It’s 10 A.M., you’ve had breakfast, but you’re dragging yourself around like it’s midnight. Your friends think you’re lethargic. Your family keeps asking why you look so pale and why your eyes kind of yellow.
Is this scenario familiar? If you read all that and connected everything, chances are you are someone either dealing with anemia or you know how Anaemic people act. And before we proceed, let’s get one thing straight—anemia isn’t a disease, it is a medical condition not a death sentence. Here in our coastal communities, I’ve heard it all. “Oh! Nazaliwa nayo Anaemia!” “Oh! Nakwenda masiptali mpaka nachoka!”
“Natumia dawa za kienyeji hazikunifaa! Ndo majaaliwa yangu!” But here’s the thing – nobody is born anemic. This condition develops over time, usually from things like iron deficiency, lack of certain vitamins, or Sometimes genetics.
The real question isn’t how you got it, but what you’re going to do about it. See, anemia messes with your daily life in ways people don’t always understand. That bone-deep tiredness isn’t just being lethargic. Your immune system takes a hit. Simple tasks feel like the whole sea you have got to swim around. But here’s what I’ve learned – you don’t have to let it define you or make it your personality.
The path forward isn’t complicated, but it requires something many of us struggle with: consistency. Following that nutrition plan your doctor gives you. Taking those iron pills even when it’s hard and you always forget , make it a habit . Avoiding the triggers that make it worse. It’s not glamorous, but it works. Paulo Coelho wrote in The Alchemist:
“When you want something with all your heart, that’s when you are closest to the Soul of the World. It’s always a positive force.” If being anemia-free is what you truly want, then commit to the process. Not just for a little time , but for real. Your life doesn’t have to revolve around being Anemic. There’s always a second chance, and you’re the one who gets to initiate it and take it.
By FATIYAH HASSAN
