Part of the problem is that if our primary care physicians are running bloodwork, they will never run an iron or anemia panel if our iron, hemoglobin and hematocrit are within the normal range. But often, we can have problems with low ferritin for example or the
iron saturation percentage despite that and need an infusion. Sometimes, I have to push a bit for
them to run the extra panel and that's ok. Patients who advocate for themselves, who
ask questions, and take an active role in their care live longer and better 🙂