Iron Deficiency Treatment

I think I may have iron deficiency. When people describe the iron deficiency symptoms to me it seems to fit. One woman said to me : "I used to become unconscious", and then I remembered how for months I have been wondering why i have become one of those 19th century women for whom it was normal to faint from time to time. i never fainted, but when reading something overhead, standing up wuickly or stretching early in the morning my head would turn and i'd have to sit down. Iron deficiency is very common with women, I know.

I have been trying to research this online, but all I seem to be getting is "is easily treatable, can be treated with blood infusion in extreme cases". I have been taking 150 mg of ferrous sulfate for the past week, which I got recommended from the chemist. Many local women here where I am take pills against iron deficency. They take 150 mg ferrous sulfate combined with folic acid (100mg i think). The women say you have to take the pills between six months and one and a half years before they start to make you better.
Now, for the past week I have been extremely tired and cannot imagine going to work like this if I do not get respite.
What is the difference between taking just ferrous sulfate, and taking ferrous sulfate and folic acid?
if it takes 6 months anyway I feel like finishing my pack of ferrous sulfate, then buying a new stack of pills that include folic acid, too. or should i change ASAP, really?

also, the package insert says i should not eat bread, egg, or drink tea or coffee within two hours of ingesting the pill. the bread seems funny to me, since that is just white carbo-hydrate. wouldn't that preclude rice as well for example?

So although I have been eating my pills like a good girl, if it is true it will take at least six months to heal, I am already ready for my blood transfusion. Can anyone provide me with more information?

(Disease history: In hindsight, I realize I had it coming for 10 or 11 months. The first five six months I was only slightly more tired than usual and kept attributing this to reasons like smoking too much, not seeing enough light in the winter months etc. Then, from January on I got punctual extreme tirednesses, at first in the evenings, then for whole days. I would sleep 10 hours, then be awake two, then sleep two more, then lie in bed without too much energy until in the afternoon I would sleep another three hours and then go to bed earlier in the evening. For the past two weeks I have been tired every day, the last week extremely so. Honestly, where can I get that blood transfusion, just where?)