RS: Long Time, NO Blog.

So, it's been a while to say the least. Right when I had EVERY intention of blogging on a regular basis, BAM! - I disappear. I've had a lot of people ask "What happened to your blog?" - nothing's happened to the blog, per-say. It's more of what happened to me at the end of January.

See, here's the thing - I'm a very stubborn person.

Many of you probably already know this to be true.

So stubborn, that I did, in fact, keep quiet for three months when I was evidently, obviously very ill. There was something not right about what was going on with me. But I didn't go to the doctor. I waited it out. I expected whatever was going on with me was just going to pass on its own. Bad idea, I know. (Believe me, I got an earful from all of my loved ones when this whole episode was said and done) These symptoms in question lasted from before Thanksgiving of 2009 until the end of January/beginning of February of this year.

So, I finally had enough and went to see my doctor at the end of January. Here's the thing - I had only seen my doctor one time previous to this visit (I had just moved to the South Charlotte area a few months prior, and decided to change physicians with the move). When she walked into the room, I knew something was really wrong. One look at me, and she ordered me to the lab - no questions about how I had been feeling, no bp check, no nothing. Just a "Oh my gosh, you look terrible. I need to get some blood - go down the hall."

Okay - let's just get one thing straight. Needles and I do NOT get along. At all. And neither do I and the unfortunate nurse that is instructed to stick said needle in my arm. Now, it's not like I cause grievous harm to the nurse, but I have made a habit of looking the nurse in the face and letting them know that I do not like them given what they're about to do.

Anywho....I go down the hall and let the vampires do their thing. And come back. And wait.

Now, if you've been fortunate to never have had blood work done, here's how it USUALLY works: you go give blood, come back to the room, and continue on with the check-up/appointment with the doctor. Test results typically come back within the next week for standard tests (iron levels, allergy tests, etc.), and up to a month later for more complex testing (Von Willdebrand's, etc.).

I have had upwards of 40+ bloodtests done in my lifetime, and never, EVER have I had the results back within 15 minutes....until this day. Again, let me point out that my doctor still had not asked me anything regarding how I was feeling - she came in, slapped the blood work on the table, and looked me straight in the eyes: "You're going to the hospital right now, young lady."

WHAT?

I freaked. She was so direct. So blunt. So concerned. And it was obvious to me at that moment that there was something seriously wrong. And this was all coming at the exact wrong time - it was a Thursday night, which just so happened to be the first night of my Thursday night classes for my first spring semester of Grad school.

She also looked at me at amazement. Why? "How did you get here? Who brought you?"

"Um, I drove myself."

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, I drove myself here from work..."

"I have no idea how you're even sitting here conscious right now, much less how you drove yourself here. Have you been keeping up with your normal schedule? Have you missed any work?"

"No. None at all."

"What in the...-?"

What was she getting at?

THEN SHE EXPLAINED.

Apparently, my blood tests came back astronomically, off-the-charts, low. My hemoglobin was at a staggering 3.8 - to put this in perspective, a healthy person has a hemoglobin reading of at least a 12, and most doctors suggest beginning blood transfusion therapy when the reading drops to an 8. She had never seen someone walk into her office with a level this low. Basically, my organs should've begun shutting down and failing a while before I had even made it to the hospital - it was a miracle nothing like that had begun to happen. It was also a miracle I was still conscious and functioning at the capacity that I had been (although, it had been evident in the previous weeks that I was not operating at my 100% - I had to have my neighbor carry my groceries up to my apartment for me one night because after each trip of 2 bags each, I'd have to sit down for 5 minutes and catch my breath...it was miserable).

So, she was sending me to the hospital. Being naive and ignorant to how hospital-stays go in situations such as mine, I thought I might be out in time to make it to class that night - and there was no doubt in my mind I'd make it to work the next morning. Oh no. I was severely mistaken, and my doctor let me know. It was going to be at LEAST one nights stay - if not two, three, or possibly even four, depending on if they saw a need to run more tests, and depending on what those might reveal.

Long story short, I had 3 units of blood infused that night. Luckily, it was only a one-night hospital visit for me. By the time I left the hospital Friday evening, my hemoglobin level had risen to a "stable" 6.8 (this was by far the most stable I had been in a while...but I still had a ways to go to be healthy again).

I went in the next three weeks or so to a specialist to try to follow up and determine any potential cause for my illness and drastic drop in blood levels. No definite answers. Which is frustrating. But, I'm not focusing my time, energy, and finances on finding the answer to the "what" issue. I'm focusing all of the above on the "how" issue right now - HOW do I keep this from happening to me again?

So, in sum, I'm back to blogging. And, no, I'm not dying. Just trying to get healthy again. It's going to take some time. And there have already been some set-backs. But I'm determined now more than ever to make sure that my anemia and blood levels get under control. One hospital stay given this situation is enough for me, thank you!

So, I'm hoping to get back into my routine again here shortly. It may take a little time to get completely right-on-track, but semi-regularly is better than never!