron insides”.
Be of good cheer!
Sorry to hear that, Carla, but don’t be in too much of a hurry to get back to all those chores!
Gadzooks … such a simple remedy, you’re blessed! Don’t forget to look at your diet too and start eating foods high in iron! You’re going to be brand new. An Iron Woman theme coming up?
They need to find out why you are anemic. There are different types of anemia and different causes. Just taking iron pills may not help. Some people lose blood for other than normal reasons, so that is important to know. Glad you are feeling better.
Look into foods rich in iron.
Lynda, thank you. My husband and I just had the very same conversation….
Dear Carla, so sorry about the anemia! We absent-minded people have to trick ourselves into being consistent with things like pills. I just keep my morning supplements & prescription right beside the place I sit to each breakfast. If they were put away in a cupboard I would forget half the time.
Be sure to keep up with frequent monitoring so you know whether the medication is helping! You may need more drastic measures–but I hope not.
Hugs & prayers.
Hmmm . . . This sounds way too familiar. . . . I’d better start back up on taking my iron pills.
Hope your mending is quick!
As much as I hate to take medication, I am a convert when it comes to iron, b vitamins and vitamin d. I had the same story as you, but with d vitamins. Now, I don’t miss a day. Hope you “blossom” soon. Hugs.
why are you severely anemic? that’s the dilemma you’re doctors should be addressing imho.
Glad you are being a good and cooperative girl! Sounds like you need iron but beware also of iron overload – that has it’s own set of problems.
Hope you are feeling better soon Carla! I agree with other posts about getting to the bottom of why such low iron, however, I too am in the same low iron boat, and there is no real explanation, I just am. I was told that I was so low it would be dangerous for me to get pregnant (not that that is going to happy….I am sadly single!) I also starting taking pills, then stopped, then started etc. The irony is that just the other day my car-pool buddy and I were talking about this (she takes iron also) and I said that I really needed to go back to the doc and get new blood work done, and maybe try a different brand of iron. Your post has reminded me/encouraged me to call and make the doctor’s appointment! Take care of yourself! I find that lots of snuggles with kitty cats help…. now where is my tabi………
Yes, my dear; you will be Superwoman if you remember to take iron after you have had your iron transfusion. Know that they do not make you okey for ever. Once you need it; you will most likely always need it. Only two transfusions so far….. I think I had better start up with the iron again.
Congrats on taking care of yourself – and telling others. The transfusion is not bad; just takes a while. You will really feel wonderful. Peace and take care.
How dare you ignore this problem. At one time, for some reason, I was bleeding internally. Talk ” Helium Head”. I was young, no kids yet. I would get up feeling euphoric. Walk to the kitchen and lay in the floor.
They gave me prescription vitamins. I had to the prescription vitamins for over a year. I have continued my vitamin B12 intake, Doctors approval.
Make a vitamin intake calendar. And mark it everyday. My Blood Pressure is kept in iphone. No, they never identified my bleeding or why.
Hugs XOXO
Sherrie Roberts
long, long health story brings me to the point of which i will share with you now. i am local to seattle in gig harbor. local company here makes great vitamins that my womens clinic advised me to take an iron supplement from. i hate iron. i have had many adverse reactions to different supplements. i eat lots of green, leafy things and meat from an organic butcher locally too. soooo…METAGENICS. That’s the brand. It’s good and no adverse effects except it is the worst tasting vitamin which is why I hate that it works so well.
You are not alone. I filled out this health survey and it kind dawned on me that if I just ate better I would feel amazing and avoid taking $200 worth of supplements to fix me. I did it and I was right and I feel off the wagon but I got right back on. My roommate in college was anemic so I made her a note that was right next to the door that said take your pill and she did and we didn’t have to worry about it again. At least you kept going to the doctor and following up, it counts. Draw yourself getting back on the horse.
And I thought I was a terrible patient! Carla! Im so glad you are taking the iron tabs and will feel better soon.
Take better care next time – please!
– take time to relax
– be gentle for yourself
– listen to wath your body need
Wish you all the best and I thank you for your newsletters I received.
Aimé
(Bruges-Belgium)
WOW!!! Carla.. that is SCARY… we want you around for a Long Long TIME.. TAKE YOUR IRON!!! Wait til I tell Marylin, she is the pure essence of being motherly.. she will be giving you the what for when she sees you at Artfest… LOL
But on a more serious note…. I am having a similar experience.. I stopped taking all vitamins back in early January because of a surgery… did not resume taking vitamins after the surgery and have been SO TIRED, completely worn out for months now… A week ago (seriously) decided I needed to go back to taking vitamins because it couldn’t hurt…maybe it would help with feeling run down and exhausted… IN ONE WEEK.. I feel A THOUSAND TIMES BETTER!!! Have been sleeping better, have accomplished more in this last week than in the last two months.
Hi Carla, sorry to hear that.
Reading your story reminds me that I wanted to see a doctor to find out why I’m sooo tired all the time.
I’ll add my two cents here, I strongly recommend taking nettles in tincture or herbal tea. It has a very strong iron content, it is very easy for the body to assimilate (much easier than pills) and doesn’t have any negative side-effects on the digestive system like the pills can. Plus it helps with stress on top of everything and is just a great plant that everyone should take really. I guess I should start taking it again myself !
