Thank God I Got The Flu

Last week, I had the flu. I had not been sick in a long time...not even a sniffle. But somehow I knew that when my housekeeper starting sneezing around the house that I was going to get this one. Never mind that this year I had the second flu shot that I've ever taken in my life. I knew I was going to get it.

Then it came...the sneezing, fever, body aches, painful sinus cavities, naps, moaning, etc. No fun, not happy. C'est la vie. However, on the 5th day when I was still napping for three hours in daylight, I decided to see a doctor.

Fairly randomly, he asked me to go to the lab and do blood work. Half an hour later when the test results came back, he called me in and said that I had a problem, but the flu and the hurting nasal passages weren't it. He said my hemoglobin was down to 7 (12-16 is normal). And since we live in a developing country where the medical can be sketchy, he asked me to fly to Singapore the next day for further tests.

Imagine my shock as I sat in the waiting room of an Oncologist's office in Singapore the next day. I was panicking and my husband didn't look too relaxed either. Anyhow, to make a long story short, I didn't have the C word. It seems that I have an iron deficiency anemia. This means that I've been running around with about half a tank of oxygen and didn't even really know it. But looking back, I do see some signs: the dizziness that I felt doing Sun Salutations, the shortness of breath I felt when running around the block, and my growing need for afternoon caffeine weren't just in my mind.

Now why is this nutrition/healthy lifestyle person getting anemia? I believe that there are spiritual as well as physical reasons. On the physical side, I had not been really paying attention to eating particularly iron rich foods and my female cycle has gotten heavier over the last few years...a common reason for anemia. On the spiritual side, I can see that I've been pinching off the joy in a few areas of my life. And now I have a relatively small wake up call to make these right.

I did have a big pity party for about five days after the diagnosis. I got mad that I physically need more rest and naps and I felt afraid. But I'm coming out of the fog. Tonight, I did my first yoga practice in two weeks with an attitude of sheer joy and delight. Yoga is amazing...what a life affirming practice.

I TRUST that I will be well and that all will be well. I will listen to my body, keep up the iron, and smile, laugh, and give my love more often. May we all optimize our capacities to heal and be healed each and every day. ACHOO! God bless you.