So apparently it was in fact a radiologist who looked at my x-ray and he was quite certain that I had a small amount of pneumonia. My cat scan also indicated some lingering sinusitis, but a very minor case. My fever persists, but I am only on day 4 of my new course of antibiotics.
The nurse who called me inititally about the anemia said I had "some anemia". Well, it's actually severe anemia. After my pregnancy I had come to the conclusion that my body just isn't capable of breaking down iron supplements because I had tried every kind available and nothing was helping. It looks like I never really got over it. So that makes me feel tons better just knowing that I have been really ill and I am not just being a wanny. The pneumonia and sinusitis are most likely the result of the anemia because my blood can't carry sufficient amounts of oxygen and that impairs my body's ability to do . . . well . . . pretty much everything. All things considered, I am really lucky to have been as healthy as I have! I am an avid handwasher, it's true, and with this new information I'm really glad I developed that habit. So I will be seeing a hematologist soon, and the most likely course of action will be either a shot or an IV iron treatment. It may end up being several treatments, and there's a small chance they will want to do a bone marrow biopsy. My Dr. thinks that is pretty unlikely though because I have a really good explanation as to why I got so severely anemic while being otherwise healthy. My B-12, folate, and calcium levels, for example, are all great. So while my body will always struggle more than most to absorb nutrients, it obviously does better with some than others. And I am more than fine with getting an iron shot or IV treatment. Sure it won't be a walk in the park, but it will be A LOT better than being this anemic. And I look forward to my next pregnancy (which will not be immediate) with a lot less trepidation. Not that I had a bad pregnancy, but I had a really bad post-partum period that my body apparently never really fully recovered from. So with treatment I will be well, and I will know exactly how to deal with anemia that will probably occur in my next pregnancy.
So everything is a lot clearer now other than the fever, but I am hopeful that it will sort itself out when my other issues are resolved.
Sheet Pan Fajitas
6 years ago
5 comments:
Yay for answers! Nothing worse than fighting an unknown enemy.
Ditto, Lisa. I'm so glad they figured it out! Take care of yourself, mama- you need all the energy you can get :)
Meg,
Wow you have been through some rough times, but again, looks like all will get better :) Are you on 2nd ward now? Hope all is well. I miss you guys, I should probably keep in touch more often. How's Craig doing? And little miss Carolyn? How about Tad? Say hi to everyone for me will ya?
That's pretty awful. My midwife warned me about the anemic thing leading to bad post partum. I hadn't heard the link there before she explained it. I just wanted to suggest you eat some pate. It's probably an aquired taste but I love it and it's full of iron. You may be able to absorb something from that. And good luck with the hematologist. I've only dealt with them on the hemophilia thing. It didn't occur to me they deal with other blood related issues. Which of course makes sense. It's no fun to be sick. I'm glad you're doing better :)
I set my blog to private I need to get your email address to add you as a reader.
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