Tag: Anemia

Posted on

Running with Anemia: Learning Patience One Kilometer at a Time

Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke

My run this morning ended in disappointment, which is unfortunate because for most of the journey, success seemed perfectly happy to accompany me.

I was either meeting or slightly ahead of my target pace almost the entire way. Then, during the final quarter kilometer, something happened. I slipped twenty seconds behind. I never felt as though I had slowed down, but the stopwatch is a brutally honest companion and apparently disagreed with my assessment.

Still, despite the disappointing finish, victory was clearly within reach. That alone is encouraging.

I have dealt with anemia since childhood. After receiving treatment for my kidney condition, my doctor reminded me that anemia also needed attention. I was treated for it after my brain stroke years ago, and once again I began treatment in February 2026.

What surprised me was just how much anemia affected my running.

Until this year, I had accepted many things as normal. Since beginning treatment, I have noticed that I have more energy during my runs. Gradually, my pace has improved. Of course, now that I have tasted improvement, I naturally want more. Human beings are wonderfully unreasonable in that way. Give us progress, and we immediately ask whether there is a faster version available.

Although my current pace is significantly better than before treatment, improvement has become more difficult. That is hardly surprising. Running, much like life, refuses to cooperate with our desire for perfectly straight lines. Progress is more like the stock market than an elevator. There are ups and downs, good days and bad days, and occasionally days when one wonders whether gravity has become stronger overnight.

Summer has also brought additional physical activity. Lawn mowing, for example, turns out to be an excellent way to discover muscles one never knew existed. It is entirely possible that I was simply more tired than I realized.

Fortunately, patience is one of the most important lessons that running teaches. Progress never arrives in a perfectly orderly fashion. Internal factors, external conditions, and simple fatigue all play their part.

So, despite this morning’s disappointment, I remain optimistic.

The next run offers another opportunity.

And next time, I intend to remember that a race is not finished until the finish line actually appears. The final quarter kilometer, as I discovered this morning, apparently has a mischievous sense of humor.

Back

Posted on

Running Faster After Anemia Treatment

Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke

Spring has technically arrived, though someone forgot to send the temperature memo. My personal policy is firm: shorts come out when it hits 65°F. This morning it was just a hair below that threshold, and I pulled them on anyway. Sometimes principles are more of a guideline.

And I’m glad I did, because today’s run was something special. For the second time this week, I beat my target pace. Twice. In one week. That’s not nothing. That’s something worth writing home about.

Here’s the secret ingredient: anemia treatment. I’ve been receiving treatment recently, and I can genuinely feel the difference. More hemoglobin means more oxygen, and more oxygen means my legs don’t feel like they’re churning through wet cement. I finally understand why some competitive runners go to such extreme lengths to gain an edge in their blood. I’m not endorsing anything sketchy, just saying: the oxygen, it matters enormously.

The funniest part? My wife pointed out that I had been running in “hard mode” this whole time, and I had absolutely no idea. How would I? The last time I was treated for anemia, I was still learning how to walk. My entire running life has been lived at low hemoglobin levels. That was just my normal. Turns out, my normal was secretly heroic.

One more 5k run this week, and if I match today’s pace, I’ll earn another success that puts me within striking distance of my end-of-year goal. Yes, summer is coming, and yes, the heat will slow me down, the laws of physics apparently still apply. But fall will come around, and I’ll claw back more successes then. Right now, I’m just going to savor this rare and golden alignment of being close to my goal and making rapid progress at the same time.

It’s a good day to be a runner with working red blood cells.

Until next time, may your oxygen levels be plentiful and your pace be swift.

Back

Posted on

Managing Potassium, Kidney Health, and Anemia Step by Step

Brian’s fitness journal after a brain stroke

After my recent visit to the nephrologist, I learned a few important things about my current health. One of the biggest concerns was how to maintain my kidney health and anemia.

First, the good news: my latest blood panel showed that my potassium levels have returned to normal. That was a relief. The dietary changes I’ve been following seem to be working, so I plan to continue them carefully. With kidney conditions, consistency matters more than enthusiasm. One good result does not mean I can suddenly negotiate with potassium again.

However, the appointment also revealed that I have become anemic.

This part was not entirely surprising. I have a genetic blood condition called thalassemia, which often makes me appear anemic on lab results. My nephrologist already knows this, but the lab report suggests that this time the anemia relates more directly to my kidney condition rather than genetics alone. Because of that, I received a referral to a hematologist.

Hearing the word “anemia” brought back memories of the year I had my brain stroke. At that time, I lost a significant amount of blood, and my kidneys were in stage 5 condition. The combination made the anemia much worse, and I had to receive injections to stabilize my blood levels.

Compared to that period, my situation now is far more stable.

It is possible that my current blood count needs support again, likely through a hormone injection such as Epogen. I took this treatment shortly after my stroke, and it was manageable, even if not particularly enjoyable. Today, the hematologist’s office contacted me to schedule an appointment for next week, which means the next step is already in motion. I may not be excited about it, but it is necessary, and I prefer to address issues early rather than wait for them to worsen.

On days like this, I remind myself to move forward one step at a time.

Objectively, my condition has improved compared to the past. After the stroke, my kidneys were near stage 5. Now they are closer to stage 3, which is meaningful progress. Yes, I am slightly anemic, but many of my other health markers have improved over the past few months.

When I compare the present to where I once was, the difference is clear.
This is not a decline. This is management.

And for chronic health conditions, steady improvement—however gradual—is a victory worth acknowledging.

Back