ever since i can remember, i’ve always been borderline anemic. at least that is what my doctor has always said.
“you’re not quite there, but you’re on the low side of healthy.”
and even though i’m from texas, i’ve never been a steak girl. in fact, slowly, i’ve been eliminating meat from my diet…not for any ethical reason…i just really don’t like the taste of it (except bacon! YUM!) and it’s getting really expensive, too.
i went to the doctor last week for something minor, and since i was a new patient, he did a full work up on me, including blood work and a stress test (my dad has a wicked heart history).
the results came back early this week, and evidently, i’m starting to get old.
first, i was “mildly anemic.” no more dancing on the edge. i had crossed the line into low red blood counts.
so, he told me to start on some iron supplements. or start eating more meat. i chose the supplements.
then he told me my heart beat was funny after i ran on my exercise stress test.
psshh. whatever.
and he told me to start taking a low dose beta blocker for a month to see if it helps. so, i started those this week too.
ummm….is this what being almost thirty is like?
Comments
58 responses to “ironwoman”
Turnips! Collards!
Now that you are truly a southern girl…they will solve all your problems! Honest!
Well, maybe not the ticker part…but can’t hurt…at least not as much as the bacon!
Bacon does make just about everything better!
I am only 31, but I have already found that things I used to be able to do cause me to be sore in places I didn’t know I had the next day.
Um, I think so.
I’m closer to 40 everyday and it’s a doozy on my lower back and knees.
Geez.
Can’t wait til that glorified body of mine one day.
If it makes you feel any better Im only 23 and Ive needed to take an iron supplement for the past few years. My iron was already low before I made the decision to become a vegetarian and now I really need to stay on top of it.
After I gave birth to my daughter I was anemic. I found my body processed real food better than the supplements. They do rough stuff to your digestive system and beyond… :S A lot of fresh and dried fruits have iron in them. Not to mention the wonderful “instant oatmeals” and “cream of wheat” hot cereals. Check cereals like “Life”, etc.-they often have added vitamins that help bring up the iron levels in your system. Good luck! ;)
I am laughing so hard. (not at your problems though) Please, please spare us 40-somethings and DON’T say you are getting old. You are not. You are simply human. Approaching 30 is still very, very young. Enjoy it while you have it.
Now 40, that’s a different story. I can’t remember a dang thing now…..I have to write it ALL down. The other day we backed up my hard drive and something happened and it overrode my current calendar. This means ALL my info was gone. I felt like my brain was wiped out. I now do not know when any appts are or even what I have planned for next week. I used to not need a calendar as much but now I am 42 and can’t remember things. So this was a major crisis for me. I almost cried. I will remember something I need to do and actually text from my phone to my email so I can do it. I am texting MYSELF now. It is sad, sad, sad.
Anne, just take care of yourself and enjoy all of the wonderful things about still being in your 20s. I wish I had.
It only gets better! :-)
I just passed the 30 mark last year and I’m already finding things don’t work like they used to (although I try not to admit to anyone). That’s why I’ve been on a kick lately to start biking and exercising more. I’m going to fight this tooth and nail.
You think 30 is bad … just wait until you hit 40 like me! My mind tells me I’m still 20 … my body .. well, it tends to argue the point.
in my experience, 30 is the year of cellulite! enjoy! :)
I saw your post on Twitter and had to stop by.
My wife taught me that women don’t age after 29. She considers herself twenty-eleven.
I remember when some of my friends turned 30. That was a bad few weeks as they adjusted. I think you’ll be fine.
My doc gave me the same “great news” about a month ago.
My suggestion….try Vitron-C as your iron supplement. It does not cause some of the other side effects that “traditional” iron supplements do. It has the iron and other minerals to help your body absorb the iron better.
Good luck!!!
You are so genuine. Thanks for sharing that info….I hope you like your new Dr…..that’s so important in a new city! You give out so much to help others, I just hope the iron helps to keep you healthy.
Did he tell you to make sure it was slow release iron? :) I have had the same problem for years, and too much iron can make you, well, be stopped up. Slow release (like SlowFe) helps. ;) But, if it is paired with anything like vitamins or other minerals I would check those out and perhaps ask someone holistic (because sometimes one of them ends up blocking the absorption of what you really need). Don’t ask me why pill companies do this, it is a great mystery.
You are totally old, you even forgot to put on your right earring. Ha ha…it’s probably just the angle of the picture, but I thought I would point that out to you. You are welcome.
“ummm?.is this what being almost thirty is like?”
No. Its what 40 is like. You’re ahead of the game, congratulations! :)
Beef. Its what’s for dinner.
OK, If I’m still young at 42 then you are not old at almost 30. Please. Take care of yourself. Get lots of information. Take the supplements–figure out which ones work best. I wasted my 20s-30s not taking care of myself and am playing catch up now. A website I’ve been interested in is RealAge.com. They’ve got a way to figure out how old your body is based on history, lifestyle, diet, etc. They have a lot of good information of foods and supplements that can boost all sorts of things. Might be worth a peek.
cindy beall and i are the same age…and yes! the knees! what on earth happens to them? its crazy! also, brandi is right – the cellulite. its wrong i tell ya. wrong!!
