This is literally how anemia can make you feel...exhausted!!! and the picture is really cute. Koalas can sleep for around 20 hours a day apparently and even though I didn't sleep for that many hours each day, I certainly felt like it at times. Anyway, I'm happy to say that my blood tests show my levels have now increased from my ferritin levels being 8 (severe anemia) to 40 (hurrah). This has been going on for a while, around a year I guess, but I didn't notice until I asked for HRT and the Doctor did blood tests, ferritin being one of them. Even then I was so intent on the tiredness being part of my menopause that I wasn't interested in what the doctor was saying about anemia. I just put it down to being 50, peri-menopausal and dare I say it getting older. All of which was absolute rubbish and I have learnt from that to always trust my intuition and listen to medical advice. However, the menopause, i believe has upset my body balance with experiencing heavy periods and becoming oestrogen deficient and I think that has all contributed.
It has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride as i've mentioned in previous menopause diary blogs and I think as a human race, we tend to just carry on and push on through...which is ok to a certain extent especially if we fear something and need to overcome that fear. But, i have learnt through practicing yoga to listen to my body and what it is trying to tell me, even more so now I've had severe anemia.
As I reflect over the past year and how I felt I can see that my body was asking for help and eventually it just shut me down! My ego however, and my mind were in the driving seat and this is something in yoga we try to address by bringing the mind and body together harmoniously - Yoga means to Yoke, bring together, connect. At the start of a practice, I might ask my students to become aware of their breath and how it feels in the moment and then take a body scan from the tips of their toes to the nape of their neck. Whilst this is being practiced, my students are coming out of thinking and into feeling. Becoming aware of their bodies and all the sensations/niggles they can feel. This might be a little uncomfortable as we can live in our heads for alot of the day and think we know how we feel, but not actually feel the way we feel. It is a practice and it does get easier as anything does with time and patience. If we allow space so that we can breath and flow and just 'be', the magic starts to happen.
If like me, you are suffering from tiredness and it is unusual for you, my intuition would be to firstly contact the doctor to explore why this is happening and take the iron supplements and all the help they offer you including regular blood tests. The second thing which I felt was really important, was to educate myself. Learn as much as possible afterall this is your body, the amazing vessel that carries you through your day to day life. The third thing is to look at your lifestyle and see what is going on and if you can help your body in any way possible. For me that was my diet, exercise, resting and accepting myself as I am using all the tools I already have and practicing them:
*Yoga - my practice slows down to restorative yin, nidra, shorter vinyasa on tired days.
*Walking for my heart health every day.
*Strength training at the gym on the days I have energy for my bone density and building muscle strength.
*Jogging for my heart health.
*Doing a job I love so that on the days my energy is down I gain energy from teaching my students. In doing something I love, the stress has been taken away.
*Eating foods rich in iron such as eggs, fish and a little more red meat which contains Heam iron which is all absorbed into the body. Also eating non-heam foods where not as much iron is absorbed such as spinach, pulses, nuts and dried fruit.
*Drinking orange juice with every meal to help with absorption of the iron and not drinking tea with my meals as I had always done as this can slow absorption.
*Sleeping and resting when needed, yes putting my feet up and accepting how I feel, cancelling plans and not feeling guilty and getting an early night when needed.
*Accepting how my body is feeling and being grateful for my health and what I can do, your mind is such an integral part of feeling well and the way you talk to yourself is so important.
So in conclusion an iron deficiency isn't fun it's alot of hardwork just carrying on day to day and I do feel for anyone who is suffering. However, once you get your head around it and accept what is happening to your body, take all the help which is offered to you and most importantly trust your intuition and help yourself with lifestyle changes, take it from me you can move forward. By removing the blocks and the fear of what might happen in the future which can possibly send you into a state of anxiousness, try and live in the present moment using all the tools you have in your toolkit. Accept where you are, be grateful for everything your body does for you and live the life you want to live. For me, yoga and lifestyle changes were the start of my journey and it helped me deal with everything in my life. I aspire to live by the yogic 8 limb pathway and it certainly keeps me grounded and humble for the life I live.
I would like to mention Harley Street at Home which is a website that I subscribe to which is helping me through the menopause and my anemia. They do have a facebook page also which is free and they have all sorts of information from menopause specialists. The founder Nigel Denby is a nutritionist and has done some wonderful workshops on anemia and menopause. I find it really useful to dip in and out of and maybe you would too.
Until the next time xxx
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