FN Blog - Seven heads are better than one!

My past has come back to haunt me.

Years ago, I was severely anemic. So much so that my doctor refused to allow me to travel unless I got my hemoglobin count up. So it was a lot of iron, and the occasional servings of liver for me.

My anemia followed me throughout college and through my first job, but it never really bothered me the way it used to. Didn’t really give much thought to it ‘til last night. See, a few days ago, the back of my neck and my head kind of hurt. The masseuse asked, “Ma’am, high blood ba kayo?” I thought about all the fried, fatty things I shouldn’t have been eating (but which were a normal part of my diet) and made a mental note to check my blood pressure. And then yesterday, I got a dizzy spell—something I hadn’t had in a really long time. So last night, I took my BP and—what do you know—it was abnormally low! (Or “BORDERLINE LOW,” warned a chart that I consulted. I got some mild scolding/worried messages from both my mother and H.)

I could be suffering from hypotension, but I’m placing a bet on my old friend. I’d almost forgotten that dizziness was one of the symptoms of anemia. It was so bad before that I would stay in bed and shut my eyes because the room would spin every friggin’ time I made the slightest movement. (And I never really did get the question, “Anong klaseng hilo—‘yung umiikot ‘yung kuwarto o ikaw ‘yung umiikot?” Dizziness was dizziness, and no matter what was spinning, you could barely tell which way was up.)

Today, I’m feeling kind of faint, and would really love to just stay in bed—I don’t know if it’s just the power of suggestion, feeling sick because the numbers said so. But there’s work to be done, and a pick-up game tonight, so I’m just sucking it up. I haven’t actually gone to have my blood checked, but I will soon. For now, there’s no gimmick for me. Gotta get to bed before 2:00 a.m. for once. Better safe than…never. Haha.