Vitamin C is the best thing to take your iron with because it helps your body absorb it better. And if you want the best results, you’ll need to cut out the caffiene because it blocks the bodys ability to absorb iron (this includes things like chocolate or Dr Pepper – I know, that’s just WRONG).
I suffer from iron-deficiency anemia and once I got my levels into the lower “normal” range, I was able to add back in small amounts of caffiene. Because a girl has *got* to have her coffee!
Wait until 30 becomes 35, girl. Blah!
Good luck managing your health. Better to start young, that way when all your friends are all hunched over and taking 1000 pills a week, you’ll be feeling pretty spiffy in your old age with your 3 or 4 pills.
Focus on the positive. LOL!!
I agree with the Slow Fe. I take it with vitamin C for max absorption. Research the Beta Blockers. Know what you are taking! A lot of reports both good and bad on those.
yeah, at 30 (last year) i went and got a full physical for a life insurance policy…they acted like i was going to die soon…they were convinced that i was an alcoholic due to the “fatty liver” that i had…but i have never had a drink in my life(except for coffee, i drink that daily, multiple times)…turned out that one of the medications they had prescribed was causing the spike in my liver enzymes…i searched it online and showed it to my doc…took me off the med for my knees and my liver got better…
“psshh. whatever.”
I liked Christopher’s wife’s twenty-eleven comment!
To absorb iron:
Meat/fish/poultry
Fruits: Orange, Orange Juice, cantaloupe, strawberries, grapefruit etc
Vegetables: Broccoli, brussels sprouts, tomato, tomato juice, potato, green & red peppers
White wine
Blocks the absorption:
Calcium supplements
Red Wine, Coffee & Tea
Vegetables: Spinach, chard, beet greens, rhubarb and sweet potato
Whole grains and bran
Soy products
sorry, Anne, I think it’s genetics.
I’m a year shy of 40 and my 30s have been great. A few more gray hairs than ever, but other than that, I’m good with no complaints. I think I get it from my grandmother who will be 104 next year.
Ive got a funny heart beat too, and I took a beta blocker for a few months. It worked great til I got pregnant, then later had a miscarriage. My hormones must still be off because now if I take it, it makes me extremely sick.
All this within days of turning 30 last december. : )
I am 31 and it seems that the aches last a little longer than they used to. I know part of the problem is a lack of exercise but I am thinking that is going to change this upcoming week.
great expression in the pic!
i feel your pain. know what comes for me in december? that’s right…40…yeesh. gratefully, i feel much younger. ;)
though outwardly we are wasting away…
Nope, it is just part of being human.
I have been on Beta Blockers since I was 12. My BP is regularly 90/60 or lower. :-)
Mike
30, 35, 40 – good grief. if you’re falling apart at these ages you better go buy your box now!
c’mon – wait till you spend $200k on college, have your mother-in-law move in rent free, bury 5 or 6 pets, and have 30 yrs of 60 hour weeks behnd you – whatta buncha wimps (i forgot the 15 big givers banquets and firing 4 pastors due to weight issues)
btw – is the smiley pastor and miss vicky doin’ the right thing in court? should they settle, since she didn’t turn the other cheek and all – or fight it out like a good secular americano?
I’m 24 and I’ve also always been almost anemic, well, until Wednesday. I’ve been losing blood, so the tests they did Wednesday show that I am anemic.
I’ve been taking multivitamins with added iron for a few years, but they’re Flintstones so it’s probably not enough. Anything else makes me sick though, I’ve tried. I don’t eat much meat either so I try to make up for it with greens and other things like that. I did find some pasta (I love pasta) with added iron and other things.
Strangely enough, I also have a “funny” heart beat. hmmm.
this has nothing to do with age but i noticed today that you stopped capitalizing words this week. i tried to come up with a clever reason why but i got nothing…so just an observation. :)
Last year, I had to go for a medical that was a cruise ship employment requirement. When I got my results, the doctor called and asked me if I knew I was anemic. I said no. She told me to take iron supplements and eat more foods with iron (steak, spinach, etc.). I do more of the supplements and spinach thing. Furthermore, she goes on to ask me if I knew I had a heart murmur. I said no. She wanted me to check it out with a specialist. When I told my dad, he was like , “Oh yeah, I think the doctor said something about that when you were a baby.” Hmm…. 25 years later.
@callmelinds – i go in spurts. i went about a year with no caps…and then capped for a week. and then stopped. i type faster when i don’t maybe?
Be careful w/ beta blockers. My aunt was taking those & they made her feel wonky. She started having erratic/palpations and weird dreams and sleep walking. Due to the dreams it interrupted her sleep so she was tired all the time. And all this happened on a low dose.
Very weird stuff!
i agree. 29 is not old. And I agree about 30 being the year of cellulite. Add two pregnancies and a slowing metabolism and life is just peachy! =)
Hope you get your meds and supplements to work for you!
Somehow, I’ve felt really great from 30 – 32. Just a few years back at around 28 I had high cholesterol and started having chest pains. I did the stress test thing too.
