Last week I went to a new doctor. It’s been a minute but with a bit of cash in the bank from my tax return, we’re able to get all the cars and human bodies serviced. I’ve always been a pretty healthy person. I’ve mildly exercised my whole life in some way or another and most of the time, at least during the week, we eat pretty nutritious food. Not smoking is always good (I gave that up in my mid-20’s) and now I haven't had a drink for 4 years so my baseline is pretty good or at least that's what I thought going into the appointment.
I made the appointment because I'm so tired ALL THE TIME. I sleep well, exercise a lot, eat well and still, every morning it's like I ran a manathon the day before. It sucks. I got some blood taken and the results were surprising. Firstly my cholesterol is right on the border, which is shocking to me. I’m not even entirely sure I know what cholesterol is because it was so far out of my radar but the doctor says I should start making some adjustments to my diet just in case. Jesus, I’m turning 43 next month and all of a sudden that feels really old if I have to start thinking about my cholesterol!
The second surprising result was my iron level. I’m not sure what the unit is but anything between 30 to 300 is within a healthy range. The doctor would've been happy if I was sitting at around 180 - that is a good number to aim for. When they measured my iron levels I came in at near, non-existent 6. There is virtually no iron in my blood right now. No wonder everything feels so bloody hard!
Low iron is a real pain in the arse. Iron is essential for making hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen from the lungs throughout the body. As someone who exercises regularly, I’m often surprised by how unfit I feel. The probable reason for this is because my muscles are struggling to utilize oxygen efficiently and regenerate properly. Increased muscle fatigue and weakness, limited growth and compromised physical performance are all side effects of low iron. No wonder I feel like I’m not making any progress.
There is some low hanging fruit in regards to getting the most out of iron in your diet. Easiest is to pair iron rich food with vitamin C (I’m thinking of a delicious steak with a side of rocket with a lemony vinaigrette and maybe a few roast carrots for vitamin A). The vitamin C boosts absorption of iron by keeping it soluble and available for uptake in the intestines. A glass of OJ after an iron rich meal is a good idea.
One thing to avoid with iron rich meals is calcium (and copper + zinc) because they share the same absorption pathways and can inhibit the uptake of iron. This is such a bummer because the main source of meat for us is our weekly taco/burrito night when we have chilli - with stacks of sour cream and cheese! The doctor has now informed me that this is an inadequate ‘iron rich’ meal.
While it's good to know that there is actually something wrong with me and hopefully with an iron infusion or two, I’ll be back up to speed, the financial cost of this discovery has been high. The only reason this all came about was because I got my tax return back. I needed to get a new doctor which cost $180 plus another $180 for the pre-infusion consultation. It’s $150 for the infusion itself and with all the rebates, I get $120 off with Medicare - which is substantial but you still need the funds in the bank to pay for the appointment in the first place. This is all with a healthcare card as well by the way.
This whole process cost over $500, and if I need multiple infusions, it will be closer to $1000. The irony of this whole situation, and why I’m in it in the first place, is that red meat is so expensive that we very rarely buy it. Our weekly chilli or bolognese is a cheap way to eat red meat over lots of meals. Feeding a family of four on a budget of around $300 per week doesn’t include good red meat. It can’t. Any decent meat, even from Coles or Woolies is around $30-$40 per kilo. Going to an actual butcher (which I’d prefer to do) will add another $10 per kilo at least.
Low iron is pretty common amongst menstruating women. Life blood Australia is always texting me, reminding me to get enough iron. I almost always dismiss them because I’m always doing the best with what I have and pushing through. All the women I know are REALLY good at that. We don’t stop and make sure that we’re ok. There always seems to be a queue of at least three people lining up wanting something more pressing. If you add in the cost of living right now and the out of pocket expenses of seeing a doctor, I think there are probably quite a few ladies out there who are thinking - hmmm, maybe I do have low iron… tiredness, weakness and pale skin are all symptoms. I think most people will be feeling a little bit of this at the end of winter anyway.
I’m yet to get my infusion but am hoping they can squeeze me in today. I’m excited for it. Imagine how great I’m going to be feeling when I have oxygen rich blood pumping around my body again! If you think I have zest now, wait until I’m fully charged up on iron! Watch out.
