13/03/2022
Has your iron deficiency anaemia been put down to heavy periods?
“I went in for a colonoscopy on my 39th birthday. I had been fatigued, at times overwhelmingly, for almost two years. I knew I was severely anaemic but assumed it was because of my heavy periods that had come at short intervals most of my life and had been telling my GP that this was the cause.
After a failed attempt with an IUD to stop my bleeding my GP tried to give me an iron transfusion but couldn’t get the vein - this was the first of many “lucky” strokes. She had to refer me to a Haematologist to get the transfusion done.
The Haematologist asked a bunch of questions that I thought nothing of at the time. She got me to detail how my grandpa had died of bowel cancer, my mum had had a resection for a pre-cancerous condition, and I experienced occasional bleeding with bowel movements as well as irregularities that I put down to undiagnosed food intolerances. I thought nothing of these factors.
She told me she didn’t want to do the transfusion on the spot because it would be cheaper to do it bundled with a colonoscopy; we could get to the bottom of these other digestive issues at the same time. In retrospect, this was a benevolent lie and I’m grateful for it.
Because I had the means I paid to have a private colonoscopy and transfusion in February 2020 rather than waiting the then “months” in the public system. When I woke up, I was told I had a 7cm polyp and that “not all polyps are cancer, but all cancers start out of polyps”. The polyp was in a weird position, so I’d have to come back in a few weeks to get it removed. It was a Friday afternoon, and I was exhausted so I ate my sandwich, left the hospital and thought nothing more of it.
The following Monday afternoon I got a call asking me to come see the Gastroenterologist at 5pm. My oblivion was snatched away in an instant - I knew what I was about to be told. I managed to message my partner and a dear friend who was free to go with me to the appointment. I’ll always be thankful for the unquestioning support I received that afternoon.
It’s two years on now. I never went back to the office to pick up my good lunch box left behind that Monday, and I still struggle with continence sometimes. I never reconnected with certain friends, and I constantly worry that my next scan will be the end my lucky run. I’ve become far more introverted and find it hard to spend time with people who weren’t there during those dark months. When I do see other people and they ask me how I’m doing I can now genuinely say “good”, but the more honest answer is “good, but not like person I once was”.
I’ve decided to share my story because my positive outcome is a result of privilege and luck, nothing more. Given the timing, my ability to pay for a private colonoscopy may have saved my life. The public wait lists that were too long before COVID are beyond dangerous now - we need to do all we can to uncouple health outcomes from income. And we need to do more to change the culture around accepting pain and conditions like anaemia as “normal” in people who menstruate. GPs need the resources and training to seek out underlying causes and not just prescribe contraception and send people on their way. Our bodies and lives are too precious and complex to be assessed and treated in 10-minute increments, if you’ve got the money for it.” ~ Hope.
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