My mother-in-law expressed concerns about my iron intake, so this update is about the changes I have made (and will be making) as I am certain that she is not the only one with concerns.
I have been a vegetarian most of my life (starting at 14yrs old). I did not become a vegetarian for any religious or trendy anti-meat stance. I simply could not stand the taste of it.
Back then, after a month or so of not eating meat, I decided to have a tuna fish sandwich – something I had eaten many times before. It made me so sick that I was never tempted to eat fish again... until a couple of years ago. After being a vegetarian for 35 years, the fish that I made for Bob started smelling good to me. So, on one particularly adventurous day, I took a bite... and enjoyed it.
It was weird for me. But, I figured that there must be something in the fish that my needed, so I went with it and we tried several varieties. However, so far, I can only stand tilapia and pollock (depending on how it is made).
I have since tried tiny bites of beef and poultry with zero desire for them.
I have actually been craving fish and eggs quite a bit the last several months. I currently believe that these cravings started due to my iron levels being low. There may be more to it than this, but these are among the recommended iron rich foods to eat and it is said that the iron in fish and eggs is easier to absorb than that in vegetables.
A few days ago, I went through the cupboards and added up my normal daily iron intake. Since I have leaned that there are different types of iron and each one is absorbed at a different rate, I decided to provide a break down.
My daily average:
fish and eggs - 1.5 mg
grains and vegetables – 5 mg (I was surprised to find this so low... I
may need to make a few more dietary tweaks)
multi-vitamin (iron as ferrous fumarate) – 18 mg (100% fda recommended
amount)
Under normal circumstances, these levels would be adequate. With the stressors of menopause though, apparently it has not been enough and will require a long time to replenish depleted stores.
On my really heavy flow days, I have been including an extra 15 mg (iron as ferrous sulfate). While this particular type of iron is what most doctors prescribe, I can not take it as a daily supplement, or take any where near the amount suggested, because it causes a lot of stomach pain (I have read that this is a common issue).
The good news is that I did a search for easy to digest iron yesterday and found something called chelated iron.
“Chelated iron is a supplemental form of iron that has been chemically altered to allow it to pass through the digestive system without breaking apart.
When a compound is "chelated,” metallic ions are bonded to non-metallic ions to form a new molecule. Chelated iron is carried into your cells along with an amino acid bound to it. This bond allows for more efficient iron absorption.
I then went to Amazon and ordered some Ferrochel Iron Bisglycinate. The description says: “has clinically demonstrated superior absorption and is well tolerated because it is gentle and non-constipating” with reviews to support that. Since I really do like the idea of being back to normal sooner than later (even with feeling better than I have for months), I ordered a bottle that has 18 mg per capsule. If I have a bad reaction to it, I have chosen three other types of chelated iron/brands to try.
I have read that doctors will encourage low iron patients to temporarily consume 60-200 mg of iron a day until the levels are back to normal, but it still takes several weeks to show up on the lab results because your body can only absorb and utilize so much a day. With that in mind, I will first see how my system reacts to one capsule and build from there.
I also found out that I was not referred to the emergency room for an iron infusion when my results were sent as those are typically given when the hemoglobin (the amount of iron found in the cells) count is below 7 g/dL (there is also another test required). My hemoglobin is 8.7. Normal is 11.5 – 15.8. I am guessing that when I was hearing the whooshing sound in my ears that I was nearing the levels requiring an infusion. Rest assured, if the whooshing sound returns before my next recommended lab (3 months), I will be going back early.
I do hope that this message eases concerns and I will keep you all posted with my results.
Hopefully, I will continue
to improve even after my body gets used to the boost.
We don't know what brave soul put them there,
but there is no way we'll be using them so I asked to have them taken down.
He also did a quick roof inspection while up there. 
Bob and I went for a flight to Madison, SD this morning. It was such a calm, beautiful morning! We went there for a pancake breakfast that turned out to be in a different town, but we got to see some friendly, familiar faces. I told Bob that that was far better than facing a large group for pancakes. 
I saw the flood warning alert yesterday... I just didn't realize it would be
in our basement! 
They may never sound
the same after they dry out (the wood hasn't started swelling or separating
yet), but I will still cherish the memories. 
I have been away from home 55 of the last 120 days! 
