About a month ago I was diagnosed with severe anemia. I had to have a transfusion of red blood cells. I will probably have to go through this again in about six weeks. Hmm… I wonder what donors red blood cells are floating around in my veins. One of the side effects of this condition that really stresses me is hair loss and breakage. I have always had long hair. Suddenly, it comes out by the brushfull every day. I’m finding it really hard to change my self identity.
My hematologist says that he is seeing more of this condition in people my age (62). He thinks it is due to exposure over a lifetime of environmental toxins. This is not surprising since I grew up just outside of Detroit with polluted air from the auto industry. I hope the government does not bail out the American auto industry. Another possibility is a dietary cause, which is not surprising since I am returning back to a more vegetarian diet, and forgot how to do this. I was a vegetarian for years until my pregnancy and breast feeding days.