Question:
I have anemia, transfusion tomorrow

Good evening all, I have read the other questions and answers about anemia and find I am in the same place. I have a hemoglobin count of 5 and my iron level was at 9, 45 is where it should be. My doctor is very concerned and after three calls saying it was time for a transfusion I gave in tonite. I do have an ulcer. today I had an endoscope and colonoscopy. There are other tests coming later in the week. Oddly enough I feel pretty good. Not great but OK, not overly exhausted (though I am often tired and tire easily), no dizziness, no shortness of breath. I do have very pale skin though. So off I go tomorrow for 3 units. Wish me luck. This is my only complication I have had since my surgery 3 yrs ago and I am a bit scared that someone is going to suggest a reversal of it. How are others doing--I take iron and all my supplements every day and obviously am not absorbing it. Is the next step learning to inject myself? Will transfusions became a regular part of my life? Oh geez, this isn't fun.    — MrsBacchus (posted on October 13, 2004)

October 12, 2004
HI Mary, I have not experienced this, but I have a cousin that did - almost the same story. She did not have an ulcer, she just was not taking iron supplements and it eventually caught up with her (her doc did not recommend the extra iron). She is a nurse and the doc she works for basically ordered her to the hospital for tests b/c she looked so pale and weak. She was always tired. She had to have transfusions and she had to go on RX iron supplements. They started her on iron sulfate which can be hard on normal systems, and hard for us to absorb so they moved her to the gluconate form and she started to feel a lot better. She was about 2.5 years post-op when this happened and its been about 2 years now and she is doing a lot better, still taking her iron supplements, but she has not had to have any more transfusions. Try looking into the different forms of iron. If you are not absorbing the type you use now, switch to the gluconate or even the carbonyl type. Good Luck.
   — Ali M

October 13, 2004
Hi Mary, I have anemia also, I am almost 19 months post-op. My doctor put me on Slow Iron. Which is working good for me. It is time released and doesn't have the symptoms of the regular iron. You can buy them over the counter anywhere. They are easily absorbed with our surgery. Talk to your doctor before trying any other supplements though.
   — Kathleen S.

October 13, 2004
Hi Mary. I had the same thing happen to me. I went in for my 6 month visit. They did the regular lab work. (I had been having some unusual "extra" periods, thinking that it was just some stress that I had been dealing with.) My iron level was at 8. I told the doc about the "extra periods". The doc had me go to my OB/GYN and she faxed over my lab work. The OB/GYN found out that I had a tumer in my uterus. This was on Wednesday, by Friday, I was in the hospital having an emergency hysterectomy. Since the surgery I have been taking the iron tablet FERROUS GLUCONATE along with a VITAMIN C. I feel wonderful now! Good Luck with everything! Danette
   — Danette C.

October 14, 2004
What kind of iron did they have you on? at 3 months out I became anemic, and was put on iron, I was just on ferrous sulfate or slowfe, and after 3 months on it my iron level was lower than when i started. It wasn't until I read on this site about the different forms of Iron that I switched to Carbonyl Iron (brand I buy is called FEOSOL, comes in a red box I get it at CVS or walmart) after taking it for a mere 6 weeks my iron levels had doubled!! No doctor advised me about different kinds of iron, so yours might not know about them as well.
   — Patricia T.

October 14, 2004
I understand where you're coming from. I too became anemic after surgery. Ended up having a hysterectomy just to help with this problem. I do not believe in taking blood so I have iron infusions every year or so at the hospital and this helps keep my levels alright. I took everything under the sun as far as iron is concerned and have yet to find anything that helps. I now know that the infusions are just apart of my life.
   — Vel K.

December 1, 2005
Hope your transfusion went well. Last December my doctor told me that she was going to hospitalize me because my levels were at a 5 (normal for a female is 12). She didn't. This past summer I almost died becuase of a virus I caught. While I was in the hospital for that they went ahead and gave me a transfusion. I am still severely anemic and extremely tired all the time. I am hoping that with continued iron and another transfusion I will be ok.
   — raleah