Iron infusion take one.
How has this become my life in the matter of a two weeks?
Ran 4 miles tonight though. Two of the 4 were sub 10 min miles! I think 9:45 or so. Personal best!
So I haven’t done anymore 5 mile runs (yet!), just 3-3.5 miles at a time. After those 5 miles I felt like a champ but my hip flexors felt like death the entire night and next day.
I am feeling pretty good besides the iron supplements making my head and stomach hurt. I am super afraid of seeing the hematologist on Wednesday because I don’t want to find out anything bad. I am also afraid of not keeping my levels up..I keep getting tired and cold and it scares the crap out of me. I just have to remember that I am still quite anemic, just not as bad as before.
My weight has kind of flip flopped since being in the hospital. I am still pretty consistently under my 125lb mini goal. I just think I need to focus on health rather than losing those last 5.
(Source: healthyfoodhealthyfoods)
So today it REALLY hit me how sick and iron deficient I WAS! I got the blood transfusion Tuesday night, got released from the hospital yesterday afternoon and took it easy all night. I decided to take an extra day off work and make sure I felt okay. I woke up pretty tired so I was afraid that maybe my symptoms were more than just anemia. Then I decided to just do an easy run, maybe a mile over to a friends house.
Then something weird happened. I didn’t get short of breath or insane leg cramps at the quarter mile mark like I usually do (I’m really embarrassed of this and the need to take frequent breaks even sometimes when it’s only a mile). I just felt like I could breathe normally and just run. So I ran, and ran, and ran. I wasn’t super tired so I just keep telling myself that my body will let me know when I am. Well FIVE miles later I decided to take a break. I was nearly in tears when I called my best derby friend and teammate. She knows how hard I work and although I’ve lost weight I was always really discouraged that my endurance running and at derby had not really improved. I get exhausted doing drills, fall off the pace line at practice, and get super tired in the second half at my bouts.
I can’t believe I didn’t see how sick I was before I got better. I told myself I just needed to keep at it and maybe I am just not an athlete or a runner. How did I miss the fact that after four months a mile was still killing me? I’d come back so out of breath it was ridiculous. How did I think using a heating pad to warm up my hands and feet even when it was 70+ in my house was normal? How about all my coworkers saying I look pale and tired? Weird whooshing in my ears? Dizziness when walking up the stairs? My hemoglobin is only 9 now which means I am still quite anemic but I can’t believe how different I feel. It’s really scary that I let myself get that bad. I could have passed out anywhere.
The scary part is that I still don’t know why this happened. I haven’t drastically changed my diet. Certainly giving up soda and alcohol and meals out wouldn’t cause such a significant drop. I still eat about 1500 calories a day which is normal. I see the hematologist on Wednesday to try and sort this out. I’m really scared and worried but today I felt like Wonder Woman!
Well after my last post I had my hemoglobin rechecked and it was even lower (6.4). I got admitted to to hospital and got 2 units of blood. The funny part is that I went to the gym before the doctor and felt pretty okay. No different than usual. Makes me wonder how much better I will feel if this is handled.
I am so sick of being in the hospital, as a nurse who has NEVER been hospitalized its really weird. I feel awkward asking for anything. I have I see what my hemoglobin is now and see a hematologist. Then hopefully I can get into my own bed.
It is really frustrating when you THINK you are doing everything right to be as healthy as possible and then your doctor calls to tell you just the opposite.
I went in for a refill on migraine meds last friday and I asked my doc to draw some basic labs just because I hadn’t had them drawn in a while and I have lost some weight. I have been a vegetarian for 15 years so I generally like to have my iron and hemoglobin levels checked (although I have never had any issues with them). So he called me yesterday to tell me that my hemoglobin is severely low. I am severely anemic. I am a nurse so of course I KNOW what the signs and symptoms are but I had attributed mine to other things. Short of breath while working out? Crappy endurance. Short of breath walking the laundry up the stairs? Get in better shape missy! Freezing 24/7? Turn the heat up! Eating ice cubes like a fiend? I just love ice and it hydrates me! Leg cramps? I need more muscle!
Anyway I feel really stupid for having missed such an obvious thing. For reference a normal hemoglobin for an adult woman is about 12-15. Mine is 6.8. In the hospital we would cancel any procedure immediately and transfuse you a couple units of blood for that. I asked one of the docs at work what he thought I should do regarding safe iron dosages and stuff and he said to go to the ER immediately and worry about the iron later. I didn’t go, but I have been really worried ever since. I will see my primary doctor today, but I feel so stupid. I eat super clean and healthy and exercise and I somehow screwed up my own health. My last hemoglobin over a year ago was 12.8. I sure hope its not a bleeding stomach ulcer (I keep reminding myself to cut down on the Motrin before this happens!)
Whole wheat pita bread with egg whites, chives, romaine and avocado. Fresh strawberries. Sliced apples. So perfect.
Although I feel that all clothing tends to run different and fit different, I just want to talk about how I bought a size 0 for the first time in my life! Now I never cared to be a 0 and this dress obviously runs large, but it still felt awesome (mostly because it looks so dang good!) I’m all about curves and fit bodies and a size 0 doesn’t usually equate to that, but even buying my possibly wedding dress in a 2 and some new pants in a 6 feels great! My 8s and 10s were not fitting all that well before January.
I have to clean out all my old clothes but I just can’t shake the feeling that I could fail and go back to how I was before….especially when there is a delicious new sushi place down the street that we have had food from at least once a week lately!
I have also found lately that people commenting on my weight loss makes me super uncomfortable. I wonder if that happens to other people. I never know what to say so I just joke that I have to get fit for my wedding. It’s an awkward thing because I am so proud of myself but when other people say things I get really weird.
First photo January (143lbs)
Second photo February (133lbs)
Third photo May (123.5lbs)
Only .5 away from 20!
(via healthier-habits)
