u/Dear_Bookkeeper1114

My husband thinks I’m cheating or have. I’m in AIT. He moved down because obviously to be together. He think I was cheating in basic. I first said, I wouldn’t dare, but also that I seldom had time to even say hi to anyone. Basic was strict. Fort sill. Like, zero time. And I missed him terribly while there. Deep depression. Anyway, AIT IS fort Gordon 25S. He thinks I’m cheating now! I see him on the weekends. It’s pretty chill. Anyway, has anyone had this experience? I told him really honestly no one cheats unless they’re really going out of their way too. He was saying that I probably had a male battle buddy or something like that. I’m like rarely anyone had anyone of the opposite sex. Anyway I told him that what most people worry about is our civilian partners cheating. And I know he isn’t just protecting because he was with my family 24/7 while I was away. He’s genuinely stressing me out.

I’m 21F, 5’0, around 99 lbs, and my ferritin is 3. I have IBS and lately I’ve been feeling absolutely terrible. I’m constantly dizzy, nauseous, lightheaded, exhausted, short of breath, my heart races randomly, and I’ve started having panic attacks for the first time in my life. I genuinely feel like I’m about to pass out or die sometimes, and it’s making me really depressed and scared.

I’ve been anemic before, but never like this.

I think a big part of what caused it was Nexplanon + my history of extremely heavy periods. After getting Nexplanon removed, I bled for months nonstop. My periods have always been heavy, but during that time it was severe. Typically when my periods are heavy, I literally have to wear incontinence diapers/adult diapers and would still bleed through them and my clothes. But weirdly enough, my most recent period was actually much lighter than usual. I’m also supposed to start progesterone pills that can be taken orally or vaginally.

The hardest part is treatment. I had an anaphylactic reaction to Venofer (IV iron), and ever since then I’ve developed a huge fear around medications and reactions in general. I’ve also tried oral iron capsules/tablets and they make me vomit badly. I tried liquid iron too, but honestly I can’t remember how I reacted because it was a while ago. My stomach has just been so messed up overall lately.

At this point I’m honestly wondering about blood transfusions because I feel awful all the time, but I’m terrified because of the reaction I had to IV iron. I’m O positive if that matters. Has anyone here had a blood transfusion for severe iron deficiency anemia? How did you feel afterward? Did it help quickly? Is it common to have allergic reactions to transfusions? Has anyone had reactions to IV iron but been okay with blood transfusions?

I just want to live my life again and stop feeling like I’m dying every second. I’m exhausted physically and mentally and I miss feeling normal.

Has anyone else had ferritin this low and felt like this? Did treatment eventually help?

UPDATE: I’m at 13 ferritin and 11 hemoglobin