severe anemia awareness

Amicalola Falls, Day Trip (2018) {Thoughts From Me}

February 13, 2018 by Dana

Yesterday, I stood underneath a waterfall. Water sprayed down on me. The wind felt like it could lift me and take me far away.

I’ve only been to one waterfall in my life, many years ago when Emma was three and tried to eat the rocks. It was a trickle of water, just enough to enjoy in the hot summer heat but it was nothing like this one.

I stood on top of this waterfall and looked down at the length and I thought about how something so peaceful can become so powerful within just a few feet. Just a few steps and the sweet little stream became a powerful mass of water going over the edge of the mountain side.

Looking down on this waterfall, I knew I wanted to go down and look upwards. I wanted to see both sides of this beautiful Earth element. I wanted to see the beauty in every direction.

So down we drove to the bottom. The wading and reflection pool that the beautiful flowing fall trickled into was peaceful and calm. Looking up was as beautiful as looking down.

My husband and I walked up the trail and listened to the sounds of the water as it flowed. He looked for trout as we continued our walk, amazed that a fish could even survive the strength of that water’s flow. That man will find fish anywhere he goes.

We made it to the first stop and just soaked in the beauty of the flowing water. The breeze was cool and the sound of the water drowned out the world around us. I wanted to touch the water, to feel the cold rocks beneath my feet. I thought about how my children’s ancestors would even cross such a place, walking over the rocks to get to the other side of the falls.

Because of my severe anemia, I was out of breath at this point. I sat and enjoyed the view. I regained my strength and my breath. I looked up at the bottom of the strongest part of the falls and wished I could make it up to there. I wasn’t sure I could but as I sat there, I knew if I left and didn’t try, that I would regret it forever.

So we walked up 175 steps to the next platform, stopping as I needed to rest and take in the view. My husband supporting me every step of the way. He’s my strength and my biggest supporter.

I was determined to face my fear of heights, to accomplish this task. As I walked up and realized their was a grate beneath these falls, I wasn’t sure I could finish the climb and stand there. But I did.

I faced fears, I accomplished, I forced strength into myself that I had forgotten that I have. I did it. I climbed this waterfall and stood beneath it’s beauty and soaked it all in.

The wind was incredible. The water spray was pelting yet invigorating. The experience was unforgettable.

I cannot put into words what this felt like. I encourage you to experience it for yourself at some point in life. I promise you it’s something you’ll never forget!

I came home feeling completely refreshed and ready to face the world. I came home ready to share with the world. Sometimes, you just need to take a few steps off the beaten path to remind yourself that there is more to life than the mundane every day. You just need to see the beauty of God’s world for yourself and remind yourself that we are here to live every day to the fullest!

Until next time…
Dana

Health Update: July 2017 {Severe Anemia Awareness}

July 26, 2017 by Dana

This week has been hard. The last month really. My medicine is no longer controlling my uterine bleeding like it had been and now I am exhausted again.

I emailed my doctor’s office last night to set up a new appointment with the doctor so I can go ahead and schedule my hysterectomy. I wasn’t ready before but now I am. I want my life back and energy back. I want to enjoy my days again.

So right now, I’m low in energy. I’m eating tons of spinach and other iron rich foods to keep my blood volume up but it’s only doing so much since my body doesn’t absorb iron like it should. I’m also trying to take a multivitamin daily.

I’m not sure when surgery will be schedule but I’m hoping by August 16th so I can be up and moving by Jack’s birthday. We will see.

Until later on… I’m off to take a nap…
Dana

And Then Life Changes Again {Severe Anemia Awareness} {Thoughts From Me}

March 30, 2017 by Dana

I’ve been busy and haven’t updated. I know I’m terrible to just leave you all hanging. So what’s happened?

Well, I had my doctor’s appointment and ultrasound on Monday to prepare for surgery. Do you know what my ultrasound showed? Not a darned thing! There were no cysts on my ovaries which is awesome because I’ve never had cysts on them. There was no fibroids or damage showing to my uterus Scar tissue seen on camera was normal. My uterus was normal. Everything was NORMAL. My uterine lining was slightly thickened in the middle which can simply be caused by my time of the month and did not worry my doctor.

