Anemic Again

I got my bloodwork done last week and I'm anemic again...this time only down to 114 from a normal of 120 but I don't like the trend.  I definitely have poor eating habits and my appetite is sometimes non-existent.  It's very hard for me to include meat in my diet because it always appears too filling for my liking.

It's a fact that seniors often suffer from low appetites probably because many of us aren't too active.  We're not expending much energy in our daily lives and therefore don't feel very hungry at mealtimes.  I almost have to force myself to eat and, believe me, that wasn't the case up to a couple of years ago.  Then I overate.  Now I only think to eat when I realize I might not have eaten all day.  This isn't good.

I explained to Cindy how I now felt about eating.  Think of just having eaten a full meal and another one is put in front of you.  It's enough to turn your stomach and that's what I'm fighting these days.

I've continued to take the iron supplements and, for a while, was having a protein shake most days but I haven't had any of those shakes in a while.  I get them at Costco and that means I need either one of my daughters or my son-in-law to get them or to take me there because I don't have a membership.  I hate to ask even when I know they don't mind at all.  This fierce independence I have is a godsend in some ways but also a curse.

My new plan is to eat meat first and then add a few veggies with at least one meal a day.  I can't let myself become dangerously anemic the way I was last year.  My hemoglobin dropped to 81 then and I would have needed a blood transfusion if it dropped one point lower.  Whoever would have thought I'd reach a point in my life when I'd lose my appetite??