Page 25 of Possessed By You
CHAPTER FIVE
I let out a sound. I have no idea what sound it is. I haven’t made it before.
“A-Are you sure?”
She nods, regarding me closely. “I’m guessing this wasn’t planned.”
“No.” I’m fighting back tears. “No, I just got married. We’ve barely had time to be married.”
“Unfortunately, I do have more news…important news.”
I wait, terrified.
“You are anemic, Darcy. Severely so.”
“What does that mean?”
“Your red blood cell counts are diminished. A normal hemoglobin count should be 12 to 16. You are currently at 6.” Her expression tells me I should be worried.
“What does this mean? Can we do something about it?”
“I’m going to be prescribing you iron supplements. You need to eat well and eat things with a high percentage of iron. Lean beef, oysters, chicken, potatoes, beans, leafy vegetables…I need you to understand that we need to get this back up. Your red blood count cells are equally low, and this is extremely dangerous, for you and for this baby.”
“Dangerous?”
“Severe anemia doubles the risk of death in pregnancy, Darcy.” I stare at her, struggling to absorb those words. “I’m telling you this to let you know that this is not something to play around with. Anemia of this magnitude can cause stroke, kidney failure, excessive bleeding after delivery, and that’s not taking your baby into consideration. Unless we can get this blood count to a safer level, your risk of miscarriage is increased considerably.”
I can’t believe this. I hold my head, scared shitless.
“Are you understanding what I’m saying?” She waits for a moment. “Darcy?”
“I-I just…I’m trying to think.” I have a million questions. “How far along am I?”
“Eight weeks. Two months.”
I shake my head. “So this happened right after I got out,” I mumble. “I don’t understand. I’m on birth control. I saw you a few months ago. Was I anemic then?”
“No, which is why I’m stating the importance of iron to you now. Your pregnancy seems to have brought this on. As for birth control, there is always a slim chance of conception or that you engaged in intercourse before the clear period.”
“Okay, so these supplements, they’ll help me? Is there a chance I could get worse? What are the symptoms?”
“I’m putting in now that you need one blood transfusion immediately. I don’t want to do more because I don’t want different people’s blood in you, especially during a pregnancy, but it’s too risky to let you go home like this. I want you to go today, you hear me?”
I nod.
“Have you been tired lately? Overly tired? Maybe dizzy?”
“Yes.”
“I’d suggest taking time off from work if you’re able. Rest is paramount for the health of you and your baby.”
“I just got a promotion a few months ago…I don’t know what to do.”
“If you have to work, you cannot be moving around. Tell your boss that excessive lifting, any particular strain, is dangerous. If you need me to write a note, I will.”
Two months. Two months pregnant.
“I’ve been drinking. I didn’t know. I was drinking a few days ago.”
