Lushchicken
26-01-17, 08:56
Hello guys,
This is my first post on No More Panic. I've been reading for a while but my health anxiety is through the roof today and I just need to share. I'm female and 35 years old.
6 months ago I was diagnosed with low iron levels after a routine blood test. I think they were at around 43 which my doctor considered to be at the lower end of the 'normal' scale. He immediately went on a rant about how I would need to get a colonoscopy if they don't improve. He also made me give stool samples to rule out bleeding. One of three samples did come back positive for blood unfortunately. It was only later that day that I realised that I had some pre-period spotting. So the sample might have been positive due to that. Who knows.
He sent me on my way without any further instructions or supplements and ordered another blood test for January. I had that done last Friday and tomorrow I will have to go in and discuss my results with him. And I'm TERRIFIED. I have been feeling some fatigue over the last months and a couple of weeks ago I suddenly started getting heart palpitations. So I've now convinced myself that the result won't be great. My doctor has already made it clear that he doesn't believe in upping iron levels with nutrition and he seems to think that the supplements won't help either. He's made it very clear that extensive GI tests are in order if my iron doesn't improve. I have a major fear of colon cancer so you can imagine how I felt when he started talking about internal bleeding.
I'm just at a loss because I feel like he never gave me a chance or support to try and get my iron levels up. I had gone on a 1200 calorie/day diet about a year before the test and was convinced that the low iron was caused by that. But he dismissed this suggestion. I'm a woman but have fairly light periods, so I guess that cause can be ruled out.
I'm so worried about that consultation tomorrow and what might come after.
This is my first post on No More Panic. I've been reading for a while but my health anxiety is through the roof today and I just need to share. I'm female and 35 years old.
6 months ago I was diagnosed with low iron levels after a routine blood test. I think they were at around 43 which my doctor considered to be at the lower end of the 'normal' scale. He immediately went on a rant about how I would need to get a colonoscopy if they don't improve. He also made me give stool samples to rule out bleeding. One of three samples did come back positive for blood unfortunately. It was only later that day that I realised that I had some pre-period spotting. So the sample might have been positive due to that. Who knows.
He sent me on my way without any further instructions or supplements and ordered another blood test for January. I had that done last Friday and tomorrow I will have to go in and discuss my results with him. And I'm TERRIFIED. I have been feeling some fatigue over the last months and a couple of weeks ago I suddenly started getting heart palpitations. So I've now convinced myself that the result won't be great. My doctor has already made it clear that he doesn't believe in upping iron levels with nutrition and he seems to think that the supplements won't help either. He's made it very clear that extensive GI tests are in order if my iron doesn't improve. I have a major fear of colon cancer so you can imagine how I felt when he started talking about internal bleeding.
I'm just at a loss because I feel like he never gave me a chance or support to try and get my iron levels up. I had gone on a 1200 calorie/day diet about a year before the test and was convinced that the low iron was caused by that. But he dismissed this suggestion. I'm a woman but have fairly light periods, so I guess that cause can be ruled out.
I'm so worried about that consultation tomorrow and what might come after.