Being told you have "color in your face" is not a bad thing considering a mere week ago I was "pasty and gray". Besides, I feel much better paying a man to tell me nice things rather than pointing out my flaws. And on the transfusion front - still clear, at least for now. The BP was down, heart rate nearer to normal, and I lost a pound in a week. All good signs that the high dose iron is working. So, I'll stay on the same regimine as far as that is concerned, and will continue to take it easy and pay attention to any chest pains, shortness of breath, dizziness, or extreme fatigue. Gotcha', Doc! The magic results upon which my hematic future hinges are those checking hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum ferritin, and most important of all at this point, reticulocyte count.

So, what are these uber-important reticulocytes? Basically, these are immature red blood cells that make up a mere 1% of the total red blood cells (RBC). They are manufactured in the bone marrow and travel through the body for about a day before becoming mature RBC. However counterintuitive it may seem at first, the reticulocyte count in a person with anemia should typically be higher than a "normal" count if the body is functioning properly at the level of the bone marrow. Thus, as with most things reticulocyte count interpretation is contextual. I suppose in my case, I'm hoping for a somewhat elevated number. The scores should be in on Mon. or Tue., so again, xxfingersxx.

I'll post an update on the results, good, bad, or ugly, and the next steps to ultimate health for me. In the meantime, check out the gluten free iron rich recipe for today!

Be strong!