Who wants to raise their hemoglobin/improve their diet with me? - Page 5

[CrazyCatLady]

I finished a whole bottle of Floradix!!!!  It's the first time I didn't waste it and throw it all away.  The shot glass thing has worked out really well for me.

Yesterday (not very healthy day):

B - Raisin Bran and Soy Milk

OJ with Emergen-C, Floradix pill

L - Piece of Pizza and an Ensure

S - Strawberry banana smoothie and a carrot cake cupcake from Starbucks

D - Black bean burrito (I really just picked at the tortilla) and grapes

OJ with Emergen-C and liquid Floradix

S - Ensure

Meds and other vitamins

I have a bad cold and morning sickness.  My appetite and energy to eat well are almost non-existent.  But I get really shaky and sick if I don't eat.  Blah.

[ursusarctos]

Thanks Carrie :)

Lyn, balsamic sauce sounds amazing. Care to share the recipe?

Melaya, I see you finally got your smoothie and pastry :D

I was doing great today and then we went to pick up some stuff from a friend and we got offered sweet buns and sugary juice. Oops! Oh well, at least I got nutrients otherwise today. I have my next mw appt on Friday... really hoping my hemo has risen in the last 4 weeks!

[Lynann]

Recipe alert

Balsamic Sauce

(good for Chicken, Fish and chunky Veggies)

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 - 1 cup stock

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 -1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes

Saute onion & garlic until they start to carmelize

Add stock & vinegar to deglaze. Boil until it starts to thicken

Add tomatoes

Pour over chicken, fish or veg

Bake in a medium oven until done. (For chicken this takes about 30-45 min, fish about 15-20 min & veg about an hour)

[ursusarctos]

Oh yum Lyn, thank you!

Today started off ok... but it's hot and I'll probably be outside later so I'm sort of counting on some ice cream

B - Granola with plain yogurt and blueberries, rrl/nettle

S - Bagel with a ridiculously small amount of feta and veggies - when will I learn that the uni cafeteria does not always have a good price-value relationship

L - WW baguette with smoked salmon paste, veggies, and a hardboiled egg

S - Phish food ice cream, a small beef+beans tostada, orange juice, Floradix

D - Going to be bolognese sauce over rice pasta with a green salad as soon as I can haul myself off my arse and do all the dishes so I can cook...

Edited by ursusarctos - 6/7/11 at 8:28am

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by ursusarctos 
I have my next mw appt on Friday... really hoping my hemo has risen in the last 4 weeks!

I have my blood draw today!!  FXed for a nice high platelet count!! 

Here is yesterday:

B - small banana, 1/2 sesame bagel with cream cheese, some sweet tea from DD

S-  a few Oreo cookies & soymilk

L - 1/2 regular size quiznos veggie sub with guac, pink lemonade

D - 2 homemade crunchy tacos, boca crumbles, daiya cheese, and sour cream, iced tea

S - apple, veggie baloney sandwich on WW, water

MNS - TB of peanut butter and soymilk

[Lynann]

Originally Posted by Baby_Cakes 

I have my blood draw today!!  FXed for a nice high platelet count!! 

Here is yesterday:

B - small banana, 1/2 sesame bagel with cream cheese, some sweet tea from DD

S-  a few Oreo cookies & soymilk

L - 1/2 regular size quiznos veggie sub with guac, pink lemonade

D - 2 homemade crunchy tacos, boca crumbles, daiya cheese, and sour cream, iced tea

S - apple, veggie baloney sandwich on WW, water

MNS - TB of peanut butter and soymilk

Hope everything goes well at your blood draw Carrie. I know the platelet count is even more important than the hemoglobin count.

Here's to high numbers for all of us.

[ursusarctos]

Originally Posted by Lynann 

Hope everything goes well at your blood draw Carrie. I know the platelet count is even more important than the hemoglobin count.

Here's to high numbers for all of us.

Yes indeed!

What actually is the platelet count? I don't think they do that here. At least nobody has mentioned it to me.
 

[Lynann]

The platelets are the part that are important to blood clotting. I remember from last time that my MW was keeping her eye on the platelet count even though she never said what it actually was. It was only because of my anemia, and she said that even though my hemoglobin was low my platelet count was good so she wasn't concerned about me bleeding too much during birth. They may check your platelet count but not mention it to you if it isn't an issue. I think it is just part of the full blood count.

I have my next one a week tomorrow, so it'll be interesting to see if it has gone up any from earlier in the pregnancy. Last time with DS it did go up a little, but I was still classed anemic. This time I'll just be happy if it hasn't gone down.

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by ursusarctos 

Yes indeed!

What actually is the platelet count? I don't think they do that here. At least nobody has mentioned it to me.
 

