If I Don't Write Now...It Will Soon Be 2011!!

I did not realize my last posting was Dec. 2009, so thought I better jump in here and update things a bit before another year goes by. April was a busy month for me with 3 trips to the emergency room. My first trip to the ER found that I have anemia and my hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were at critical levels. I was admitted into the hospital and recieved 3 blood transfusions. They said my Hgb was 7.0 something, so my blood levels were seriously depleted, and they wondered how I was managing to function with my levels so low. I also found out that I have gall stones, and have had three gallstone attacks. Currently my pcp is trying to determine the cause of my anemia....why did it drop so low and not rebound like it should normally for a person of my age/gender. Am pending results of recent blood work. I am delighted to be able to say that my energy levels are back up and running. So for your viewing pleasure this is a picture of 1 pint of blood....approximately 473 ml....or 1/2 a liter of soda!! And I had to have 3 pints. According to MedicineNet,
"Functionally, hemoglobin is the key chemical compound that combines with oxygen from the lungs and carries the oxygen from the lungs to cells throughout the body. Oxygen is essential for all cells in the body to produce energy."