Today is a new day.
After a night of sleep disrupted by anger dreams, which in hindsight have some fascinating aspects -- a non-existent 6-year-old granddaughter named Megan who acted out like a child in a horror movie (I have never watched the movie Megan), she was screaming and dropping F bombs...was that my inner child having a tantrum?! Anyway. This morning I am feeling better.
Thanks to my dear friend Tim for asking me yesterday what was going on and hearing me out and validating my frustrations. I do not like to be a burden to anyone or to vent my outrage, I tend to avoid that, but he asked and it popped out and he handled it lovingly and brilliantly, and for that I am grateful.
It is not an overreaction to be upset when you read that anemia can be life-threatening. In my previous post you see the numbers. They're very bad. My blood pressure last week was 111/56. That's low, even for me. My typical, relaxed BP is around 120/60 to 130/70. When I was stressed last year at the surgeon's office, the upper number was 147. Anemia can lead to organ damage and heart failure. I almost took myself to a hospital on Wednesday, I was that freaked out. But I prefer to avoid a blood transfusion.
By the end of the day yesterday, Thursday, I had managed to get critical minerals in balance. I am very thankful for the Cronometer nutrient tracking app for teaching me about nutrient ratios and phytate. Nobody ever told me anything about copper. I was seeing two MDs last year while diagnosed with anemia and neither of them said a thing about copper or phytate.
In hindsight, I realized that I was also angry at myself because I was not demanding enough. I tend to be passive. Add to that the apathy of depression. Sometimes I just don't care anymore. It's so overwhelming. It seems impossible. Hopeless. I have lymphoma. I have cancer. I am no longer healthy. It is what it is. Aging. Dying.
But I could have pushed to speak with a dietitian. I am responsible for my well being and happiness. I could have gone out of network and demanded that insurance cover it because they did not have an RD within 50 miles. I could have demanded a telehealth consultation to ask dietary questions. Instead, I told my doctors that I wanted to speak with an RD and they did not refer me and I let it slide. I thought I was doing enough. Taking iron. Eating a well-balanced mix of healthy foods. Tracking my nutrients, making sure everything was at or above 100% of the daily recommended intake for a woman my age and size. Careful not to overdose on any vitamins or minerals that could be harmful in excess. Careful about ratios of zinc/copper, potassium/sodium, calcium/magnesium, calcium/oxalate, Omega-6/Omega-3.
And then Cronometer added important info to the app and I learned a new fact: phytate interferes with absorption of iron, calcium and zinc. Most of the iron I was taking and eating just went to waste because I was eating foods high in phytic acid -- I thought I was doing a really good thing for myself, getting nutrition from nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes and beans. I thought it was better for me to get nutrients from these sources because plant protein is easier for kidneys to break down than animal protein, and I've had chronic kidney failure for >10 years, so I was trying to keep my kidneys in mind, as well as the anemia. Damn.
Today is a new day. A copper supplement is on its way today. Meanwhile, I can get sufficient amounts by eating more mushrooms and potatoes. I don't mind!
Next week I will call my new doctor's office. I have selected a DO instead of an MD. DO training is more holistic. And one thing I know about Kaiser Permanente is that they do have RDs and in the past when I was fortunate enough to live near a KP and have the insurance option to go there, they took excellent care of me and automatically referred me to an RD. I didn't have to ask or push. They are proactive about educating patients. They did the same for my husband when he was diagnosed pre-diabetic.
Next week, I may go to Urgent Care or the Emergency Department to get another blood test, but I am hoping that won't be necessary. I am hoping that I can talk to an RD and the new DO right away and see what they think.
Is this anemia caused by dietary issues? Could it be caused by lymphoma? Do I need a blood transfusion? Do I need stem cell therapy? Do I have a leak in my gut? Is my digestive system struggling to absorb nutrients, since surgery removed two sections?
Today is a new day. Eggs, potatoes and mushrooms for breakfast with pico de gallo and zero carb tortillas. Yum!
No more chocolate graham crackers -- they add too much phytate. Ginger snaps are a better treat for me.
My average phytate intake since I started using Cronometer in November was 860 mg. Yesterday my phytate was 226 mg. This knowledge will make a difference. I can do this.
❤
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