Showing posts with label hematologist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hematologist. Show all posts

Monday, October 20, 2008

The Metal Detector

Iron. We all need it in our bodies. We get it from food. Some take vitamin supplements. But it is generally agreed upon fact that we need it.

My body, however, has other ideas. Sigh. A couple years ago I had a routine physical. They thought my iron was low and had me take a supplement. Not much happened so they sent me to a hematologist. He prescribed horse pill, prescription only iron pills. The thing they measure the iron with is actually a protein that the iron bonds to. The first time they did the test, I was an 8. I took those horse, pills and it moved to a 12. Right direction, right?

Yes, but not enough it seems. I guess the level should be between 60 and 120 or something like that. And I'm at a 12? The doctor said that for whatever reason, my body was not absorbing the iron so he suggested intravenous iron. By the time I had my 8 appointments for it, I was at 499. Can anyone say, "Beware of metal detectors?"

Over the last couple years we've watched it drop. Suddenly, in the last month or two it's dropped significantly quickly. So, I'm back on my iron IV's.

It's not that big of deal but they cannot tell me why. That is the frustrating part.

So, if we travel together and I set off the metal detector you'll know what to tell them!




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