Veterans- Iron

Another earlier post got me to thinking and I wanted to ask...  For Veterans how many of you are finding it harder and harder as time goes by to keep your counts up?  How common are iron transfusions?  Do you think if you had anemic issues to begin with it might put you at a higher risk?  I very normal blood counts now but reading other posts then doing a quick internet search you can really only find the bad.  Thought I would ask here what peoples experience has been with keeping your counts looking good on all vitamins/minerals after you have been out several years. 

Of course if you do a quick search anyway all RNY's gain the weight back or  are practically dying from their choice.  I dont believe this and its a bit of an exaggeration but it feels that way.

 

At this point I can't really answer the question 100%.  I wish I knew if I was anemic before I had my RYN 4.5 years ago.  I am beyond severely anemic now.  I am having MANY issues right now with my counts BUT I am by no means a good person to judge normal off of being I have not eaten veggies or fruits in over 15 years (trauma from my mother when little has prohibited me from doing so) and I have 4 little kids and a nephew who is in my car 4 days a week (all 6 yrs and under) so I am on the go none stop and forget that its been hours since I have eaten.  I am at the doctor all the time because everything is out of whack and we can't get it under control.  I refused the transfusion 9 months ago because I didn't want someone else's blood in my body but I am getting desperate now.  I have a lot to live for and am getting very worried at this point.

Do your research.  Post a lot of questions.  Go to support groups and ask ask ask.

At 4.5 years out, my iron is fine.  It was low for a little while after surgery, because my surgeon had told me I didn't need to take any iron.  He was wrong but when I started taking it, my level went back up and has been fine ever since.

I've never had any iron issues until 2010. I took iron pretty regularly early out but have struggled with it some. I had a hysterectomy in 2009 and never expected to deal with this after. I've seen multiple times on here were ladies state their surgeons say if menopausal they won't need iron. Not true I can vouch for that.

I haven't needed/had blood transfusions but have had 2 rounds of iron infusions.

I will be 6 years out in August and my iron levels are fine.  Well, they have been previously... I just had labs drawn today.  I wasn't taking any iron except what was in one of the two Multi's I was taking (hysterectomy many years ago).  Then, after the fourth year, I saw that my levels were dropping slowly with each lab test, so I started taking the Tender Iron from Vitalady three times per week.  That raised the labs in both of the two tests I have had done since then.  I never had a problem with iron before surgery, and am not having a problem now that I am actually taking a supplement.

I have had only one issue, but I had that deficiency before I had my RNY.  I had a problem getting my Vitamin D level up during that first year, but it was 9 (yes, you read that correctly) to start with, and we want it to be at least 80.  I messed around for an entire year following the doctor's instructions to increase the dose by 2000mg per day and then retest in 3 months.  I finally just bought some of the 50,000 unit Vit D capsules, and I now take it twice per week.

 

Lora