Blog Post 06: Taking Steps Forward
This past Sunday, I got sick. Again. Fever, congestion, tightness in my chest, a crazy deep cough. Despite having had COVID and receiving 3 vaccines, there is a still a part of me that panics. COVID has already taken so much from me, and I’m absolutely terrified that I’ll test positive again, unsure of how much more damage it would cause the second time. After a round of negative home tests, I decided to wait it out, knowing I had an appointment with my doctor on Friday.
Come Friday, I was still sick. As I write this on Sunday, I’m still sick. Fortunately, it’s viral bronchitis! I’m uncomfortable and sick and exhausted, but it’s not COVID, so I can’t complain. Plus it’s a diagnosis! Not one that solves my larger concerns, but still a comfort that I haven’t had in quite awhile.
At my appointment, we started off with the anemia. I wasn’t thrilled with her suggestion to double my iron pills. I was first diagnosed with anemia in April of 2021, while I was still living in Nashville. That doctor had me on iron and Vitamin C every day, and it caused a variety of GI issues for me. When I moved back to MA, my childhood doctor switched me to every other day for better absorption and in the hopes that my symptoms would subside. I mentioned this to my new doctor and she explained that it is possible that doubling the dose while maintaining the every other day schedule may not result in the same side effects. I was still hesitant though. She then offered iron infusions, which is the option we decided on. I’ll go for my first infusion, wait a month, then redo my blood work to evaluate my iron and hemoglobin levels. If they’re still low, I’ll do a second infusion. If after two infusions, my levels haven’t improved, then I’ll have to go for GI testing to see if there’s another reason I’m not absorbing iron.
From there, we discussed some of my other symptoms. Between the marks on my legs and the enlarged lymph nodes, it’s becoming more evident that I’m having an issue with inflammation. This has been seen in many other long haulers. In some cases, this has resulted in autoimmune disorders. My doctor was not confident in her ability to order labs that would specifically and accurately screen for these. However, she referred me to a rheumatologist and I’ll schedule that appointment in the coming days.
I still don’t have answers, but this is progress! I’m starting a new treatment and expanding my team to include a new specialist. I’m genuinely hopeful that these are steps in the right direction!