Yahoo Finance Ali Fedotowsky-Manno Reveals Her 'Super' Case of Anemia Requires an IV Treatment
Ali Fedotowsky-Manno is opening up about her recent anemia diagnosis.
On Sunday, the Bachelorette star, 36, spoke about her health on her Instagram Story, saying that recent blood work indicated she's "super anemic" while seeking answers for frequent exhaustion.
"I almost did not tell you guys this because, honestly, it feels like it has been one thing after another," Fedotowksy-Manno began. "But I feel like I have to because everyone's going to be like, 'Why are you tired all the time?' So I ended up going to the doctor and got a bunch of blood work done, testing everything under the sun."
She continued, "After getting all this blood work done, it turns out I am super anemic, which I didn't know. My ferritin levels, which is how your blood stores iron, are basically zero, so my doctor's like, 'Um, no wonder you're exhausted all the time. Like, I'm surprised you're out and about.' "
Thankfully, the reality star said that she and her doctors already have a plan to get her iron deficiency under control.
Ali Fedotowsky Instagram
"I'm on an iron regimen now-I'm taking it three times a day," Fedotowksy-Manno shared of her new routine. "And I'm going and getting, this week, an iron IV, where they're actually going to hook me up to an IV and fill my system with iron. So I'm excited about that. But anyway, so that's what's going on with me."
Ali Fedotowsky/Instagram Ali Fedotowsky-Manno and family
Fedotowsky-Manno's anemia update isn't the only time she's had reservations about speaking about her health on social media. Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE in August 2020, the TV personality and blogger opened up about suffering a miscarriage and said it initially "felt wrong" to post about the pregnancy loss online.
"I think a lot of the reasons women don't share about miscarriages is because there is shame involved. I always thought the shame was because your body couldn't carry a baby in that moment," Fedotowsky-Manno said.
"But for me, where the shame came was not feeling that I deserved any sort of support after - feeling that what I went through wasn't the same as someone who goes through it when they'd been trying for years or they were 20 weeks pregnant," she continued. "I have two beautiful children. So my experience didn't begin to compare to those, so I felt shame in being supported."
The former reality star admits she "did not want to post" the news initially, as it "felt wrong" and she had gotten "a lot of [grieving] out" and "processed" her loss beforehand. "I didn't want people feeling sorry for me," she added. "It's too personal almost. But I know that what happened was very emotional for me and it was difficult to go through."
"I realized all of the reasons I didn't want to post were the reasons I had to post," Fedotowsky-Manno said of ultimately sharing her story on social media. "So I wanted to let people know, I'm with you. I probably will never go into detail because to me it's too personal, but I wanted to let people know that I see them and I'm there for them."
The mom of two -who shares daughter Molly, 4, and son Riley, 3, with husband Kevin Manno - has been vocal in encouraging fans to pay attention to their bodies and stay in tune with their health. The reality star made such advocacy a mission after revealing she was diagnosed with skin cancer in January 2020.
"GET YOUR SKIN CHECKED. A couple weeks ago I found out I have skin cancer. When my dermatologist used the c-word, I just about fainted in his office," Fedotowsky-Manno said in an Instagram post at the time, discussing her basal cell carcinoma diagnosis, the most common form of skin cancer.
"That is why going to a dermatologist and getting your skin checked every year is SO important (I now go every 3/6 months). The VERY first thing I did when I got diagnosed was text my family on a group text urging them all to get their skin checked," she explained. "So I'm doing the same for all of you, my extended family, right here and right now."
