On October 1st, I decided to recheck my iron on my own to make sure things were improving. Three months after stopping the calcium + vitamin D supplement, my ferritin had increased! I was happy to have found the cause of my worsening iron markers back in July.
July Results
October Results
My ferritin is still low, but it’s definitely a lot better and is only four points away from kissing the lower end of the normal range. Other iron parameters were also better, although it’s difficult to do a direct comparison because the reference ranges are different.
While I was thrilled about things improving, I ended up deciding not to share the results with the hematologist. First, she would just look at the ferritin and say I was still iron-deficient without even considering the other results or trends over time. She would probably once again push iron supplements and infusions. I know this from past experience. Second, I just didn’t feel it was worth it. I know that I will not go back to her again. My plan is to ask my primary care doctor to send me to someone different if I ever need to see a hematologist in the future. I do worry about other patients she may see who have issues with iron deficiency that won’t be fixed with iron supplements or infusions. All I can hope is that those patients find the right information so they can figure out for themselves what they need. I also hope my blog will help those who have iron deficiency in their search for answers because their doctors just aren’t providing them.
I’m very happy that my iron parameters are improving. I’m not quite back where I was at the beginning of the year, but I’m getting closer. As long as I’m taking a multivitamin with plenty of vitamin D, I definitely don’t need a calcium supplement that contains it as well!
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