This has nothing to do with the kids except that their mother is exhausted. And it's boring, so skip it now if you don't care to read about my blood and naps.
Hemochromatosis means iron overload. So, most people know that if you are anemic and have low iron, you suffer fatigue. It seems like it would make sense that high iron = high energy, but that is not the case. High iron also causes fatigue. So, usually, as I go through phlebotomies to lower my iron, I feel better with each one as the iron gets lowered. But, then you reach a point where you have now purposefully put yourself into an anemic state. Bingo.
I started 2009 off with a ferritin level of 186 and an iron saturation of 50%. Normal ferritin range is actually 10-291, so I was still within safe limits. (When I was diagnosed back in the late 90s, I was 1000+ on ferritin. Not so safe, yet still very, very treatable.)
On Sept 16, 2009.... the vampires took a couple vials of blood and we learned that my ferritin has dropped to (drum roll please......) 8! Eight. Single digit. And my percentage of iron saturation has dropped to 4%!
My doctor enjoyed these lab results. Me, not so much.
Holy cow....... I am exhausted. I mean, walking up some stairs completely wears me out. Things like the street fair with the kids does me in. Just walking across the room can be noticeable. I fall asleep on the couch - not just each night while watching TV, but pretty much any time I slow down. Yesterday morning, I must have sat down because 45 minutes later I was jolted awake by Gretchen screaming, "There's a bug!" She is great at spotting palmetto bugs and alerting me. (This was a simple spider incident, fyi.) The day we trucked the pumpkins out onto the beach was insane. I could barely make it back in. Even days when we take the kids swimming wear me out. Last Saturday night, I slept 12 hours!
Myth... diet will really affect my levels. But, maybe I should tempt fate and eat spinach, grits, steak... and drink juice with them. (Do you know that vitamin C speeds the absorption of iron? Drink juice with your iron pills if you take them. If you have hemochromatosis, then "they" recommend you not consume more than 500mg vitamin C daily.)
So, I am down to one phlebotomy every 3 months and I am already looking forward to my iron creeping back upwards!!!
Oh, Jill! I am so sorry to hear about the fatigue! It sounds like you still have a bit of a sense of humor about this... the whole if you can't laugh, you'll cry kind of thing, no doubt?! Big hugs sent your way.
ReplyDeleteOh, dear, sounds exhausting!
ReplyDelete