So with all this new knowledge in my mind, I asked the doctor was surgery my ONLY option. He replied that to stop the bleeding completely, yes it would be but if the bleeding was controlled by the med he had given me and it continued to remain controlled we could wait on surgery. He said we can do the meds for a few months and see if they help. Then I can come off of them and see if the bleeding has stopped. I was more than joyous at this.

He decided to do an uterine/endometrial biopsy to make sure that I don’t have cancer. After he did it, he took a look at the sample and said it looks normal for a women of my age who is still in child bearing years. But the sample will tell the story, if I do have cancer or not.

If I have Cancer, then of course the uterus comes out immediately. If not, we discuss the options at a later time. My instinct tells me I am fine and that my insides are healthy. If they are healthy, I wish to find other options for my treatment and have them remain where they are at.

So for now, the surgery is NOT HAPPENING! Meds are happening and I’m totally ok with that. I’ve had no bleeding since starting the meds except mildly after the biopsy was done. And yall this is the mildest period I’ve had in a long time now, so I’m very happy!

My thought is that maybe I am indeed in perimenopause or even menopause and that’s the cause of the bleeding. But only time and testing will tell.

Monday, I also saw my regular doctor and we discussed my constant tightness and pain in my back. She felt it and said I was definitely tense more than I should be so she issues a mild pain med and muscle relaxer for me to try for a month to see how that works for me. If it’s not worked well then she will issue xrays for me to see what’s going on back there.

At this point, the pain is so intense that any time I do physical activity I’m left in so much pain I can barely move. This is not normal for a 37 year old and I told the doctor I just want to know what’s wrong. I don’t wish to take tons of medication I don’t need. I truly just want to know why I feel as I do. So hopefully, we can find those answers by working together.

On a joyous note, Donald and I got married last Thursday. Today makes it an official week! We told very few people and decided spur of the moment to get it all done and over with. We do plan to have a wedding later but we wanted the legal and stressful part done for ourselves. We are so happy to know that we are following what God has planned for us together and for our family! The kids were excited to know Mommy and Daddy are married as well.

Don also bought himself a little truck this week for a small price. It’s a great vehicle for him to work with and carry off our trash. I’m really proud of all he’s done to change his life and ours as well to make it better. We’re only headed upwards from here.

Him getting a new truck means we can find seats for the van for me and the kids so we can officially have a family car again. This is another great thing! I miss our family adventures and can hardly wait to begin them all again soon!

So this is our end of March update. This is where we are in our life. Looking forward to the future and our love and life together as we continue on this journey.

God bless,
Dana

One Week To Go {Severe Anemia Awareness}

March 22, 2017 by Dana

One week to go…

In one week my life will change. My ability to go forth and multiply will be gone. My heart will never be the same.

I’m trying to remain positive but it’s hard. Monday we go for my ultrasound to see what’s causing my bleeding. My doctor feels uterine fibroids but won’t know for sure until the ultrasound.

Having my children has been a blessing. I never imagined I would be sitting here waiting for my uterus to be removed. I never imagined there would not be a chance to have “just one more” baby.

I know I’m blessed to have four beautiful children. I know many women aren’t as lucky as me. Still this is part of me that I don’t wish to let go of. And yet, I know to continue to enjoy my life with my children and family, I need to have this hysterectomy done.

I look forward to playing with my kids, to camping, to learning, to enjoying our day to day life again. I look forward to not having to worry about having extra clothes “just in case” or how much blood am I going to lose before it stops again. I look forward to not having worry, to just being able to enjoy life and worry about the little things, like paying a bill or buying the kids that new movie they’ve been wanting to see.

In one week, I will be coming out of surgery and stuck in a bed for 12 hours or more. I will no longer have my uterus and may not have a cervix or ovaries depending on what they find. In one week, I will barely be able to move from the pain of losing an important part of my body. In one week, my life will be forever changed, hopefully for the better.

The Answer From The GYN {Severe Anemia Awareness}

March 9, 2017 by Dana

Monday I saw the GYN.

It feels like it was a month ago but it’s only been a few days. The visit didn’t take long. He checked my blood work. He checked me. And we talked.

He asked was I completely done having children. My answer was yes because I had my tubal. He asked me very seriously was I finished, without considering the tubal, was I done. That was a hard question for me to answer.

