Ali Fedotowsky is feeling a weight off her shoulders.
The 36-year-old former Bachelorette recently spoke publicly about being diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia after suffering constant fatigue, which initially spurred her to get some answers.
"I ended up going to the doctor, got a bunch of blood work done, testing everything under the sun," she told fans on her Instagram Story on Sunday, June 13. "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.'"
During a new appearance on Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconetti's podcast, Almost Famous, Fedotowsky elaborated on what finally led to her diagnosis. "I've never had a primary care doctor," she admitted. "I go to the doctor because something really hurts. I don't keep up with my health over the years." Still, she can recall being warned by a doctor years ago after getting a test done that she was on the verge of being anemic, though she never thought of it again.
More recently, the former reality star was so tired in a way that didn't feel normal. "I was thinking something was really wrong with me I was so tired," she told the co-hosts. "I got this blood test done through the mail that said I had inflammation in my body...The 'c' word went through my brain."
"Thankfully," Fedotowsky clarified, "it's not anything like that." Fedotowsky clarified. Now, she'll be getting an IV of iron and, hopefully, will notice a difference in her fatigue.
"To find out that I'm anemic," she continued, "is a relief because I know I can take iron, get the things and hopefully increase my energy."