You're still suffering from low ferritin after giving birth at Northside Hospital Atlanta half a year ago. It makes you wonder whether the daily oral iron you're taking is being absorbed by your body. In the meantime, you continue to find clumps of hair in your shower drain while you exhaust yourself carrying out your day-to-day activities.
Most female patients in need of IV iron are postpartum or those with heavy menstrual cycles. They are often in the so-called "ferritin gray zone" wherein iron stores are between 15 and 30 ng/mL, fatigue and hair loss are usual symptoms, yet their blood work seems normal. After a Northside or Emory delivery, many experience symptoms that oral iron might be unable to treat.
OBs across Riverside, High Point, and Perimeter Center are flagging low ferritin during postpartum visits but do not provide iron infusions themselves to promptly resolve the issue.
Visiting an infusion suite visit at Northside or Emory St. Joseph's can mean losing half your day to waiting rooms, Perimeter traffic, and parking garages. Such trips tend to be difficult to manage, especially for a mom with a newborn. Oral iron, while an alternative, takes months to take effect and can cause side effects such as constipation.