[Intro — spoken]

Rosa had a baby six months ago...

She thought the tiredness was just being a new mom...

Every new mom is tired...

But this was different...

[Verse 1]

Rosa loved her baby girl — up at every hour,

Thought the tiredness was normal — fading was her power,

Six months in and things got worse — couldn't climb the stair,

Heart was pounding just from walking — something wasn't there.

Noticed in the mirror — color leaving her face,

Gums looked pale — lips too — something off the base,

Craving ice all day and night — chewing by the bag,

Husband said enough — go to the doctor — don't lag.

[Pre-Chorus]

Rosa had lost blood delivering — more than usual then,

Hadn't been eating much — busy with the baby — when,

Periods came back heavy — iron leaving fast,

Rosa's tank was running empty — couldn't make it last.

[Chorus]

Rosa's running on empty — red cells running low,

Not enough iron to make them — that's the thing to know,

Tired, pale, and pounding heart — ice cravings all day,

Rosa's running on empty — got to find a way.

[Verse 2]

Doctor checked the blood — number came back low,

Red cells small and pale — iron stores at zero,

Protein that carries iron — low across the board,

Another marker high — iron stores deplored.

Doctor said the cause is blood loss — need to find the source,

Heavy periods and delivery — running off course,

Iron through the mouth to start — see how Rosa does,

Stomach can be sensitive — that's just what it was.

[Bridge]

Doctor said for Rosa's age — colonoscopy not yet,

But if the iron keeps dropping — testing we must get,

Cancer of the colon bleeds slowly — iron disappears,

Any man or older woman — scope removes the fears.

Rosa took the iron pills — stomach wasn't kind,

Constipated, nauseated — left that pill behind,

Switched to a different form — gentler on the gut,

Took it with some orange juice — absorption opened up.

[Outro]

Rosa's color coming back — energy returning too,

Baby sleeping through the night — helping Rosa through,

Iron levels climbing up — six months of pills,

Rosa's tank is filling up — conquering the hills.

“Rosa’s Story”