Then I stopped eating like I was 15.
30 is the new 20 you know.
Cook your food in a cast Iron skillet, you actually get Iron from it. No joke.
30? You are a spring chicken. Wait until you hit the double nickels like me. Then you will have a chance to talk ooooooooooolllllllllllllddddddddddd.. Hope your health improves.
I remember when you were 23 or 24 and had a freak out in the van about being close to 30!! I couldn’t appreciate it, being 19 i think at the time.
anyway, good times, memories.
b
One odd side effect of anemia – chewing ice (or worse, various non-food substances, aka pica). My mom was anemic a few years ago. She’s better now, but she has retained a near constant ice-chewing habit. This after always yelling at us kids if we chewed ice when we were growing up. Of course, she doesn’t have to worry about it being bad for her teeth (one of the evils of ice chewing), since she’s got dentures.
As for feeling old at 30, I agree with Jan …. just wait till you hit 40!!!
Just remember I was 30 when you were born. So truly new life begins at 30. As I approach my next birthday–remember?–I have noticed a few more aches and pains. I have never been anemic, but the heart murmur is probably from me. But my heart doctor said it was nothing to be concerned about. Take care of yourself!
Almost 30? Try being 38. You can round 37 down to 35, but 38? It’s pushing 40. Yikes. No room to hide anymore. And my back is temperamental. And I’ve got the grey shocks of hair erupting along the sides of my head. My kids say I look like Mr. Fantastic… you know, Reed Richards from Fantastic Four. At least they didn’t say “Mr. Incredible.”
But sorry. No anemia.
Anne, if you don’t sleep well that can also affect your heart, and other things, i hope you don’t suffer from a form of sleep apnea. Mary K, (my wife), uses a breathing machine now and it helps her in many ways.
I feel ya.
I turn 30 this month. :(
hmmm… I have the opposite problem. I apparently have too much iron in my blood. I’d share if I could.
I only wish I was still your age Anne! I’m about to turn 48, and I already have to take so many pills each morning that I rattle when I walk. :-) My parents both had the “wicked heart history”, so I’m right there with you on that one too. Hang in there girl… you’re still young!
Oh, and I’m also laughing at “janowen” comments above! I frequently have to call myself at home or at work and leave a voicemail reminder, or e-mail myself a message so I don’t forget to do something. Have been doing so for several years now! Since I serve with Jan, I can laugh at her with brotherly love… I love you Jan! :-)
Great – if you re almost thirty & I am over thirty – its going well for me then – maybe that explains all the grey hair I am getting now. Hmmmm. . .
I had my first daughter when I was 34, and my second daughter at 43. I’m 51 yrs old now and would still love to have baby number 3 if the Lord allowed. So you see 30, 40, and hopefully 50 isn’t so old after all. Age is just a number. My mom is 80 and still very healthy and active. She always says she may be 80 but she doesn’t feel old on the inside. I admire that about her.
i hope not. i hope you can just get things under control and be fine. thirty is but a number and i personally don’t think it should be able to determine health and how healthy a person “should be”.
@anne, ok here’s my 50 years of life experience on the subject.
First of all, my father-in-law who was a very wise man told me that getting older sure beats the alternative.
All things in moderation. (yes even peanut butter) :-)
Exercise makes almost everything wrong with the body better.
Age is a state of mind. (my great-grand-mother did crossword puzzles all the time, stayed up late to watch Johnny Carson, please Google if you have no idea who that is, and loved FART jokes. I don’t know what that has to do with anything but she did love them and would laugh till she cried.)
Laughter is the best medicine. (see age is a state of mind)
Those are my pearls of wisdom. I will pray for you as I know you can feel pretty run down with anemia. I will also tell you I feel better physically than I did a decade ago so it is not all down hill but it can become more work to maintain the staus quo.
Love ya dear……
it amazes me that someone can write something about THEIR health and then readers turn it into a post about themselves…”ohh, wait til you get to my age, then you’ll know what pain is…” what a load. I’m in my 40’s also with the commensurate helath and deoriations that go along with it, but that is not the point. Anne was telling us about her health, not inviting us to belittle her.
I have a friend that calls people like this “story-toppers”. I hope to never be a story topper.
Anne, I hope you feel better soon. Rant is over, for now.
hello anne! just stumbled onto your blog via matthew turners. and also saw your spectacular shots by daley ;) love your writing!!!!
Welcome to the world of getting older…I am with Cindy B. and the new body thing!!! Getting closer to 40 is strange??????
oh my gosh, are you pregnant?
r.c. – but you did the same thing bubba and then not so cleverly tried to disguise it
us old people call that passive/agressive behavior – sorry, didn’t work for me this time, and it won’t next time
btw – my stories are ALWAYS better than yours, ALL the time -cause i go to big givers’ banquets and can tell my pastor that he’s fat.
rumor is that anne is pregnant -spread the word!
tony,
i generally agree with you here, but you miss my point. the point is Anne’s health, not mine or yours or anyone else. No need to disguise what I said. And for the record, I believe in aggresive/aggresive behavior, there’s not much passive here.