Fading - sinking - slipping...whatever you call it, you know what I'm talking about if you're anemic. Right in the middle of writing a commentary for the cookbook or putting a trig quiz together, I will fade and remember that I am still becoming Iron Woman, but I'm not there yet. A serum ferritin level of 4 isn't really all that impressive, and coupled with the fact that the reticulocyte count is less that fantastic, I should not expect to be bursting with energy just yet. And that is ok. That is ok. That is OK. This is the new mantra - that it is ok to not do it all...at least not until I get the thumbs up from the doc.
But for those of us who deal with the issues of anemia - fatigue, headaches, excessive thirst, bizarre cravings, interrupted sleep, shortness of breath, chest pains - the obligation to perform at our "normal" capacity is frustrating. I mean, you look at us, and other than "tired" or "pale", we don't appear to be ill. And there is no way to detect the cognitive issue that I describe above - we just appear "spacy" or "not with it". But some folks can enlighten us as to what the cognitive fallout from being anemic can be. You had to know I'd turn to neuroscience research at some point in the game.
It seems that a great deal more work on the cognitive effects of anemia has been done in the area of pediatric research, and studies typically show that anemic infants and children have delayed motor and mental development relative to their non-anemic counterparts. Doesn't that frighten you? To think that brain development is delayed is a scary thought, especially in children when the neural canvas is being "painted", if you will. As for the research that has been conducted involving adults with anemia, it has been in the area of biochemistry and reveals that our cognitive functioning is impaired and that this condition also leads to a shorter attention span and irritabilty (the behavioral fallout, I call it). Decreased work capacity as well as lower activity levels in general have also been noted. And it's no wonder, is it? We just feel rotten a lot of the time.
So, I say we need more research into anemia that targets us "middle folk" - not infants, not geriatrics - just those adults that are in the middle of those groups. Do not misunderstand me here, I want research to be conducted to target all groups suffering from anemia, but I'd like to see this middle group covered more. I think some of us may be busy, caught up in life in general, and not taking our anemia seriously enough, so maybe a little awareness would go a long way? To that end, check out this link to a news update on pharmaceutical company AMAG and their Fereheme product - http://www.news-medical.net/news/20100629/AMAG-Takeda-provide-regulatory-and-clinical-update-for-Feraheme-Injection.aspx
Stay strong and spread the word!
Iron Woman FeFe
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