Sick and Exhausted - Trip to ER

I'm so sick and exhausted. I don't want to be graphic but the time of the month has taken a toll since I got sick with M.E..  For some reason it exacerbates my M.E. symptoms and my POTS, not to mention I have had low ferritin levels for over a decade. Thankfully this hasn't usually translated to anemia although in January I did dip slightly into anemia.

For this reason, lately I've been buying the only form of iron my gut can tolerate which is liquid Floravit.  So, 4 months and 150 dollars later I have managed to bring my ferritin up from 6 to a whomping 12 - sigh.  How frustrating.  It's so expensive to do it this way, but I guess I must continue to fork out the cash.  I managed to raise my B 12 too (which was low normal) with the sublingual tabs. which are much less expensive.

So, while in some ways I feel like the M.E. is in a holding pattern, on the other hand I am colossally weak and exhausted.  I noticed on this recent blood work (I can see my results online) that my WBC has dropped even lower.  I'm now at 2.6 (4 is normal) with my neutrophils 1.2 - still in the mild neutropenia range, but now edging close to moderate.

And as for anyone with a chronic illness, life still happens.  Last night when I drove my dad home (a few blocks away) and he was hurrying to get in the back door of his residence, he tripped (it was pouring rain and I think his shoes may have been wet).  He landed on the sidewalk/cement on his hand and within moments his hand swelled up to the size of a baseball.  I had to take him to emergency where the line was much shorter than usual (thanks for small blessings).  Still, in total we were there for 4 hours - waiting and X-ray, stitches.

I am not unaware that this accident could have ended very badly.  I watched him fall hard, and there was an instant where I thought he hit his face.  Still, it was a LONG night for me with major POTS symptoms sitting up and the hospital and caring/advocating. Surprisingly, his hand was not broken (although the Dr. said she'd call tonight if the radiologist saw something she missed).  He did need stitches as he had a deep gash on his finger and there is obviously swelling (she said hematoma) and perhaps some spraining of at least one finger.

The thought crossed my mind that given my WBC is a bit low, the hospital was probably a dangerous place for me to be, but I tried to block that thought out as best I could, because I wasn't about to ditch my dad. I woke up today feeling like someone took a sledge hammer to my body during the night - I'm dizzy achy and icky.

I was trying the whole time to be a supportive compassionate care giver but given my energy levels tanked after less than an hour, the experience was excruciating.  Even after we made it out of the hospital I had to help him sort food, get in and out of the car, understand medications (antibiotics), etc. etc.  It was all I could do not to lay on the floor, give into the the exhaustion and sickness.