Looking for Iron
I haven’t been blogging as often as I would like. No, I wasn’t on vacation tanning on some island beach and I wasn’t in rehab. Although, I should be in rehab for my Nutella addiction. The reason I haven’t written as often as I would like is because I have been exhausted. I have been sleeping as much as my kitties. All I want to do is sleep. I want to sleep right at this moment. I thought I was so tired because my thyroid medication was not the right dosage. If I’m not on enough thyroid medication I am still hypothyroid. I was having several hypothyroid symptoms. Aside from being tired, I had dry skin, heavy periods and loss of hair. When a person has hypothyroidism the symptoms they usually experience are fatigue, weight gain, memory difficulty, dry skin, muscle aches, muscle weakness, heavier than normal periods, brittle fingernails, brittle hair, cold intolerance, puffy face, hoarse voice, and depression. There are a few more symptoms, but that covers the main ones.
I had my usual checkup with my endocrinologist and we discussed my symptoms. He thought the same thing I did, that I was not getting enough thyroid medication. He told me to increase the dosage, but later my blood test would come back with conflicting results. I was actually on way too much thyroid medication so I needed to lower the dosage not increase it. Having too much thyroid medication can make a person become hyperthyroid. I was confused because I didn’t have any hyperthyroid symptoms. Why was I having hypothyroid symptoms if I was getting way to much thyroid medication? If my symptoms didn’t have anything to do with my thyroid, I was left to wonder what was causing these symptoms. So I had another appointment with my endocrinologist to try and figure out what was going on.
I wasn’t looking forward to the appointment. Even though I wanted to know what was going on I did not want my blood drawn. I hate, HATE getting my blood drawn. I don’t have a fear of needles or nurses or doctors. I used to have no problem. I would even watch the needle go in and leave without a problem. Until on day a nurse was having difficultly getting my blood out. She was fishing around in my arm with the needle like she was trying to hook a worm to catch a fish. After all that fishing she finally found the spot that would give some blood. She plunged the needle in and I started to feel extremely sick to my stomach. I felt like I was going to either throw up or self implode. I was hoping to implode to make the horrible feeling go away. I could feel all the blood draining from my face. I usually call the people taking my blood vampires. In this case I couldn’t have been more accurate. It really felt like she was taking all my blood. She started to ask me how I was feeling and I kept saying fine because I was kind of delirious. I guess she could tell something wasn’t quite right. The blood really was leaving my face. I was as white as a ghost. I didn’t know this at the time because of course I couldn’t see myself. She finished drawing my blood and I got up to leave. I stood up and was almost to the desk to check out and my vision gave out on me and I started to feel light headed. All of the sudden I could not control my body and my legs gave out beneath me. I was going down faster than someone getting knocked out by Ali. I really passed out. I learned later from a few nurses that the reason this happened was because she must have hit a nerve. Technically she really got on my nerves. I know that was a bad joke. Ever since this experience I have a fear of getting my blood drawn. I’m worried the nurse is going to draw my blood wrong and I will pass out again. I hate, HATE passing out. It is so embarrassing. Everyone stares at me like I am an exhibit at the circus, like I am the bearded lady.
Back to the present and the endocrinologist appointment. We discussed my symptoms and he told me I was probably deficient in Iron. Iron deficiency can also cause the symptoms I was experiencing. I mostly eat veggies and very little meat so Iron deficiency would make sense. I already have a deficiency in Vitamin D and B12. I won’t know for sure if it is an Iron deficiency until I get the results back from the blood test. He also wanted to check a few more things in my blood. Great, I would have to give more blood and I was so excited. I really wasn’t so much excited as I thought I might have a panic attack. Since they don’t supply paper bags to breath into, I played a game on my iPod while waiting to get the stupid blood test. This helped to take my mind of my impending doom.
It becomes my turn to get the blood tests. I sit in the chair with my clinched fist and that rubber thing the goes around my arm. I always feel like those people who put that rubber thing about their arm to inject some illegal substance. The nurse goes to draw my blood and she says the thing that they always say right before the needle goes in, “okay you are going to feel a little pinch.” I flashback to the past where I think, “little pinch how about I’m going to feel the Eiffel Tower getting rammed into my arm.” Right before the needle goes in I have several thoughts about all of the previous experiences that I’ve had. I’m always worried when the needle is in that I’m going to freak out. I will start screaming, crying and running around flinging my arm around like a four year old with a splinter saying, “get it out, get it out!” This would be worse than passing out! But, still everyone will stare at me like I’m the bearded lady at the circus. The longer the needle is in the more start to I panic, sweat and think, “this is it I am really going to self implode.” Right in front of the doctors, nurses and old people. I failed to mention I am always the youngest person at the doctor’s office. Everyone is really old and talkative. Really, really talkative. I rarely leave an appointment without knowing someone’s entire life story right down to every medication they are on and how much they cost. I know I have a lot of thoughts when the needle is about to go in!
So right after the many, many horrible thoughts the nurse puts the needle in my arm and suddenly a miracle happened. It felt like the tiniest little baby mosquito landed on my arm for his evening snack. It maybe even felt like less of a pinch than my tiny baby mosquito. I barely felt my blood getting drawn. I didn’t have any of my usual worries while my blood was being sucked out. I didn’t even feel the needle in my arm. I could have sat there all day getting my blood drawn. Well except for when I would need to have a break for lunch or a nap. It was such an easy experience I told her she drew blood better than anyone. After she was finished she handed me a card with a number to call in two days to get my test results. What I really wanted her to hand me was a lollipop for being such a big girl. I took the card with the number to call and now I wait. In the meantime I’m going to bed!
