That feeling you get when the hematologist says “I have great news…ALL your bloodwork came back NORMAL!” Whoo hoo!

To God be the glory! For the first time in years my hemoglobin levels have been consistently normal for the past several months!  That was the news I recently received from my doctor that left me with so much joy I could cry.  I may have shed a tear or two…ok I did lol. But as I sat in my car, I thought about all the moments I had to endure along the way. All I can say is that I’m super-duper grateful to have made it from nearly having a blood transfusion to consistently having normal hemoglobin levels.

So, what does “normal” mean? In my case, it means that’s my hemoglobin levels have consistently remained at a healthy level since last summer 2020, my iron was restored an I no longer have any detection of anemia, which means no more iron infusions. This also means that I can minimize the number of times I have to go for blood work per year.  It was still recommended by my doctor to take an iron supplement to make sure I “build up my iron reserve” to prevent it dropping in the future.

Although my hemoglobin and iron levels are at a healthy norm, I’m still on the lower end of the spectrum due to my thalassemia which I’ll briefly talk about. So, helping my blood cells get my iron “poppin” along the way will help in the long run. I have even taken the initiative to add more iron enriched foods like spinach, kale or any dark leafy greens to help with my iron intake and show my cells some love. This also good for boosting energy which was a HUGE issue for me before.  Sidebar: never under estimate how someone is feeling when they have anemia—the side effects are NO JOKE.  Anywho, I continue to be mindful of what I eat to prevent any issues in the future. 

Alpha Thalassemia

First off, what the heck is thalassemia?  To sum it up, it’s a genetic blood disorder that is inherited from one or both of your parents.  There are 2 main types of thalassemia—alpha and beta—I have alpha which is less severe.  Overall thalassemia affects the way your body produces healthy red blood cells and hemoglobin which is the protein that carries oxygen throughout the blood.  Having this condition also affects the way your body produces hemoglobin and iron which is why I struggled so much when I had heavy bleeding. Hence, why I had to have IV iron infusions every 3-4 months.  Thankfully my hematologist kept monitoring my hemoglobin levels to make sure I maintained stable until my fibroid removal surgery last year.   

I hope this encourages you no matter what part of your journey you are on fam!  As always sis, I feel that it is imperative for us to share our journey so we are not going through this alone.  Much love an blessings <3