anemia

 My latest blood test results show that not only am I still anemic, but it has gotten a little worse. 

This is due to surgery for the most part, but it is also due to losing a section of my intestines and my colon. My digestive tract is shorter. I seem to have developed a degree of lactose intolerance, which has been causing occasional diarrhea or more frequent bowels, which means my body is not absorbing the nutrients needed to make blood. 

Also, for the first time, my protein and sodium results were below normal. 

Naturally, I immediately wanted to consult with a registered dietitian. Unfortunately, I live in the boonies and the nearest dietitian is about 50 miles away and only sees patients who also go to their group for primary care. So I'm on my own for the next couple of weeks, until my primary physician can refer me to an out-of-network dietitian that is closer to me. 

Meanwhile, I discovered Cronometer, a free app for nutrition tracking. It's fantastic! It provides much more detail than Fitbit and helps me to figure out what to eat to get the nutrients I'm missing. 

I have also cut dairy from my diet to see if that was the culprit, and it is. Since cutting dairy, I have not had diarrhea or frequent bowels. I am very sad about this development -- I really love yogurt and cheese, and was relying on dairy for most of my calcium. Now I have to find alternative sources of calcium. Fortunately, unsweetened vanilla almond milk is fortified and I like the flavor. 

I've also reduced caffeine because it interferes with iron absorption, and increased Vitamin C which helps the body absorb iron. I was already taking some iron and it didn't improve the results after 3 months, so unfortunately, I've had to switch to decaf coffee and fewer cups. 

C'est la vie. 

On the bright side, I don't feel bad. I am a little tired, but that's all. It's almost nothing. I would not have known I was anemic if I did not get tested. The thing is, even though I don't feel it, it's harder for other organs to do their jobs when you're anemic. It's good to know. 

❤