Bonny, your lemonade plan is great! Good for you. Maybe being around all the gear will desensitize you to it, and make it easier when your iron level is cooperative.

Zen, don't doubt yourself. You'll be fine. If it's low, they will tell you at the time. But don't play the 2nd guessing game. Not now. Not when your are girding your loins to give the gift of life! You can do it!

Vitamin C helps with iron absorption, too, bonny. Make sure you get the C with the iron.

bonny, doesn't your B-something vitamin level have to be high in order for your blood serum iron level to be high, too? Somebody, Steph, am I making that up in my head? Maybe that's the problem.

You are correct. The tonic that I've been taking gave me 300 to 500% of my B vitamin requirements. It's what made me smell like breakfast cereal. (Thanks again for that recommendation, Stephanie)

I'm wondering now if there is a home iron test so I can figure out when to make another appointment to try.

shuffling off to google

Vitamin C helps with iron absorption, too, bonny. Make sure you get the C with the iron.

Yep. I have been taking the iron tonic in pomegranate juice with 2000 extra mg of C, twice a day.

At the risk of grossness, my pee is TECHNICOLOR !

Oh, bonny. How frustrating! I think organizing a drive is a great idea.

T minus 3 hours to Doggie Day!

T minus 3 hours to Doggie Day!

Woot, woot! Or, WOOF, WOOF!

I stopped giving blood because my iron was always one or two points too low. It was very frustrating. If they lowered the requirement for women by one point, I bet they'd get more blood donors. If I had to give for myself, I could--I just can't donate for the cause.

If I had to give for myself, I could--I just can't donate for the cause.

Right! And, god forbid I ever had to, I sure wish I could get past it now.

A quick Google resulted in some information.

From this website: "Iron is available in two forms heme and nonheme. Heme forms of iron are found in meat and poultry and are absorbed quite easily by the body. Nonheme iron is found in vegetable and grains and is absorbed less readily.

This page has excellent information on iron in the diet including the factors that affect how iron is absorbed in the body. Certain other substances / foods also affect how readily iron is absorbed, for example, vitamin C increases iron absorption.

It is generally considered a bad idea to self-medicate with iron supplements. Iron overload is just as dangerous as iron deficiency."

I'm 99% certain that you can't OD on heme iron, though. Heme iron is also found in egg yolks, though for some reason neither website mentions it.

I eat plenty of meat and eggs, so I'm not gonna worry about it unless they tell me it's a problem.

I'm wondering now if there is a home iron test so I can figure out when to make another appointment to try.

Magnets?

Or, relatedly, hold some iron filings near your face and see if you can get a beard like Wooly Willy.