Good luck !
Hi Carla, I have been following your art for awhile–I found you through Jane LaFazio. I love-love-love your “art of silliness” series!! Anyway, I wanted to comment on your anemia posting–my mom was anemic for years, then her bone density levels showed osteoporosis, then finally was diagnosed as a Celiac. After eating a pure diet for about 6 years, she is no longer anemica and her bone density is normal. Her DRs said that because of the Celiac condition, she was not absorbing nutrients. Your post reminded me so much of her initial health issues so I just wanted to post and encourage and wish you well in your health journey.
oh, goodness! Take those pills! My doctor often thought I was anemic because I’m SO pale, and truthfully, I think I probably am a little bit. I think my prenatal vitamins that I took during my pregnancy really helped. Maybe I should start back up on those!… 🙂
Feel better!
Dear Carla,
Speeking as an internist : I hope that your doctor knows what is the origin of your anemia… and that he checked your stool for blood.
Speaking as someone who took iron supplements too : Oh my gosh! It got me so constipated! 🙂
Thank you everyone for the words of encouragement and even the tiny bit of scolding — I deserve it.
I just wanted to say I made an appointment to further explore the situation… will be sure to take all these suggestions to the new doctor… Thanks all!
so sorry to hear this carla.
your post DID work in that I’m going to order more iron and vitamins, ran out of both a couple weeks ago and haven’t replaced them because i’m trying to save money (?!!)
Before this though, I was religious about taking my iron and i have to take a huge amount -200 mg of elemental iron every day. For me, it’s because of thyroid disease, if you have Hashimoto’s disease , take hormone and still feel hypo, more than likely you are anemic. i can pretty much expect to take it for the rest of my life along with other vitamins and minerals my body doesn’t absorb well. it’s an absorption issue with me.
i hope you get to the bottom of it.
My sister did the same thing. The doctor told her that the only reason she didn’t give her a transfusion was because she was “functioning”! Not living – functioning. She also told her that if she had been in a car accident it was very possible that she would not have survived due to her low blood count. She took the iron. Lucky for her. A year later her appendix ruptured and after 5 days of walking around with it (also a very bad idea) she had emergency surgery. A low blood count and that would have killed her. Take the pills
Carla, I have had similar problems perhaps for different reasons. You’re not interested in my medical history however beware what you purchase off the shelf. My Dr. prescribed the Iron from the pharmacy and also told me to take prenatal vitamins. I.m 68….isn’t that a hoot. my Iron level is taken every 3 months. This has been a concern for many years not just my senior years.
Take care of yourself NOW……it will pay of in years to come. Remember you have grand children to nurture and all of us yearling artists who follow and depend on you. God had plans……..Mary Ann
Floradix liquid iron (formulated both with and without glutens) is quite a pleasant liquid I give to my daughter. Her low iron is due to beta thalassemia-trait which is supposed to be heredity-related (in lots of people with Mediterranean lineage I understand).
The nettles tea suggestion sounds like a good one, also for more pleasant way to get some iron besides in foods/vitamins.
Wishing you strength and wisdom for healing, soon!
Wishing you healing and wellness. You could pretend the pills are silliness but will fill your soul, body and heart with joy, health and delight as your art does for me.
Wow, Carla. Thank you for posting that. I’m supposed to be taking iron pills, too, and I keep “forgetting”. I didn’t know it could get so serious. Praying for your wellness. 🙂
Hi, Carla, I had no idea about this! Take good care of you and I hope your doctor finds out where that anemia comes. I’ve allways been also a little anemic, now after reading you, I think I will have to let my blood checked, which I don’t do since years ago. If you like seafood, I recommend you to eat cockles, they are one of the highest sources of iron and I love to cook them so: clean in cold water with two spoons of salt, for 15 minutes. Wash. Put some olive oil in a pan, fry some garlic finely chopped and when it’s still goldenwhite, throw the cockles into it and cover. Moove a little to help them open. Then eat (only the open, not the closed, these go to rubish, important!).
Delicious! And ironicous! Big hug!
Almu
SO glad you’re doing what you should!!!! Is it okay if we call you a cement-head?! Lol
I, too, can get lax about taking the supplements… it’s too easy to forget!
Can’t wait for you to get back to your silly self. ❤
hi Carla
god! im glad youre ok now, or are on the way back to being well at least! thats a bit of a freakout, blood transfusion is pretty radical…. man, who’s been doing the dishes til now?
i guess with no man around….:( but with no one else to take out the compost, carry the shopping in, the washing, etc etc, it means I”ve stayed healthier then in that case. Does that mean its better to throw the men out and look after ourselves? 🙂
I”m very glad youre ok tho – you look so sunny and gorgeous and healthy in your photo I would never have thought you werent, but thank god someone was lookin out for you! We need our beautiful teachers, you matter to us, thats for sure! keep on getting stronger, we’re all cheering you on.
Love your blog!
I know this is silly, but – Is your iron ok now?
good blog 🙂 more info on anemia if required http://www.whatisanemia.info/