Calcium vs Iron

I have had the surgery but have always found it difficult to get my iron in.  Because it has to be taken 2-4 hours before/after calcium, that means careful planning.  Maybe I've been making it harder than I should.  I've always taken my iron supplements keeping that window in mind, but I've also made sure I do not have any dairy products in there as well.  However a light came on in my head -- we do not absorb minerals and vitamins in our food, which is why we are taking the supplements to begin with.  Does that mean I can eat a piece of cheese or have a glass of milk, etc. and it will not affect the iron supplement absorption?

Take Proferrin(Forte) it doesn't compete with other nutrients (ca) and can be taken with food. It has a high absorption rate also.   I took proferrin forte for years...it doesn't chop up your gi system either.....

I just switched to proferrin for the same reason. After years of trying to make sure I took my iron on an empty stomach with C, I decided that it was worth the extra money to do the Proferin.