Yep, Lyn is right.  It's the clotting factor in the blood.  It was part of just the normal blood test, on the page of results with the hemocrit and hemoglobin is a column for platelets.  The big issue is with low platelets, my mw says she isn't comfortable keeping me home for the birth b/c of the risk of PPH.  I'm really, REALLY rooting for higher than 140 this time!!  UGH, if not, I'll just start grazing.  Put me out in a field of spinach or something and let me at it!!

[ursusarctos]

Hmm, I only had bloodwork done once and didn't get sent the results. I guess if I wanted them I could request them... I assume they checked platelets since it was an actual blood draw. After that it's just been a finger prick for hemo though.

 for your platelets Carrie.

[Baby_Cakes]

Ouch, I hate finger pricks.  Glad it's been a full blood draw both times!!  LOL!! Maybe since my hemo levels were above normal, she doesn't bother to keep checking.  She even said if my platelets were fine we don't need to check them again.  So I'm just really, really hoping.  Ugh, I wish I could just WISH them higher!!

Thanks guys, I'll keep you posted!

[Lynann]

Originally Posted by ursusarctos 

Hmm, I only had bloodwork done once and didn't get sent the results. I guess if I wanted them I could request them... I assume they checked platelets since it was an actual blood draw. After that it's just been a finger prick for hemo though.

 for your platelets Carrie.

How often do you get your hemoglobin checked?

Even with a long term history of anemia I only get checked twice through the entire pregnancy unless there is another problem. I only know about the platelet stuff because my previous MW wanted me to know that my anemia wasn't a concern for her as long as my platelet count was good. I get a full blood draw both times, but with really difficult veins I think I'd rather have a finger prick test. My previous MW had to send me to the lab for all blood work. My current MW managed to get a vein on the side of my hand last time, and I suspect that she'll just go back to my hand next week so she can get it first time. My previous hemoglobin count was 10.8 so anything over 11 will be an improvement for me, although I know that ideally my MW would like it to be 12 or higher. Only one more week to go with all the extra iron absorption.

Carrie, you get good news with you platelet count, and have a really high level after all the work you've put in. I know how important it is to be allowed to stay home.

[CrazyCatLady]

Ok, I just got the suckiest news ever.  Yesterday I had my gd test and I asked to have my iron levels checked as well.  My doctor just called and left a message saying that my numbers have dropped so bad this month that I am days away from needing a transfusion. So all of my hard work has been for nothing it seems.  All of the floradix, raisin bran, healthy foods, no dairy, etc. has done nothing to help. 

She told me to start taking my iron pills four times a day.  I never took them at all...so should I start?  Or maybe just boost the floradix up to 4 times a day?  I'm already at 20ml per dose and I'll stay at that, even if it's four times a day I think.  I usually can't keep the iron pills down, so I am nervous about that (plus it would be pointless).

No wonder my work outs have been so weak.  This really bites.

[CrazyCatLady]

ok, I just read this:

http://www.irondisorders.org/diet/

"Eggs contain a compound that impairs absorption of iron.  Phosphoprotein called phosvitin is a protein with a iron binding capacity that may be responsible for the low bioavailability of iron from eggs. This  iron inhibiting characteristic of eggs is called the “egg factor”. The egg factor has been observed in several separate studies. One boiled egg can reduce absorption of iron in a meal by as much as 28%"

I have been eating eggs like crazy thinking that they would help with my iron.  I feel like such a dork now.  But I can't really eat red meat, so I am kind of lost on what to do here.

"Phytate is a compound contained in soy protein and fiber. Even low levels of phytate (about 5 percent of the amounts in cereal whole flours) have a strong inhibitory effect on iron bioavailability. Phytate is found in walnuts, almonds, sesame, dried beans, lentils and peas, and cereals and whole grains. Phytate compounds can reduce iron absorption by 50 to 65 percent."

And does that mean that all the raisin bran was hurting me too?

My diet is already so limited...this is really hard.

[ursusarctos]

Good news ladies! Today my hemo was 12.6! Yaaay! I feel so gratified that fixing my diet and taking more iron actually did work.

Originally Posted by Lynann 

How often do you get your hemoglobin checked?

Even with a long term history of anemia I only get checked twice through the entire pregnancy unless there is another problem. I only know about the platelet stuff because my previous MW wanted me to know that my anemia wasn't a concern for her as long as my platelet count was good. I get a full blood draw both times, but with really difficult veins I think I'd rather have a finger prick test. My previous MW had to send me to the lab for all blood work. My current MW managed to get a vein on the side of my hand last time, and I suspect that she'll just go back to my hand next week so she can get it first time. My previous hemoglobin count was 10.8 so anything over 11 will be an improvement for me, although I know that ideally my MW would like it to be 12 or higher. Only one more week to go with all the extra iron absorption.

