Anemia again!!!!!

It’s been a while, and a lot has happened. My son got married, and I took a few trips. 

For the past few months, I’ve been extremely fatigued and experiencing other issues. I recently stood up and collapsed. Since the last time this happened, I was hospitalized, I felt it was important to get my blood drawn and check my iron. They also checked my vitals to see whether the issues were persisting. The results are concerning: my iron-deficiency anemia is still an issue. Here are the numbers:

• MCH was low at 21.5 - the lowest since I was hospitalized in 2017.
• MCHC was low at 29.9 - again the lowest since the 2017 hospitalization
• RDW was low at 17.4% - stable for the past four years, yet still high.
• MCV was low at 77 - again, the weakest since the 2017 hospitalization 
• Hemoglobin was low at 10.6, way under the minimum 13.5 recommended, and has not been that low since 2017
• Iron was low at 14 - It has never been this low!
• The Iron Saturation Index is at 4%, and 20% is the minimum!  Never been this low!
• Ferritin was low at 16; the minimum required is 26, and the max is 388 ng/dL.  I have never been over 59!

I should have expected this, as sleeping is so difficult without sleeping pills. Now I have to fight the insurance company for infusions. If that doesn't happen soon, I have little faith I won't have a major issue. I'm just frustrated that after 9 years, they still have no known source for the anemia.  I try everything to get this under control, and nothing seems to help.

Here are some images from the trips.  Enjoy!

Carry on my friends, carry on!