Many people think low iron is just about fatigue.
But it’s far more serious — especially for menstruating women. Sadly, this is one of the most misunderstood and overlooked issues in both the medical world and the wellness space.
For me, it wasn’t just a drop in energy — it was a full-body breakdown that forced me into a breakthrough.
This is the story of how I’ve begun reclaiming my health, one ferritin lesson at a time.
When the Body Speaks — The Beginning of My Ferritin Story
When I first noticed I was having ferritin problems, it wasn’t through a lab result or a doctor’s warning. It was my body that spoke first. I was incredibly fatigued, barely able to get out of bed or take care of myself. I was breathless, and my nails had all turned a strange red color. This came two months after I started an aggressive detox, thinking it would help clear out toxins, only to be told by my functional medicine doctor that I was “too smart for my own good.”
Despite her remark, she did run several labs. She noted my ferritin was low, but brushed it off because my hemoglobin was in a normal range. I knew something wasn’t right. Even before this, she had briefly mentioned a blood builder during a previous lab review, but it wasn’t something she pushed or followed up on. It was clear to me now that something deeper was going on, but I struggled with a doubt that it was anxiety or all in my head.
Eventually, after extensive testing, she told me I had stage 2 adrenal fatigue, oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, DNA damage, brain inflammation, and gut dysbiosis. I was shocked at how severe things had gotten — and still, mold hadn’t even entered the conversation yet. I was the one who suggested it after taking a vision test and later home mold tests confirmed the presence in my two attics, bathroom, basement, and under my two sinks. She checked my blood first and then my urine. After a negative blood test, a urine mycotoxin test finally revealed the truth: my body was overloaded with mold!
This mold wasn’t just coming from my environment, though that was part of it. It was also in my food, and — shockingly — in some of the internal products I had trusted for my health. Even worse, I began to suspect that the detox protocol I had been on was making my condition worse, not better. Why? Because every time I would increase the dosage, my symptoms would worsen.
Ferritin and the Weight Gain Nobody Warned Me About
Another surprising aspect of my ferritin journey was the weight gain. Even though I was doing everything “right” — detoxing, eating clean, following protocols — I was gaining weight. My metabolism was sluggish, and I felt puffy, bloated, and inflamed.
I later learned that iron plays a key role in metabolism, thyroid function, and cellular energy. When ferritin is low, your body can’t transport or utilize oxygen effectively. It can affect hormone balance, cortisol levels, and even blood sugar regulation. The result? Weight gain, stubborn fat, and the frustration of feeling like your body is working against you. The judgment follows. You get accused of everything from not exercising, not eating right, and it affects you mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. You become one of those medical statistics and not seen as someone struggling with a much greater issue at hand.
Weight isn’t just vanity — it was biology. And understanding that helped me release a lot of the shame I had carried about my body. I wasn’t lazy. I was nutrient-depleted, inflamed, and toxic. That realization gave me compassion for myself and motivation to dig deeper, even when no one was there to support me.
Listening to My Body — The Subtle Signals That Changed Everything
One of the most important lessons I learned was to truly listen to the subtle signals my body was sending me. It wasn’t just about obvious symptoms like fatigue or breathlessness — there were more nuanced clues I had overlooked for years.
Older examples consisted of weight issues, headaches, and fatigue during periods, cold extremities, easy bruising and wounds that took too long to heal. The newer examples came with tingling in my legs, red nails that changed color throughout the day, and a strange, constant need to yawn, even when I was just walking. These were all signs that my ferritin levels were not where they needed to be.
My breathlessness was particularly frustrating; I couldn’t take a deep, full breath without feeling like my lungs were struggling. I would have to make repeated attempts to just fill my lungs. The yawning was almost nonstop, like my body was desperately trying to get enough oxygen. At first, I thought it was just anxiety, stress, or fatigue, but over time I realized these were real signals of a deeper problem.
By paying close attention to these subtle but persistent signs, I was able to connect them to my iron deficiency and ferritin issues. This awareness helped me start making better choices — from adjusting what I ate, to how I approached supplements, to taking care of my gut health, which is crucial for iron absorption.
Listening to your body’s language is a powerful tool. It’s the difference between being a passive patient and becoming an active participant in your healing journey.
Shifting My Approach: From Blind Faith to Informed Action
After recognizing these signs, I began shifting how I approached my health — no longer relying solely on what doctors told me, but really digging into my own lab results and learning what they meant. I realized that sometimes, I could learn more from the data myself than from a doctor’s brief explanation or dismissive reassurances.
