Anemia Support Group
Anemia (or anaemia), which literally means "without blood," is a deficiency of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin. This results in a reduced ability of blood to transfer oxygen to the tissues, and this causes hypoxia; since all human cells depend on oxygen for survival, varying degrees of anemia can have a wide range of clinical consequences.
I have just had very severe anemia, my hemaglobin went down to 4.6, I was told it should be around 12. It came on all through last year ut I did not go to the doctors until last November, the doctor I first saw said it was a viral infection and there was nothing they could give me, I had to just let it run its course. I got weaker and weaker and could hardly move without getting breathless. I went to the emergency centre on New years eve and the doctor I saw there said it was very severe anemia and I needed a blood test and a blood transfusion I left it until the next week to go to my GP. I had a blood test in the morning and that night, a GP rang to say I MUST go to the hospital as I was in danger of collapse, my organs were all under pressure and my heart could stop. I had to go to the hospital straight away for a blood transfusion. After the transfusion, I had to carry on with three iron pills a day, my hemaglobin level had gone up to 8.4. Then a month later it had gone up to 12.5. I am still on the high dose of tablets as the GP wants to get it higher so if it starts to drop again, it has somewhere to go before it starts to affect me. I am to have regular blood tests every two months.
Even though my hemaglobin level has gone up to normal, I still get very tired and a bit breathless and I am suffering badly with my joints. Shouldn't I be feeling better now my blood is normal? I do feel a lot better than I did, but still not 100%.
Has it taken a long while for others to recover completely? Do you ever recover completely? They didn;t find out what caused it as I wouldn't have the cancer tests, we are assuming it was an ulcer.
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Hi All.... It's great to see all of the new people joining the site... I'm loving it!!...smileI'm not sure if people are aware that if you don't have Bipolar Disorder but have a loved one who has the disorder we do have a board for people to go to in order to share their experiences and seek friendship, support or adviseIt's the Friends and Family of Bipolar Board.... I hope you'll take a...
If they did the investigations and found a lump or whatever, I would not allow them to do a biopsy, so then they would want me keep having more scans to see if it was growing. I would then start worrying about it so I just don't want to know. I just want to live my life normally until the time came that I couldn't. I have no family, no one to look after me so what would be the point in extending my life?
I know others will not agree and that is their choice, but I have made mine. I do appreciate your concern though, other peoples circumstances are different and I don't blame anyone who does go down the treatment route. I know that many people are treated and go on to lead full and active lives and I really do wish them well.
The consultant at outpatients did tell me, when I refused the scans, that in 8 out of 10 cases of anaemia, nothing shows on the scans anyway.
(but now with iron they are) Wants me to get heart checked which i'm doing in two days, and wants the scope down my stomach which i don't want to do. My friend had his esophagus stretched and they TORE it and he was in the hosp for a month after. Anyway, i don't know if i have a silent ulcer and am afraid of the tests. They say they cannot gurarntee that the scopes are sterile! And once in a great while with the colonoscopy they can puncture the intestines and you can die then. So i'm not sure if i will do the tests. He said i could be bleeding somewhere cuz at my age i should not be so low on iron, but i eat poorly and get 3 tubes of blood taken out 3 x a year......