Marilyn's Iron Update: Good news!

marilynfl

Moderator
Two weeks ago I had a ferritin blood test drawn to benchmark my iron level. My result was 7.08 with a standard reference range of 11.10 -264.00.

Yep. That's me...not even getting into the ball park.

Anyway, thanks to everyone's suggestions, I changed quite a few things around. I now take Hema-plex iron pills before bed with a glass of OJ & drink a 16 oz. spinach smoothie with organic apple juice, organic spinach and frozen chunks of fresh mango (more Vitamin C) daily (but not anytime before/after my milky coffee drinks).

A few days ago I made Maya Angelo's chicken livers in gravy. I watched several videos to understand how to clean them first and decided after the third to pretend I was attending a Gray's Anatomy 101 class and this was the section on dissecting internal organs. Otherwise I couldn't get past the phrase " be sure to excise any excess blood in the lobe."

It was...edible. I've realized it isn't the taste so much as the texture that gives me the heebee jeebees. It's as if someone has already chewed it, like a mama bird breaking down the worm for her baby chicks. Once floured and browned off, liver looks deceptively like beef chunks and while my eyes and brain may be deceived, my taste buds aren't having any of it. I'm sticking with pâté from here on out.

Meanwhile...I had another blood test run on Friday and my results are great: 18.1.

Blood donation at work is next Wednesday so we'll see if I can fly through their iron test as well.

THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
Success! Wonderful news, Marilyn!

I can't believe the extreme blood level iron change! Wow! My doctor told me to stop taking iron tabs (and calcium) and to work on getting "appropriate" iron/calcium from food. So we have committed to regular intake of spinach and OJ, along with cereal and OJ, and frequent chicken livers (and OJ). Yes, we love chicken livers but I understand why you do not. Next time you take a leap at livers, we often enjoy spinach salad with bacon wrapped around chicken liver pieces and water chestnuts - Rumaki. Also stroganoff-style with tons of mushrooms over noodles. Our cocktail of choice, OJ smileys/wink.gif Colleen

 
Great news! That is more than double. Liver is not for everyone, but I commend you for trying.

 
That is great but just for your own information and diet, you might find out how much

the pills are contributing on their own. I'm sure you would prefer to do it with diet, but finding out all the angles could help with that also. Congratulations. ;o)

 
the women in my family have an anomaly with red blood cells

They don't hold on to iron as they should and we are frequently anemic. My sister who is a nurse might recall what it was called. Seemed to be small percent aberration that may be linked to west coast of Ireland. Got any Irish in you?

 
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