He said my uterus is slightly enlarged but not terribly. He said I had two options to stop the bleeding: medicine or a hysterectomy but in the end it would probably be the later for both options. In his opinion it is best to go ahead and take out my uterus.

I’m 37 years old. Except for Epilepsy, I’ve been fairly healthy up until now. I hardly get sick. I make educated health choices.

I’m 37 years old and my uterus is giving out on me. My days of having babies is ending and very soon. My head says this is the right thing to do for my health. My heart is broken.

I’ve had 4 babies and I’ve loved every moment with them. I’ve loved carrying them within my womb. I never once thought the option would no longer be there. I’ve never once thought I’d be without something so important as this.

But here I am. And my only option is to let it go, to say goodbye to this beautiful part of me that God has allowed me to bring forth my most beautiful gifts in. To let go of it for my health so I can live for my children.

My heart says, “just one more”. But then isn’t that time already passed. I said goodbye to babies when I had my tubal.

I regret that. I regret giving up the ability to have children. I regret not allowing myself to have that one more baby. But then that one more would have led into another and maybe another. I don’t think the desire to have more children will ever leave my heart.

And I’m thankful. I know so many women never get their sweet gifts from God. He blessed me with 4 and two I’ll only know when I get to Heaven. I’m thankful for that. For the opportunity to love His children, my children in this lifetime.

So here I am, making this huge choice for my health, with my heart in pieces and hoping it’s the right answer for me. I need to be healthy to enjoy the time I have with my children during their youth as that’s quickly passing every day. I want to be there to see them grow and prosper.

My surgery date is March 29 with some pre-op stuff on March 27. I picked the closest date so I could just get it over with. I’m hoping that it’s quick and easy for me with no complications. I’m hoping it’s like those 4 c-sections in comparison to pain. I won’t know until I get there, but I pray for quick healing and ease in moving forward.

For now this is where we are at.

God bless,

Dana

Quick Update: March 2017 {Severe Anemia Awareness}

March 1, 2017 by Dana

Monday I went to the doctor for the first time in years for myself. I’ve tried for a year to get this appointment and finally got it. I definitely wasn’t going to miss it.

This appointment was to establish a physician for me and to obtain a physical which I really needed since I haven’t been to a doctor outside an OB in forever. My checks for my pregnancies were also fine and blood work was always good so I never worried about it. I’m rarely sick.

The check up went well. I love the new dr. She’s so sweet and really listened to my concerns. She went through all the details. She issued an EKG to check my heart after my blood pressure dropped on Saturday for no apparent reason. She also had blood work done to check that everything was okay. I left happy with my appointment with her.

This morning, I received two calls on my cell phone which I never get calls on. I assumed it was from the GYN I was being referred to by the doctor and I was sleeping with Laycie beside me so I didn’t want to answer and disturb her. I figured it could wait.

When I finally did get up, I realized it had been the doctors office. My dr and her nurse had both called and their voices sounded really concerned. I immediately gave them a call back.

My blood work showed that my hemoglobin level is very low at a 7 and my cell count is down as well. This explains why I have been so very tired lately. It also explains why my BP dropped as it did.

So the doctor has me scheduled for a blood transfusion tomorrow. Iron is not an option for me as I’m allergic to it and it gives me severe migraines. And I definitely can’t keep going with a low blood level. She really wanted me in today but they weren’t able to fit me into the schedule until tomorrow.

I’ve never had a blood transfusion that I can remember. I’m told it’s like getting IV fluids. I’m hopeful it is. I’m scared it isn’t. But overall, I’m looking forward to my levels being corrected and to feeling better so I can get back to my job as Mom. It’s hard to be down when you’re the Mom of children who have special needs and who need you.

I’m praying the kids remain stable and no seizures happen while I’m dealing with this. God is usually good to us and keeps things in control so I know he’s got my back. I’m hoping one transfusion is all I need and that my GYN appointment comes up with answers for my health that I’m needing so we can get back to a normal life again.

For now though, I wanted to update. I’m taking my phone and iPad along tomorrow so I’m sure I’ll be online trying to keep myself occupied but I won’t be back here for a few days.

Until next time…

Dana