my husband has just gone for his 3 month check up and the NHS have changed the ballpark from 50 to 100 as he has gone from 32 to 54 after 3 years they are keeping a good eye on him let you know how he gets on.
Can you explain -- I'm a little confused
what is NHS
what do you mean by ballpark? Is that number they want him to be at?
if he's at 54 is that normal range?
if that is the case why keep eye on him?
Hi, I am pleased your husband is on a three monthly check up and this is most likely because his ferritin level is at an acceptable level and they are keeping check on this. My own ferritin level has never been below 3000 and as high as 7001 so I am giving blood fortnightly and have been doing so for over a year now. It goes up and then it goes down. There is no stability and the latest problem is difficulty in taking the blood. They cant get the amount they want and I joked I might be running out but I know that's not the case. Anyone else having trouble giving the required amount of blood on a fortnighly basis, Deidre, I hope things continue to go well in the future, regards Glyn
Sorry to hear about your lack of blood flow and your high ferritin levels. I had weekly blood draws and have had a few occasions where the blood flow would stop. This is where I learned about the size of the needles and other things that may help the blood flow. Being hydrated is key and also taking a baby aspirin or low dose aspirin every day may help. I had nurses that wanted to use the size 16 needle as they felt it would aid in the blood flow. However, in most cases they used a size 18 (which is much smaller) which seemed to work fine in most cases. They also wrapped my arms in warm blankets to aid in the flow and easier access to my veins (which aren't that good), I am in the US and called yesterday to schedule a blood contribution and it appears I was referred to a "specialty" department and I'm still waiting to hear back from them. I was told there are some recipients that don't want our blood, so it requires special handling.
I have also just had my target moved from 50 to 100. But the the reasons are slightly different, in my case my body responds rather badly to the treatment and it can take up to a week to recover.
I also used to have problems with them being able to get blood out, I found that being well hydrated helps a lot. I have also been told that dressing warmly and having a hot shower just before help a lot.