I have been donating blood for a long time. It quietly matters to me, but I don't want to be thanked for it. If I can, I should.
In the past few years, it's been slightly harder - it's just age, I've cut back from three times a year to two, which seems sensible. I've also asked my sister to make dinner that evening and to feed the cats that afternoon, since I fainted at the top of the stairs a while ago and woke up at the bottom, luckily without injury.
Anyway, I failed the blood test this afternoon. 106, when they want 125+ and anything under 115 is anaemic. I know myself and anything under 120 is anaemic. No idea why it's failed, rather, since January. I've phoned the GP practice and, if I don't get blood tests then I'll pay for them. Not that I care all that much, in one sense, but one has to take responsibility.
In other news, I normally avoid alcohol and have an early night after a donation. No obligation about any of that ridiculousness. Party on, darlings.
7 comments:
Good luck with getting to the bottom of this. Let’s hope you just need to take some B12 or similar.
I'm putting myself on a strictly iron-rich diet, anyway
Is that deficiency (whatever it is) contributing to how you are feeling do you think? I hope your GP offers you an appointment soon.
- BW
It's probably connected with the fatigue, but it's what's causing the anaemia that's the thing. I should hear back from the surgery next week, if they just offer iron tablets, I'll point out that this doesn't look at the cause of something that's never happened since I was pregnant 42 years ago.
I failed recently too :( Apparently with age, the RBCs get smaller and their ability to carry Hb falls. At least thats what it looks like in my case.
There is a blood test called Ferritin, which is needed in addition to the usual tests. I found this out after 2 doctors, so sharing that info.
Yes, they checked ferritin too and all the results are on the NHS app on my phone. It's all very efficient.
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