What's on your Tuesday Menu?

10 seems crazy low to still be considered "normal". Yikes. Yes - it seems like most people get infusions when it's quite a bit higher than that. My surgeon said he refers patients when it dips below 20 - but even that seemed kinda low to me.

Good job on deciding to advocate for yourself!

My Ferritin has been at 6-7 range for years and I can't get anyone to care. Apparently most WLS docs believe that iron infusions are more dangerous than they are healthy. My surgeon won't even discuss it with me anymore (I'm making her sound awful and she isn't--she just has developed a philosophy on it through research and she won't budge).

Having done zero research but personally knowing two people at work who have had iron infusions in the past couple of months and benefitted from it greatly...what does your surgeon think is so dangerous as to not be worth it?

She says that low ferritin is really noting to be concerned about...and that the short term bump in energy isn't work the risk of anaphylactic shock associated with iron infusions. She admits that newer technology has alleviated some of the risk, but still says she will not prescribe something potentially dangerous when there is very little real benefit to it.

Yours and mine are the same (6-7). No iron infusion. I've been trying the iron patch and they will see at the next appt. But they said the same thing: iron infusion is not an option.

What iron have you tried, aside from the patch?

The bariatric Advantage multi vitamin that comes with iron.
But the bariatric center now has put me on the patch that has 50mg of iron, while the multi usually has 10-15 mg of iron. I honestly don't have any side effect of low iron, and if it wasn't for this board I wouldn't have paid attention to my ferretin. My PCP says my overall iron is good and not to worry about the low Ferretin. But the bariatric center has had it with my complaints so they suggested the patch.

You desperately need an infusion and it makes me angry that you have to advocate for it yourself. Your doctor is lucky to not have to deal with me. I would make their day very unpleasant. I wish I could go and fight for you. You will feel so much better after the infusion.

Feed the birds they love popcorn.