Skip to main content

At least I'm sleeping better [I think]

It's been two weeks since I started taking an iron supplement, and one question people have been asking is
Do I notice any difference?

Well that's a difficult question to answer. Even if I thought I felt better, I would be hesitant to say yes, because I find it hard to believe taking an iron supplement for only two weeks could really have any effect. Then there is the obvious potential for a placebo effect. I want to think the iron is helping, so I rationalize that I'm feeling better.

So I have been answering "no".

In reality though, I do [sort of] feel better. I've already put in 300 miles on the bike this month, and while I feel tired, I don't feel any more tired than I have been feeling, and I rode really strong this weekend. At least that's my perception. Plus, I think I've been sleeping better, not getting up as often during the night as before, but then again, that could all just be a placebo effect.

Oh well, hopefully I'll learn more shortly. I have blood work scheduled for tomorrow, and an appointment with my primary care physician on Tuesday. I'm anxious to see if my hemoglobin and iron have increased any. I also have an appointment with my oncologist on Wednesday for a bone marrow biopsy. I'll be quizzing them both.
Labels:

Comments

Gerry said…
I must say you really did ride well today, good job!
Good luck at the Dr. see you Wednesday.
2:35 PM
Susan C said…
Placebo or not, it's wonderful that you seem to be sleeping better.
1:21 AM
Marc said…
Well, I slept good the last couple of nights, but that could also be because I've put a lot more miles on so far this month than is normal, and I'm just plain exhausted.

And Gerry, I'll see you on Friday. My BMB is scheduled for 10 AM on Wednesday, so it will be a little tough to ride before that. I could go short though, but......... We'll see.
8:57 AM
Alan Posner said…
I don't think you're sleeping better because of the Fe. (That would be amazing).

Don't forget to ask your oncologist to be sure they do an Fe stain on your BM biopsy, and to give you the results.
11:27 AM
Marc said…
I will.

I say my PCP today, and she said she never even pays attention to hypochromia, but she still sent an order to the lab to check my Fe, TIBC, ferritin, Folate and Vitamin B and whatever else levels. I'll get the results of those tomorrow. I'm anxious to see if 2 weeks of 100 mg of Fe per day has done any good.

Hemoglobin was up to 11.7 from 11.2, but I know, that could just as easily be lab error, but I did feel good again this morning on my bike ride, despite the wind.
2:06 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My concerns reaffirmed today

When I was first diagnosed with MCL, I pretty much read just about everything I could get my hands on, I attended various conferences, and I talked to anyone who would listen. One of the most important lessons I learned, and which I've mentioned numerous times before was No one cares more about you than you. But in addition to that, I learned to fear the drug Doxorubicin , AKA Adriamycin, Doxil, Hydroxydoxorubicin, or more affectionately the Red Devil. Besides being a deadly chemical, as is the case with most chemotherapy drugs, it is one of the few chemotherapy drugs known to cause permanent heart damage. I even heard Dr. Sandra Horning , a noted Stanford lymphoma specialist, state at the first lymphoma conference I attended in LA, there was no evidence Doxorubicin provided any added benefit to chemotherapy protocols. This was music to my ears, since Doxorubicin is very common in most lymphoma treatment protocols. And even though Dr. Horning has since changed her tune [which my sk...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bowling: A metaphor on life [sorta]

Over the past 15+ years the game of bowling has changed dramatically. Not only has the equipment changed, making it easier for bowlers of all ages and physical conditions to participate, and score well, but there have even been major advances to how the lanes are prepared for the start of bowling. No longer is it just heavy oil, light oil, long oil, short oil, or no oil, with the latest equipment, the amount of oil can be varied from front to back and side to side, producing a myriad of patterns designed to make the game more interesting, more challenging and as you might surmise, more frustrating. No longer does the "one ball fits all" approach work any more either. In order to navigate all the differing possible lane conditions, you need to have a varied selection of bowling balls. Most pros will tell you the average bowler needs 3 balls, plus a ball for spares, but to be an above average bowler you'll need at least 6 balls, with many possessing more than that. But just...
1 comment
Read more

Fatigue! Part II - Maybe it is real?

Or it's actually Motivational Deficiency Disorder, MoDeD (pronounced Mo-Dee-Dee) for short. In a report this week by Roy Moynihan who reports for the British Medical Journal Austrailian scientists may have come across the reason for extreme laziness . The condition is claimed to affect up to one in five Australians and is characterised by overwhelming and debilitating apathy. Neuroscientists at the University of Newcastle in Australia say that in severe cases motivational deficiency disorder can be fatal, because the condition reduces the motivation to breathe. Neurologist Leth Argos is part of the team that has identified the disorder, which can be diagnosed using a combination of positron emission tomography and low scores on a motivation rating scale, previously validated in elite athletes. "This disorder is poorly understood," Professor Argos told the BMJ. "It is underdiagnosed and undertreated." Who knew? Maybe I have MoDeD, from my attempts to become a...
Post a Comment
Read more