Anemia

[zanana1]

One day last week, I woke up, got out of bed and fell down. I was so weak it took me about ten minutes to get to my kitchen. Of course, I thought I had Covid. I got a little stronger but I had a terrible week. I wound up in the hospital Cardiac ward (I have heart disease). But when my bloods were taken, it showed that I had severe anemia. I never thought anemia could get this bad! Anyway, I'm back home now and I'm so bored I think I'm gonna die. Let me explain that food is my life (particularly junk food). I'm 68 and quarantined and I was dealing with it by drinking alot of coffee and eating alot of UTZ Russet potato chips. I can't have coffee or potato chips anymore and I don't think I'm gonna make it. I know that alot of you are dealing with much worse things, and I apoligize for ranting about these things, but they're my life.
Does anyone else here have experience with anemia?

[Kali]

1. had a bout of it 10 years ago

extremely heavy menses, got really tired, weak, and breathless, could hardly walk anywhere. finally went to doctor (no ins at the time) and determined that was it. had a uterine ablation (hit menopause almost at the same time so periods would have stopped anyway, oh well...) had to take iron (despite being eating plenty of red meat) for a few months and came out of it pretty fast. there are many causes, so do get it figured out. sometimes an ulcer is the culprit and of course there are different kinds of anemia as well.

[marybourg]

2. What kind of anemia is it?

[tblue37]

3. I have pernicious anemia (a B12 deficiency). It can leave me lethargic and even

confused if I don't get regular B12 shots. It also causes pinpoint holes in my memory without the shots, as well as hand & foot neoropathy.

Thanks to covid, I am way overdue for my shot.

[No Vested Interest]

9. Get your shot. Dr.s offices are very safe. Usually they don't allow people sitting around

in the waiting room.
If you have concerns re Covid in Dr.s office, ask the staff how they are handling the safety aspect, and let them know you need to feel safe and comfortable re visiting.
I feel sure they'll accommodate you.
Good luck.

[auntAgonist]

11. I give myself B12 shots. Never have to see the Dr for them. I hope you can too.

[agingdem]

4. my granddaughter is anemic...she is forever on iron supplements...

her iron level was so low she was hospitalized and required blood transfusions...it took her 6 weeks to recover...are you on iron supplements?

[cyclonefence]

5. Anemia fatigue is really devastating

Not to be an alarmist, but have you had a scan of your kidneys? I had kidney cancer, and profound, debilitating anemia was the only symptom. I know folks in kidney failure and those on dialysis often fall victim to anemia, too, and if I were you I'd request a scan. Chances are you are fine and just need to lay off the Utz (impossible for me!) and eat better, but just to check all possibilities I'd want my kidneys checked if I were you.

My cancer was treated with robotic surgery and while I was wiped out for a good six months, there was no pain or nausea or any really bad effects. And I've been cancer-free for six years now. So if it happens that you do have kidney cancer, you'll be fine.

[luvs2sing]

6. I took iron supplements for a good fifteen years..

during the world’s longest perimenopause.

Is your anemia caused by low blood iron or low hemoglobins? Low blood iron can be supplemented. Low hemoglobins are cause for serious concern, especially if blood iron is normal. Hubster has non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and that was his first symptom and sign something was terribly wrong.

BTW, back when I could drink coffee, coffee and potato chips were my favorite breakfast.

[Patterson]

7. I would see a hematologist.

[BigmanPigman]

8. Yes, I almost died too.

When I was teaching 1st grade I was sick all the time. One year I had a low grade fever and was feeling ill but my school had too many out sick and wouldn't pay for substitutes so I had to keep going (same thing happened when I had mono for 6 months....weighed 83 lbs). This happened about 6 months after recovering from anemia. I had to sit during recess duty...too weak to stand. My skin was turning grey too. I went to my doctor who said I had walking pneumonia and gave me a 2 day doctor's note. I got worse, had my dad take me to the doctor's for a new note (too weak to stand up or eat). He took me to the wrong place (the hospital by mistake). When he went inside to call my doctor to say we'd be late I got out of the car and collapsed. I was then in emergency, threw up bright green bile, was freezing cold and waited 6 hours for them to make me blood (turned out I needed three transfusions of packed red blood cells). My hemoglobin was 5 (it is supposed to be about 15 for women). Turns out the pneumonia morphed into severe anemia and my white blood cells thought the red ones were bad and ate them up. They gave me new, baby red blood cells and they didn't get eaten anymore. They also gave me 20 lbs of IV fluids within 24 hours (this made my skin as tight as a drum and hurt like Hell). There was so much added water in my body that I was swollen like a stuffed sausage and couldn't wear flip flops or shoes for 2 weeks. I was able to stay home and recover and the school finally paid for a substitute. Cheap bastards! I was too weak to eat much for a while. Food was not an issue with this illness. My mom kept saying this was due to not eating red meat. When the doctor said that was BS I made him tell my mother so she would believe him, she never believes me. It was due to complications of a certain type of pneumonia.

[zanana1]

10. I don't feel alone anymore.

Thanks to your replies, I realize that many people have had serious problems with anemia. My anemia is the iron poor kind. I also have had pernicious anemia for 30 years. I've started taking iron pills, staying on the torture diet and weighing myself every morning. I understand that it may take months to recover.

[auntAgonist]

12. zanana1. It's no fun being anemic and I know what you're going through.

I've had blood issues most of my life. Chronic anemia can settle for a bit and then wham it's hitting again.
I see a hematologist who is wonderful. Every couple of months she orders iron infusions for me (when my numbers dip too low) and I get a round of 5 infusions it helps a lot.
I can always tell when iron is low. Dizziness, fainting, nausea etc ....

Please, if you don't see one, find a hematologist and ask about IV Iron infusions. I get Venofer.

[zanana1]

13. Thanks for the info.

When I was in the hospital,I had a hospitalist for a doctor. He didn't tell me much.

[Patterson]

14. Do you remember your hemoglobin number?