VICKY McGillivray wasn’t well, wasn’t getting better and wasn’t able to get an appointment with a GP overnight – and she wanted all that to change.
The 50-year-old human dynamo from Gunbower – where among other things she is president of the Gunbower Racing Club and works overtime for the club’s first cup meeting since 2019 following COVID and flooding – simply could not keep going the way she was.
After months of inexplicable fatigue and breathlessness playing havoc with her quality of life, it took appointments with three doctors and many blood tests before someone finally pinned it down.
Vicky was anaemic.
She says she had initially put it all down to her chronic sinus issues but says when the antibiotics prescribed for that did not improve her other symptoms, she knew further investigations were required.
Vicky describes the frustration of seeing each new doctor, leaving her feeling as though she had to “start from scratch again” but says she was happy and relieved when someone was actually able to put a name to the problem.
She says the diagnosis wasn’t a total surprise – she has previously had an episode of anaemia when she was in her twenties, but that had been relieved with iron tablets.
Anaemia is a condition where the blood doesn’t contain enough healthy red blood cells. There are a number of causes, generally related to an increased loss of red cells due to blood loss or destruction of red cells, or issues with the production of red cells, including not enough or abnormal red cells.
Each day, a healthy body releases millions of red cells from the bone marrow, where they are produced, replacing the old ones, which have a life span of 120 days.
Iron is essential in making haemoglobin, a protein in red cells, which helps transport and deliver oxygen from the lungs to the tissues – explaining Vicky’s shortness of breath and fatigue.
Fortunately, Vicky has access to Echuca Regional Health (ERH) blood nurse Kerry Schroder and the Cancer and Wellness Centre, where she had her first blood transfusion.
When asked about what it meant to be a blood recipient, Vicky says she is incredibly grateful someone had willingly given up their time and their blood – and she had been recently considering donating blood herself.
She talks about being anxious going into the procedure but says she had full trust in the health professionals who were looking after her throughout her journey and that she was hopeful it was going to improve how she was feeling.
Vicky describes the new Cancer and Wellness Centre as “beautiful, and how lucky we are to have such wonderful facilities in our community”.
She adds that the staff there were very helpful with explaining everything involved even before she went in for her appointment – right down to where to park and how long the process would take.
When asked if there was anything ERH could have done to improve her experience Vicky says she can’t think of a single thing, adding how simple things such as having reserved car parks for patients close to the building, made her patient journey that little bit easier.
And having spent more than five hours having the transfusion she also has “very fond” memories of the attentive staff and the cups of tea and snacks they provided.
As ERH blood nurse, Kerry says it has been one of her great experiences to be able to sit down with one of her patients and hear their feedback “and we wish Vicky all the best with her recovery”.
“Like Vicky, one in three people in Echuca will need blood during their lives, and that blood may not be there at the crucial moment,” Kerry adds. “The demand for blood is growing and our generous current donors can’t do it alone. Australia needs a new blood donor every four minutes.
“We are hoping our amazing locals will help spread the word as we have the Echuca Mobile Blood Donor Centre rolling into town on October 2-27 and we need as many people as possible to book a time and donate some blood”.
For more information about blood transfusions go to lifeblood.com.au/patients or health professionals go to lifeblood.com.au/health-professionals