After doing extensive testing, my doctor prescribed a range of supplements, many of which were very expensive and overwhelming. Instead of feeling supported, I felt stressed even more — how was I supposed to manage all these pills and protocols, while also trying to reduce my overall stress and heal my nervous system? It just wasn’t sustainable.
So, I took control. I started paying close attention to how my body responded to each supplement, each food, each lifestyle change.
If a certain supplement made me jittery or kept me up late, I listened. If my nails turned red or I felt more breathless, I took note. This was no longer about blindly following protocols — it was about becoming a scientist of my own body. I chose to reduce all these supplements to under twenty to help my kidneys. I realized not all of them would be absorbed by my compromised gut anyway. I began seeking foods that would provide the nutrition I needed over just reaching for a supplement. This was hard at first because I had leaned on supplements like a crutch for almost 20 years thinking they would solve all my health issues.
The Gut-Body Connection: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Healing
I also realized my gut health was at the root of much of my struggle. From my experience with traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic principles, I understood the deep connection between the lungs and gut. If my gut wasn’t healthy, I wouldn’t absorb iron properly — and poor stomach acid levels only made it worse.
I turned back to these ancient healing philosophies as part of my journey, combining them with modern knowledge. This helped me understand why my breathing issues were connected to my iron deficiency, and why healing would take time and patience.
The Hard Truth: Healing Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
Here’s the hardest part. Healing from low ferritin and iron issues isn’t an easy fix or fast. It requires intentional time, consistent effort, and above all, patience. Life never slows down to accommodate your health needs — you have to make the time, set boundaries, and prioritize yourself. If you don’t, your body will keep account and make you pay for over drafting your energy stores.
This journey pushed me to stop people-pleasing and stop giving from depletion. I learned to set firm boundaries, protect my energy, and feed my body what it truly needed — not just what I thought I should do or what others expected. It taught me that I had to take protocols and make them adaptable to my body and not the other way around.
Becoming My Own Best Advocate
I learned to take notes during doctor visits and to question what I was told. Not all medical advice is accurate or in your best interest. In the medical world, you are your best advocate! Making a conscious decision to educate yourself so you can make informed decisions is so important to your patient outcome. Even better when you and your doctor are both on the same page about your health experience.
I still work closely with healthcare providers, but I’ve stopped expecting them to have all the answers and I appreciate it when they honor my efforts to become an informed patient. My journey is unique, and I trust myself to navigate it.
Persistence and Empowerment
My health struggles have been lifelong, but they’ve also been a teacher. Before 2010, I relied on other people to help me get better and it led to many health consequences I would not want to repeat. Since 2010, I’ve been self-motivated to improve, but the setbacks I faced from 2019 through 2024 forced me to re-examine everything — from supplements to relationships to lifestyle.
You cannot expect to get better doing the same thing or remaining in the same environment that got you sick.
I’m no longer open for takers. I’m committed to feeding my body and soul, protecting my energy, and thriving on my own terms. This isn’t just my story — it’s a message to anyone struggling with ferritin or iron issues: your body is communicating with you, and with persistence and education, you can take control of your health!
Final Message: Don’t Ignore the Whispers
This isn’t just my story — it’s the story of countless women navigating symptoms that get brushed off, misdiagnosed, or minimized. The subtle signs we’re taught to dismiss? They’re not “in your head.” They’re your body’s early warning system — and if ignored, they can lead to a cascade of dysfunction.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is this:
Know your labs. Know your body. Ask the questions that lead to real healing.
Health doesn’t begin in a doctor’s office or with a lab report. It doesn’t start with throwing a dozen supplements at the wall to see what sticks. And it certainly doesn’t come from repeating the same patterns that led you into illness.
True healing begins when you start listening — truly listening — to your body.
When you trust your intuition.
When you stop outsourcing your power.
When you become your own best advocate.
If this story spoke to something in you, you’re not alone — and you’re not broken. You’re awakening.
I guide women through deep fatigue, burnout, hormone imbalance, mold exposure, chronic stress, and more — blending science and soul. My approach combines root-cause wellness, lifestyle genetics, astrology, and intuitive healing, so you can finally make sense of your body and your path forward.
Let’s get beyond surface-level fixes. Let’s build a life that’s aligned with your biology and your birth chart — one that actually supports your well-being.
Join my email list for raw reflections, wellness tools, Astro-health insights, and deep support from someone who’s walking this path too.
👉 Sign Up for My Free Newsletter Here!
You deserve to feel good — consistently, not occasionally.
