anemia update

talked with temp doc earlier today. my hemoglobin levels have fallen again, down to 9.2, despite the fact that i have been taking my prescription strength iron+ vitamins like a rock star. my iron saturation is actually normal - i have vitamin b12 deficiency anemia. guess that's why he needed 7 vials of blood - to look for all the different types of anemia. what causes b12 deficiency? from webmd: Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia usually develops when your body cannot absorb this vitamin from food. This can happen if:

• You have pernicious anemia. In pernicious anemia, your body destroys the cells in your stomach needed to help your body absorb vitamin B12
• You have had surgery to remove part of your stomach or the last section of your small intestine
• You have a digestive problem, such as sprue (also called celiac disease), Crohn's disease, bacteria growth in the small intestine, or a parasite.
• You take medicine to treat heartburn and ulcers for a long time. Examples include omeprazole (Prilosec) and lansoprazole (Prevacid).

guess it's either the pernicious anemia or a digestive issue since my stomach is intact and i don't take ulcer meds! anyway, we'll talk with new boston doc at my next appointment to see what we need to do, but it may require b12 shots (fun! i love needles!) big bummer from webmd: You should not drink alcohol while being treated for a vitamin B12 deficiency. Alcohol interferes with the body’s ability to absorb this vitamin. i've already had to go 7+ months without a drink. not sure how long i can hold out after roo is born! :)