Hey… it’s Anna 🖤.
And as promised, I have an update about my iron infusion.
The good news?
It went well.
Actually, better than I expected.
Which is saying something because if you’ve been following along, you know my body and I have not exactly been on the same page lately.
Iron Infusion Day
I had my first iron infusion yesterday.
The whole process took about two and a half hours.
The infusion itself was around two hours and then they kept me for another thirty minutes afterward for observation to make sure I didn’t have any reactions or side effects.
Honestly, I was expecting something dramatic.
Not because anyone told me to expect it.
Just because my body has been keeping things interesting lately and I wouldn’t have been surprised if it decided to add another plot twist.
Thankfully it behaved itself.
For once.
The Side Effects Were Minimal
The only thing I experienced was some very mild nausea during the infusion.
And when I say mild, I mean mild.
Nothing overwhelming.
Nothing that made me regret being there.
Nothing that had me questioning my life choices.
Just a little nausea and that was it.
So overall I tolerated it really well.
Which was a huge relief.
Because whenever you start a new treatment, especially one that takes a couple of hours, there’s always that little voice in the back of your head wondering:
- “What fresh nonsense is my body going to do today?”
Thankfully the answer was:
- “Not much.”
And I will absolutely take that win.
Why I Need Iron Infusions
For those who are new here, I have iron deficiency anemia.
The frustrating part is that nobody seems to fully understand why my body isn’t holding onto the iron it’s getting.
I’ve taken oral iron supplements.
I’ve tried being consistent.
I’ve done what I was supposed to do.
Yet somehow my iron levels continue to act like they’re participating in a disappearing act.
If I had to guess, and this is only my personal theory, I think a lot of it goes back to the fibroids.
My uterus is absolutely covered in them.
One of them is at least 12 centimeters.
Which is not exactly tiny.
That’s a whole lot of fibroid causing a whole lot of problems.
Between the excessive bleeding and everything that comes along with it, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s where a lot of the issue is coming from.
🤞 Hopefully There Is Light At The End Of The Tunnel
The good news is that we’re still moving toward surgery.
And honestly?
I’m ready.
I know a hysterectomy isn’t a decision people make lightly.
Trust me.
I’ve spent plenty of time thinking about it.
Probably too much time.
But after everything I’ve been dealing with, I just want relief.
I want peace.
I want to stop planning my life around my cycle.
I want to stop wondering where the nearest bathroom is.
I want to stop worrying about bleeding through everything.
I want to stop being exhausted all the time.
And hopefully once my uterus is finally evicted from the premises, the anemia and iron deficiency will eventually correct themselves too.
At least that’s the hope.
And right now I’m holding onto that hope pretty tightly.
Three More To Go
So now I have three more iron infusions scheduled.
The next one is June 4th.
Then June 11th.
Then June 18th.
I swear lately my calendar looks like it belongs to a full-time patient.
Appointments.
Scans.
Labs.
Infusions.
Follow-ups.
More appointments.
At this point I feel like I deserve a punch card.
Maybe after ten appointments they should give me a free coffee.
Or a free nap.
Honestly I’d take either one.
A Couple Days Off
Today is my day off.
And thankfully I’m off Friday too.
Which feels amazing because I genuinely need the rest.
My body has been running on determination, sarcasm, and heating pads for months now.
And while determination is great, it turns out it’s not actually a medical treatment.
Who knew?
I did pick up a little extra work for tomorrow morning though.
Nothing major.
Just enough to put a little extra money in my pocket.
And honestly, with everything going on lately, every extra dollar helps.
Then It’s Back To The Grind
After that it’s right back to my regularly scheduled programming.
Which means my 3am wake-up call on Saturday.
Because apparently my alarm clock and I are locked in a lifelong toxic relationship.
The never-ending cleaning adventures will continue.
The garbage will still somehow weigh more than physics should allow.
The students will still leave messes that defy explanation.
And I will still be wondering why people insist on walking across freshly mopped floors.
Some things never change.
Overall, I’m grateful.
The infusion went well.
I didn’t have any major side effects.
The process wasn’t nearly as scary as I imagined.
And for the first time in a while, I feel like we’re actually making progress.
Slow progress.
But progress nonetheless.
And sometimes that’s enough.
Thank you for following along with me through all of this.
Thank you for listening to my rambling thoughts, random complaints, and occasional emotional spirals.
I appreciate you more than you know.
I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week.
I hope you have an even better weekend.
Please be careful.
Please be safe.
And as I always say…
Don’t be afraid to be rude if it means protecting your safety.
Your safety is worth far more than somebody else’s feelings.
Until next time, lovelies 🖤💋
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