If I said that there was any ups to anemia, I’d be lying through my teeth. But the truth is, out of something bad, came something good.
How is that possible?
Well, let’s see. After my third child, I really felt lethargic, exhausted, just drained daily. So I found a really good doctor who made me do a couple blood tests. That’s how I discovered I easily fell into the beginning stages of anemia. I didn’t understand! I was only 30, healthy and never suffered from it before!
You see, Anemia is a condition in which your blood has a lower-than-normal amount of red blood cells or hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that helps red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. The normal hemoglobin range is generally defined as 12.0 to 15.5 grams (g) of hemoglobin per deciliter (dL) of blood for women.
My blood tests showed I was in the range; how could I be anemic?
Due to the complications in my 4th pregnancy, I had to do a lot of blood tests. That’s how I learned anything under 14 would make my anemia symptoms appear. And worst of all, while I was pregnant my usual symptoms of exhaustion turned into dizzy spells, momentary black outs, shortness of breath, hyperventilation, etc.
Lesson I learned: anemia was not a condition to take lightly. I also realized that my stomach couldn’t handle the iron supplements. I had to get my health back on track through nutrition. And surprisingly, it wasn’t as complicated as I feared it would be. But the biggest good that came out of this experience is that I learned how to look for answers, how to ask for help and how to take charge of my health.
So, no matter how bad your condition may be, I hope you can find some good in or from it.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post on our iron hack!
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