Hm, interesting. I've been getting the finger prick every time I go in, which has been every 4-6 weeks until now. I'd much rather have that than a full blood draw though!

Melaya, oh no! I'm sorry, that really sucks! I did not know that about the eggs either, good to know. Actually I did know that the phytate in whole grains can reduce iron absorption, but since raisin bran is so fortified anyway I sort of assumed that you would get some iron from it anyway? I don't really have any advice if you can't eat red meat, because honestly that's the biggest change I've made in my diet in the past month. I just haven't wanted it this pregnancy but I made myself start eating more of it and it seems to have helped. Can you get it down better in spaghetti sauce or something? A burger? Tacos? Or how about chicken? I think that also has quite a bit of iron.

I agree that if you can't keep the iron pills down then they won't be any use. If the Floradix sits well with you then I would think 4 doses a day would be just fine. Also, have you considered taking it with folic acid? Floradix has other B vitamins that help, like 6 and 12, but no folic acid, which is also important for hemoglobin (though I take it your actual iron is low, right? so maybe it wouldn't make a big difference). How much iron is in the iron pills? Because 4 doses of Floradix will give you 60 mg of iron, which is quite a lot, but I think you can supplement up to 100 mg per day without a problem (hah, according to Wikipedia anyway... so don't take my word for it ).
 

[CrazyCatLady]

Congrats on your iron levels being so good!

I can stomach meat, I just usually can't afford it.  Plus I choke on things easy so I have to be careful with many meats.  But the taco idea is genius. :) I have been on a huge tortilla kick anyways and I can swallow ground beef no problem.  Plus I really like tacos so I could easily be eating one or two a day for lunch or dinner.  I am going grocery shopping this morning and will just find a way to afford it.  I'm actually kind of excited lol.

I will do the math and make sure that four doses of floradix is comparable to my pills and ok for me.  Pretty sure it will be, especially with how low my levels are anyways.  Thanks for all the help!
 

Originally Posted by ursusarctos 

Melaya, oh no! I'm sorry, that really sucks! I did not know that about the eggs either, good to know. Actually I did know that the phytate in whole grains can reduce iron absorption, but since raisin bran is so fortified anyway I sort of assumed that you would get some iron from it anyway? I don't really have any advice if you can't eat red meat, because honestly that's the biggest change I've made in my diet in the past month. I just haven't wanted it this pregnancy but I made myself start eating more of it and it seems to have helped. Can you get it down better in spaghetti sauce or something? A burger? Tacos? Or how about chicken? I think that also has quite a bit of iron.

[Lynann]

Melaya, so sorry to hear about your iron levels. I was only 0.1 points away from another transfusion after the birth of DS last year. I've had transfusions in the past for my anemia and its no fun, although the increase in energy after is great.

Have you tried adding Blackstrap Molasses to your diet, and taking the high iron stuff along with high doses of Vitamin C. Molasses are a really good source of concentrated iron. Its great to add to baked goods, and my favorite is to add to tomato based sauces when I'm cooking. As a kid I would just spread it on a piece of bread and eat it, kind of like American kids do with peanut butter. The Blackstrap kind is better than the regular molasses, but even the regular stuff is fairly high in iron.

Another good one for me is to saute some spinach or kale with a little bit of onion, then add a chopped tomato (vit c) and a spoon of molasses to them once cooked. Mix it all together in the saute pan and serve with dinner. Its a tasty way to get the nutrients, and the molasses sweetens some of the bitterness of the spinach or kale. I've found that both spinach and kale are fairly inexpensive right now. I also like to add a little molasses or honey to bitter tasting vegetables as it makes them easier for me to eat.

[CrazyCatLady]

Vons was having a huge sale on the family packs of ground sirloin yesterday.   So I stocked up , and am now living on soft tacos.  Beef, black beans, tomatoes, tortilla...all good stuff for iron (at least I think it all is lol).  I made a huge batch and it's currently my go to food.  Hopefully it helps.  I slept almost all day so I really need something to work here before I just go and beg for the transfusion.  I can't afford to be this wiped out. 

[ursusarctos]

Oh hooray Melaya, that's wonderful!

[ursusarctos]

How's everyone doing? Melaya, I saw your post in the other thread too :( Has the meat seemed to help at all?

Today

B/S - Over the course of the morning snacked on a banana, leftover salmon and new potatoes with sour cream dip, 1/3 cucumber, Floradix, rrl/nettle infusion

L - Leftover potatoes and pork sauce, a raw tomato

S - Probably going to be some rye crispbread and butter. We are out of groceries.

D - Pinto beans in red palm oil sauce, tomatoes, fried eggs