As most of you know may pancreas doesn’t work, at all. Whenever I tell people this, their most common questions surround insulin and diabetes. But the pancreas is the only organ in the body that has both endocrine and exocrine functions. The endocrine function includes producing insulin and regulating blood sugars. Additional to that, it has exocrine functions that aid the digestive system, mainly producing enzymes that aid in digesting food, mostly proteins.
Now when someone like me, whose pancreas doesn’t produce any insulin or enzymes, there are more long term issues regarding nutrient absorption alongside diabetes. This cause some (that’s a lie) issues. When I say nutrient absorption, I mean vitamins, minerals, etc., as well as, everyday proteins. One of the most common issues I have personally faced are low iron, and low vitamin B12 and D3. According to a study conducted evaluating the relationship between IDA (Iron Deficiency Anaemia) and HbA1c (long term sugar level metric), it was found that IDA is a common comorbidity that roughly 13% to 47% diabetics face. This is a significant number, and is a cause of concern.
I recently had extremely low iron levels in my body, for more context, my iron levels had fallen to 8.7umol/L and the normal range is 10.0-30.0umol/L. Now this might not seem like much, but it affects everyday functioning and energy levels. The way to bring this fallen iron level up is usually through an iron transfusion, wherein they feed iron to the body intravenously. There are other ways to regulate these levels, but since my body has a lower absorption rate, this is the most efficient way of doing it.
Today, I want to talk about the mental toll it takes, as it is often ignored. Since moving to Australia I am the only one living here, and all of my family is back in India, I am in charge of taking care of myself and nursing myself back to health. This episode showed me how important the proximity of your support system can be, and how difficult it can be to try to make a simple meal, or some days to just get out of bed. As I write this, I am still recovering through the side effects of the transfusion, and I can tell you firsthand, it is not fun. With the body physically not being able to manage everyday tasks, and as someone who exercises at least 5 times a week, this feels like a cage. This along with the fact that your appetite takes a major hit. I have had trouble keeping in solid food for a week, and when I do, my body cannot handle it well. This just adds to the mental pressures, especially with eating disorders to combat. The anxiety of whether you’ll be back on your feet soon, the depressive states that come with the lethargy of your physical body, and the emotional wave of not being close to family brings upon an overwhelming tide on the mind. It goes without saying, recovery is not a joy ride.
As I finish this post, I request all of you, if you know someone who suffers with low iron levels, just be a little kinder to them. Treat them with some more gentleness, they probably need it. :)
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