Isn't it IRONic

Alanis Morissette's song Ironic isn't really ironic. "Rain on your wedding day" is not really ironic so much as just shitty. Same for "good advice that you just can't take". Not ironic. Wikipedia agrees with me on this, so I rest my case.

Similarly, this post is not actually ironic - but don't be disappointed, there is still a play on words! This post is about iron, as in the metallic element listed as "Fe" on Mendeleev's Periodic Table, with atomic number 26. *Nerd snort*. More precisely, this post is about my LACK of said iron and how it may be the key to everything that's been going on with my body of late.

Here's the deal. I am severely anemic. My ND says he has never seen someone with such bad numbers, and coincidentally with such long menstrual cycles. He believes the two are linked, and that this may also explain my tendency to miscarry. So far, that makes sense to me.

The real question is why I am so lacking in this essential mineral. I went through a vegetarian spell a long time ago, but have been eating plenty of meat and other iron-rich foods. The problem is with absorption in the gut, and the suspected culprits are common allergens such as dairy, gluten, eggs, nuts, etc. which irritate my belly and prevent it from functioning optimally.

Facts that are consistent with this theory:
- I don't menstruate when I'm exercising regularly (exercise takes up the little iron I have left).
- I am also low on other nutrients that are essential to a successful pregnancy: Vit D, Vit B, Calcium, Magnesium.
- I have constant indigestion and all the other things listed in the Pepto Bismol jingle.

So the plan right now is to clear my diet of all those things and see if the numbers improve over time. I am more than happy to do this as I am already very particular about what I eat.

Interestingly, the ND said that he has never seen anyone with such a long cycle (2-5 months). As much as I would love to be so special, I have a hard time believing this is such a rare thing, since I know a number of ladies in the blogosphere who have super long cycles. I am definitely going to cross-check everything he said with my OB and possibly get a second opinion to confirm.