As I was growing up, every other year or so, my father would announce he was not feeling right. He was an active sort who loved to walk fast. On the occasion of his ‘poorliness’ he would often announce he felt ‘all of a dither’. The pattern was normal, he would take himself off to the local doctor, describe his symptoms and return home with some iron tablets. ‘The doctor thinks I am anaemic’ he would announce. Three or four days later after religiously consuming the pills he would announce that he was back to his best and all was well.
Now I don’t know if he ever had a test to check his iron levels but the experience of watching this apparent transformation from ‘ditheriness’ to ‘full power’ obviously made a mark on me.
I don’t often go to Holland and Barrett or the like. Usually it is for something obscure for a recipe or something. I have at times bought multi vitamins of course although I seldom finish the bottle. Every now and again I have bought Iron tablets too. Not because I was ‘dithering’ but just because I could and perhaps, somewhere in my subconscious, I was making sure that I was not suffering a hereditary condition. One thing is definitely for sure is I have never ever taken iron tablets for more than 3 days as usually, and I always forget this feature, they block me up!
A number of years ago now Liz and I became vegetarian and perhaps 5 years ago we moved to a ‘plant based’ diet. When we did this we read with interest the dire warnings available re various vitamin deficiencies that veganism can create. For a while we supplemented our daily regime with a whole variety of tablets. In the end they made my breakfasts a chore as trying to consume some oversized tablets alongside my toast became an annoyance I was happy to forgo. So I stopped.
This last summer I found myself in Helsinki. Covid had done its thing and I was desperate to get back ‘doing things’. I had entered a Half Iron man race in the land of the midnight sun. In fact the race was staged such that the finish line was closed bang on midnight and those who failed to make the cut off time would not collect a medal. Now Finland is a long way North of here and it was something of a surprise to discover the daily temperatures were in excess of 30 degrees. Also, because the sun does not set, the evenings too are very warm. I contemplated the fact, as I sat in the stylish Scandinavian Apartment, that the race would start at around 3 pm, which was just about the hottest time of the day.
Pre race nerves are a thing and as the day of the event came closer I began to feel some concerns. I at last put my finger on the main sensation I was experiencing, I was feeling dithery! I took myself off Ito the local pharmacy which was quite superb, full of all sorts of drugs that seems to be available over the counter. A person approached me and like all Finns I had met to date, was very friendly. Not that this matters in any way but I was not sure whether he was male or female or maybe something else. In my desire to recognise what ever pronoun ‘he’ ‘she’ or ‘it’ was represented by, I became super friendly myself and announced that I need some Iron tablets. ‘How did you know you needed Iron tablets’? you may ask. Well it was obvious, I was all of a dither! The person, can you say that?, brought me the very best Iron tablets they had. He, she, it (?) announced they were a ‘new product’. Very good and as consequence very expensive. In my ‘dithery’ state of mind the boxes were all ticked and I gladly paid out 64 euros for a months supply!!! Well of course I started with a double dose, to get my level up. For the next three days I followed the regime as per the packet and on the day of the race I of course had an ‘extra’ to be sure. However I must tell you that taking the Iron tablets obviously did something as I began to feel properly unwell. Sick with stomach cramps would be a good description.
The race start was quite a sight. Alongside a beautiful lake we ‘racers’ stood clad in wetsuits. The only thing was the temperature was 36 degrees and lying face down in the water for half an hour or so allowed the sun to attack the back of ones neck which I seem to remember can cause ‘issues’.
Having completed the swim in a reasonable time I set off on my bike and I soon realised all was not well. I put it down to my age and even contemplated ‘my end’ for a while. I reassured myself that if indeed I did die on the racecourse it would make for a fitting finale to my life and I pictured various old friends turning to one another and announcing ‘at least he went doing what he loved’! The thing is I was not loving it and I soon realised I was dreadfully dehydrated.
At the first water stop I tried to get some water down my neck but alas it made me very sick and the problem got worse. I tried at the various feed stations to replenish my water content but all failed. Somehow I got to the finish of the bike leg. Although to be honest this was more because I could not find anyone to ‘retire to’ along the way. There were loads of marshals but they just kept shouting ‘encouraging words’I assume, as of course they were all locals. Anyway when I got to the finish of the bike course I was very happy to stop. To be honest the idea of dragging round my body for 13 odd miles was a non starter in the evening heat. I managed to drink about a gallon of water at last from a fountain thing and I soon began to feel better and was able to ‘support’ my friend who manfully got himself round the course despite the conditions.It was delightful to see hm finish the race a smile from ear to ear.
Race done I of course made sure that I rebuilt my resources and the iron tablets became central to my regime. The plane journey home was uncomfortable as my stomach griped away. The following few days did not improve my condition and I began to fear my exposure to the overhead sun had done me a damage. I sought out sympathy and most people confirmed that I had probably ‘overdone it’ and I should take more care.
One person did not offer much sympathy. I was moaning away on the Thursday when Liz asked me if I was still taking my Iron tablets. ‘Of course’ was my reply. She then offered the view that the symptoms I had been experiencing coincided with my drug regime and just maybe, the Iron Tablets had not fulfilled their intended purpose. Reading the packet she established that in fact I was taking large doses of the stuff. Well, yes you have guessed it. I stopped taking the iron and within 24 hours I was feeling fine. Oops.
The inquest that Liz then proceeded to establish suggested that my ‘dithery feeling’ in Finland could well have been a phenomenon known as ‘pre race nerves’!! She decided that my body had in fact been confronted with something it did not need and indeed, given the dosage I was imbibing, was very keen to get rid of.
The moral of the story is obvious. If you think you may need Iron tablets then do get a test first to see if your iron levels are in deficit. Feeling ‘dithery’ may well not be a reliable indicator as it turns out. Of course if anyone reads this who knows me and is familiar with my race history you will discern another example of my unerring ability to give others wise advice whilst managing to shoot myself in the foot. I am currently training for IM Venice, what possibly could go wrong?
Tales of a Life Well Lived 