NICIAW - Anemia (Iron Deficiency)

This is from Niccy:

1. The illness I live with is: Iron Deficiency Anemia

2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 2001

3. But I had symptoms since: 1998

4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is:  Getting regular blood draws, and having to miss school, work, and life in general on days when I'm just too tired

5. Most people assume: I am just lazy and whine a lot

6. The hardest part about mornings are: Forcing myself to get out of bed when just moving is hard to do

7. My favorite medical TV show is: House

8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: My cell phone (what does that have to do with anemia?)

9. The hardest part about nights are: being so tired I cannot stay up any longer, but not being SLEEPY yet

10. Each day I take __ pills & vitamins. (No comments, please) It depends on what my levels are currently.  Usually at least 3.

11. Regarding alternative treatments I: do modify my diet and I have tried "natural supplements" but I am skeptical.

12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: visible.  I hate being called lazy.  If people could see my illness, maybe they would be more understanding.

13. Regarding working and career:  I take more sick days than many people.  My bosses in the past have thought that because my anemia is caused by iron deficiency, I can fix that and be cured.  They don't understand that this is a chronic issue for me.

14. People would be surprised to know: inside, I feel like an energetic, fun, very athletic person - trapped in a broken body.

15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: that sometimes, I just do not have enough energy to do the things I want.

16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: run in a 5K with my friends.

17. The commercials about my illness: are depressing and not informative.

18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: nothing, really.  I felt sick for a few years before I was diagnosed, so that particular day didn't really change anything at all.

19. It was really hard to have to give up: there's nothing I gave up.

20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is:  I have gotten pretty good at doing Anime-style drawings.

21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: spend the whole day doing things, without thinking about taking my iron supplements and without an afternoon rest period.

22. My illness has taught me: to not take simple pleasures for granted.

23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: "My relative/friend/acquaintance had that, and they got better just by eating more meat."  I wish it was that simple, but for some people (read, me) it's not.

24. But I love it when people:  plan things that even tired people can do, and invite me to be a part of it.

25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: I don't really have anything like this.

26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: keep your appointments to monitor your blood.  Take your supplements.  And be honest with your doctors about how tired you really feel.

27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: that I can't just stuff it to the back of my mind.  It seems like it's always there.

28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was:  my boyfriend brought me soup and a pile of magazines one night when I was too tired to go out with him.

29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because:  I know there are other people with anemia who don't think it really "counts" as an illness.  But it does.  Maybe I can help them get the courage to speak up.

30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: maybe it is okay for me to share that I just do not feel well