I think I am answering my own question but: 17-yr-old dtr had a complete blood workup last month. She has a medical history; won't bore you but we had CBC/sugar/cholesterol/iron/vit D/B12, yada, yada, yada, all checked. Vitamin D came back low & doc is starting her on supplements.
Iron was also low; test was done mid-cycle. Doc wants to retest right before her period. I think he is a little too thorough -- both hubby & I have had anemia; she herself had to had iron IV as a baby....long story.
We do not have adequate insurance at the moment. I would prefer to just start her on iron.
Would you have it done? It would be in his office; probably cheaper. Really like our doc but he goes overboard sometimes on labwork, etc.
Thanks!!!
Tried to edit but computer @ work not cooperating: she was born with gastroschisis and had her ileum removed along with a few cm of her small intestine. She was IV-fed for over a year, then had eating/feeding issues. I don't eat a lot of meat myself and that is a good thing to try so I think I will tell nurse that we will try to do more breakfast stuff (she rarely eats eggs/bacon/sausage but will eat them). She eats way too much pasta, etc, for lunch.
She was tested 2 weeks after her period/2 weeks before next one.
Thanks so very much! I feel that adding more chicken and lean meat will help/will suggest that & have him retest when we get insurance from my job (should be any day now! Been temping 4 mos on this job!)
For all medical tests:
What would it tell us if it comes back positive?
What would it tell us if it comes back negative?
How would either of these results change our behavior and choices?
If the test will give you critical information that will alter your medical choices, do it. If not, don't.
I think you need to be very upfront with the doc. Tell him without insurance you need to be very careful how the money is spent. What is necessary for her best health right now and what can wait?
I have had to tell docs that before about meds not covered or not covered much by our insurance. We had a doc once prescribe $45 eardrops for an ear infection and the $10 ones work well on my kids. I think after I mentioned that, he wrote something in the charts, b/c now he asks me if I want the absolute best choice for more $$$ (possibly) or something that will probably work well and he knows our insurance will cover.
It depends on the severity of the anemia when she tested. If it was close to extreme, its worth it to test now. If it was borderline, talk to him about just taking the low-dose iron for a month or two and then retesting.
M.
Are you saying it was in the middle of her period? If so, I'd retest.
It sound like he is trying to rule out the anemia connection between your daughter's menses and low iron. If the anemia is caused by her menstral cycle then her iron levels should be normal prior to menses.
If the test still comes back low iron prior to her menses, then something else is going on.
What happened when she was a baby and why would she need IV iron then? Was her health consider at the time considered normal and a normal diet would keep her iron levels normal? Or would she have a life long battle with low iron?
Does your family eat red meat, liver, beef, lamb? Does she eat it at least weekly? It is far better for her body to receive iron from food, over supplements, any day.
Post Edit** I just read your latest comments, and wanted to inform you that chicken does not have much iron. Per serving it has only about 8% of a daily need versus beef having about 25%. Bacon and breakfast sausages also will not improve her iron deficiency. Please google iron rich foods and determine with your doctors what is best.
Excellent sources for fast improvement would be:
Clams
Pork Liver
Oysters
Chicken Liver
Mussels
Beef Liver
Good Sources of iron for day to day living:
Beef
Shrimp
Sardines
Turkey, dark meat
i am not a fan of mainstream doctors. i find that the radical doctors can figure out the issue and cure it with natural or meds what ever is best for the issue. i finally figured this out after having a issue for a couple years and seeing six different doctors about it with them all scratching there heads and not knowing. finally the sixth doctor said it was my ph and helped me with treatment! i think a homeopathy shop or natural store will help and be open to hearing what you think. if indeed they find her to have low iron then you can either seek a different doctor or get some help from them. good luck.
