Ironies and Iron Levels
So I've been on BCPs since my last hysteroscopy, roughly five weeks according to my pill packs. I've bled the entire time without cease...and yesterday was my last BCP. Ironically, I stopped bleeding on the last day of my BCPs...and now I can look forward to....more bleeding as my AF starts.
Oy.
On iron levels, my ferritin values came back today.
461
When the doctor emailed me my values, I did a doubletake when I saw the number. 461? Or 46.1 and he forgot the decimal point. I emailed him and asked for clarification.
Nope. 461. High but not dangerously so and my values would fall over time as the Fe+ in the ferritin converted to hemoglobin in my RBCs. He cautioned that I shouldn't be taking any oral iron supplements. Yikes. I took 65mg of elemental iron each of the last two days, sort of panicked that my levels might be high enough! And 50mg for a few days prior to that.
Wow, I started off at 14. This was a huge spike!
So my irons levels are completely topped up. My last hemoglobin (or was it my hematocrit) was at 36.5 or so, just under the normal mark. With luck, I'll surpass 40 with my next blood test. :-) I am feeling quite perky with high energy levels. I've also noticed that my skin looks rosier, tauter. The bags under my eyes are a wee bit lighter but the upper eyelid skin is remarkably better (it was quite thin and crepey just a few weeks ago). I haven't changed my skincare regime but I have been taking shitloads of pycnogenol and resveratrol since early to mid September. Maybe these antioxidants are finally paying off in ways I hadn't expected? Or maybe the increased iron is helping to get more oxygen to my tissues? Who knows. I just look and feel better.
Well, save for the 10 pounds that slid on in the last month or two due to cycle #4's steroids and gonatropins, then 5 weeks of BCPs. And now I'm just about to start more stims and steroids. God. I hope I can get at least a few pounds off before the end of the year.
Key to the next week:
Yesterday: Last BCP
Tomorrow (Sat): Meds arrive
Sunday: I turn 45. F*ck. My last year of IVF begins.
Monday: Baseline U/S and Bloodwork. Start Stims.
Tuesday-Friday: In California
Friday: Intralipid Infusion
I have no idea when my first monitoring U/S is...oy! Don't you just love cycling by the seat of your pants?
Oy.
On iron levels, my ferritin values came back today.
461
When the doctor emailed me my values, I did a doubletake when I saw the number. 461? Or 46.1 and he forgot the decimal point. I emailed him and asked for clarification.
Nope. 461. High but not dangerously so and my values would fall over time as the Fe+ in the ferritin converted to hemoglobin in my RBCs. He cautioned that I shouldn't be taking any oral iron supplements. Yikes. I took 65mg of elemental iron each of the last two days, sort of panicked that my levels might be high enough! And 50mg for a few days prior to that.
Wow, I started off at 14. This was a huge spike!
So my irons levels are completely topped up. My last hemoglobin (or was it my hematocrit) was at 36.5 or so, just under the normal mark. With luck, I'll surpass 40 with my next blood test. :-) I am feeling quite perky with high energy levels. I've also noticed that my skin looks rosier, tauter. The bags under my eyes are a wee bit lighter but the upper eyelid skin is remarkably better (it was quite thin and crepey just a few weeks ago). I haven't changed my skincare regime but I have been taking shitloads of pycnogenol and resveratrol since early to mid September. Maybe these antioxidants are finally paying off in ways I hadn't expected? Or maybe the increased iron is helping to get more oxygen to my tissues? Who knows. I just look and feel better.
Well, save for the 10 pounds that slid on in the last month or two due to cycle #4's steroids and gonatropins, then 5 weeks of BCPs. And now I'm just about to start more stims and steroids. God. I hope I can get at least a few pounds off before the end of the year.
Key to the next week:
Yesterday: Last BCP
Tomorrow (Sat): Meds arrive
Sunday: I turn 45. F*ck. My last year of IVF begins.
Monday: Baseline U/S and Bloodwork. Start Stims.
Tuesday-Friday: In California
Friday: Intralipid Infusion
I have no idea when my first monitoring U/S is...oy! Don't you just love cycling by the seat of your pants?
Labels: ferritin and infertilty, IVF5 Take 1
posted by linda at 8:38 PM
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Comments on "Ironies and Iron Levels"
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musicmakermomma said ... (4:34 PM) :
post a commentExciting news that your body seems to be responding so positively to the iron. Hope this makes all the difference for you! And even though I'm sure you are not thrilled that your bday is coming up (as I can SOOO relate), I hope you have a great day and celebrate your last year of childlessness in a way you couldn't do with babies! (like shopping for more than 10 minutes, going to a nice restaurant, getting some nice spa treatment or even just taking a quiet moment for yourself) Hope all these thing are distant memories soon - thinking of you.