Guest post by Casey Haskins about her experience and discovery of Iron Deficiency Anemia. Thank you Casey for sharing your story.
My Terrible and Great Experience with Iron Deficiency Anemia
So the last
time I wrote a blog I talked about the struggles I faced returning to running
after a month off. My pace was substantially slower but I was gradually
improving and was back on track with training for my first full marathon.
Shortly after I wrote that, my pace
started to plummet once again. This time, there was no apparent reason for the
decrease in performance and I found this to be extremely frustrating. Not only
was I slowing down but I had developed a wide array of issues- terrible
heartburn and indigestion, missed periods, restless leg syndrome so unbearable
I could hardly sleep at night, an intense burning in my calves when I walked up
stairs or ran, and the worst of all was how miserably tired, sluggish, and
winded I felt during my runs. I was once a 9 minute mile runner yet I couldn’t
run a 12 minute mile without feeling like collapsing.
I spoke to my sister-in-law/running buddy
about my troubles and she mentioned that it sounded like I was possibly low on
iron. She suggested that I take a multi-vitamin which might give me the boost I
needed. So, off to the store I went and purchased a large bottle of
multi-vitamins. I thought to myself, “Alright, I’m going to take this for a
month and if things don’t improve, I guess I’ll go to the doctor.”
In the meantime, I was reading
different running blogs and articles and discovered that iron deficiency is
quite common among females, specifically endurance runners. So I continued to take
my horse pill everyday as prescribed but to my disappointment, I was not seeing
any improvements. I just hoped that things were going to fix themselves.
However, things were not fixing themselves – they were getting much worse. It
got to the point where I felt so terrible during my runs I would feel like I
was going to vomit or faint. There were a couple of times that I just had to
plop down on the side of the trail and catch my breath for 5- 10 minutes while
fighting off nausea.
It was about 2 weeks into taking my vitamin,
that I finally decided that enough was enough. I was going to the doctor. I was
able to get an appointment a week from the day I called and I was more than
ready to find out what was going on with me. The weekend before my appointment
was a half-marathon that I had signed up for. I contemplated not running it but
decided that I would go ahead and do it anyway since I really wanted to stick
with the marathon training I had been doing. My time was 15 minutes slower than
my previous half and I really think I only did that well because it was a super
flat course.
Frisco half for the Highline for Scouting Half Marathon
A couple days later was my
appointment and I told my doctor about everything I had been experiencing. She
ran several different blood tests and said she would get back to me. A couple
days later I got the call. She proceeded to tell me that I had iron-deficiency
anemia. I had let this problem go for so long that I was nearly depleted. She
prescribed me some high-dosage iron supplements and asked me to return in a
month.
So, I started taking these little
green pills and following all of the specific instructions that go along with
them (take on empty stomach, take with vitamin c, don’t lay down for 10 minutes
after taking one, don’t take within 2 hours of dairy products, tea or coffee,
etc….). I was really happy to know that my problem was going to be fixed.
However, in 2 days I was supposed to be doing the longest run in my training
schedule- a 20 miler.
Now, it was obvious these little
magic pills were not taking affect just yet because I still felt miserable but
since there was hope I still wanted to stick to that schedule. My sister-in-law
and I agreed that it was in both of our best interests to run this one
separate. She needed to see what pace she could handle for the marathon and I
had to be able to go as slow as I needed and possibly even stop to rest. The night before the long run, I was angry. I
was angry at myself for not going to the doctor sooner, I was angry that I
couldn’t keep up with my running partner, and I was angry that I was going to
have to go this one alone. My husband and sister-in-law both gave me
encouragement as well as words of advice to take it easy as possible.
I woke up the next morning with a bad attitude
and a head filled with doubts and worries. However, I bucked up, laced my
shoes, strapped on the Camelbak, and headed to the trail. Four hours later, I
had successfully completed my 20 miles. I didn’t feel great, as a matter of
fact I felt terrible BUT something great did happen that day. I discovered how
truly capable I am. There I was, feeling physically and emotionally worse than
I really ever have in my life but I did it. I ran 20 miles by myself. Having a
running partner, spouse, or friend is great and I love to share those
experiences with other people but there is something so intensely amazing about
doing something so physically and mentally challenging without the help of
others. I’m the kind of person, who habitually criticizes themselves and
sometimes just can’t muster up a feeling of pride. Not on this day though. This
day I was proud.
As I sit here typing this, I am 2 ½
weeks into taking my supplements. With each run, I feel better and better. Not
only do I feel better and all of my weird issues are improving but I am
enjoying my runs again. I ran another
half marathon this past weekend and my time had improved by 14 minutes. I was
thrilled with that and also know the next one I run will be a personal best.
I’m still on track for my full marathon which will be here in just 2 short
weeks. Instead of feeling scared or doubtful, I feel very excited because I
know I can do it!
Big Party Half Marathon
Even though I will tell you that
becoming anemic is one of the worst things that has ever happened to me
(because it really is) it is also one of the best things that happened to me.
This is what iron deficiency anemia taught me:
1. I am capable of so much more
than I ever thought possible (and so are you!)
2. As runners, we need to have
respect for those people at the back of the pack (they are spending WAY more
time on their feet than anyone else which shows true effort, determination, and
dedication).
3. Don’t make judgments about a
person’s pace (fast or slow- it’s all relative to what you are capable of. What
is slow for one person may be the fastest another can go.)
4. Even if you are training smart
and eating right, it is still possible for you to not to be getting the
nutrition your body needs.
5. If you feel like something isn’t
right, don’t wait. Go to the doctor.
