Living in Harmony…

I should explain a bit about my brand of anemia. For the most part in these modern times, anemia is a thing our Grandmothers had. Today we simply take a pill if we’re a little low.

In my case it’s a whole different thing. Did you know there is an organ in you small intestine that digests iron? Mine is broken. It’s called the duodenum, a sac-like part of the small intestine that metabolizes many mineral as well as being the holding facility for the liver and pancreatic enzymes.The intestine is a fairly large organ made of several parts, and all work together to keep the body nourished, hydrated and flushed of waste. Fifteen years ago my birth defect was found, and I had surgeries to help the flow of things. I had a chosen poorly for my first surgeon, hence the ruin of my duodenum. I do not use mine, it sits there and excretes the enzymes and juices that it’s supposed to, but it does not metabolize or digest vitamins and minerals anymore. It has been totally by-passed surgically. So for me to get iron I have to have it put directly into my veins-hence the treatments.

This has gone on for some years now, enter the difficulty I’m having with my liver, inspired by the self-same surgical faux-pas that blew my duodenum AND gave me diabetes. The liver is having trouble keeping up with hemoglobin production, and it’s always a race to see which treatment I’ll get-whole blood or iron ~~or both! Friday was iron treatment #2 of a course of 5. Tomorrow I will have blood testing to see if I also need blood transfused.

The Anemia path rules my life…in balance, I can visit Florida, fly, drive, chase my GRANDS and stay up like a grown-up. Out of balance, fatigue takes over, affecting everything in my life. My appetite goes, naps have to be scheduled into the day, life gets a bit grey as I have no energy and have to make myself do the normal chores we need to do to keep a house from falling to pieces. I also have to have learned to let things go. When it comes to cleaning the fridge or spending several hours with the kids…well, you petty much know my decision there. I do the best I can, Bruce helps enormously and allows even more. Without his understanding these last few years would have been horrid. But we both have learned to grab life as it is handed and be glad. So we do…and I have a brilliant doctor who is a friend as well, making this journey a bit more palliatible. More soon…J