Skip to main content

Ferritin and Iron levels.

 UPDATED Mar 19, 2026

Happy to report that what I have done over the past 12 months has helped my Ferritin and Iron levels stay stable.

Part of the on going follow up after my Whipple Surgery is having blood work done at 3 and 6 month intervals. Blood work done in Nov 2024, a year post Whipple, showed my iron levels to be in the normal range, but the Ferritin levels had started to drop. Both my primary Doctor and dietitian recommend me increasing my daily iron intake to see if that would help raise my Ferritin level.

The duodenum is removed during the Whipple, and it plays a crucial role in iron absorption, so removing of this section of the small bowel reduces the body's ability to absorb iron.

Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in the body's cells and It's found in many cells, especially in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. A low ferritin level after the Whipple is common and is often due to impaired iron absorption caused by the removal of the duodenum; this can lead to iron deficiency anemia if not addressed with dietary changes or iron supplementation.
 

I have increased my iron intake by taking a Wampole Ferrous Iron pill (100mg of Elemental Iron) every morning along will a vitamin C pill, then later in the day and TBS of Wampole Tonic ( 5 mg Iron Ammonium Citrate) and a vitamin C pill.  Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron. I haven't noticed any stomach discomfort from the iron supplements but do notice my stool turns dark sometimes after taking the iron pill. My energy is good most days, not the same as it was pre Whipple but I think that is just part of getting older and the big change made to the digestive system. I take a Viokace (pancrelipase) tablet each time I eat, and I eat 8 or 9 small meals/snacks a day.

Blood work results.
Iron Normal Range is: 8 - 35 umoI/L

Nov 2024 results: 16 umoI/L normal
Feb 2025 results: 15 umoI/L normal
May 2025, results: 18 umoI/L normal
Aug 2025, results: 14 umoI/L normal
Dec 2025, results: 22 umoI/L normal
Mar 2026, results: 18 umoI/L normal
 
Ferritin Normal Range is: 30 -500 ug/L

Nov 2024 results: 26 ug/L LOW
Feb 2025 results: 42 ug/L normal
May 2025 results: 42 ug/L normal 
Aug 2025 results: 68 ug/L normal 
Dec 2025 results: 93 ug/L normal
Mar 2026 results: 163 ug/L normal


Health Canada recommends to try and take 8 mg of iron for males and 18 mg for females.

Other things I added for more iron

Chicken

Soy Milk

Boost Meal Replacement Powder

Shrimp

Eggs 


Cooking with cast iron pans




100 mg Elemental Iron

1 TBS 5 mg Iron



Iron results 

Iron Mar 2026
 



Ferritin Mar 2026

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting my strenght back after a Pancreaticoduodenectomy, The Whipple Surgery.

 The  Pancreaticoduodenectomy or "The Whipple" , Nov 2023, went okay they tell me, but after I developed a pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) leak, followed by hepaticojejunostomy (HJ) leak, gastrojejunostomy (GJ), and a stubborn fistula. The resulting complications , leaks, and fistula did so much extra damage to my body, and abdominal muscles, I lost most of my core strength, and flexibility. I was very discourage and worried my quality of life was going to change more because of the complications, than from the changes to my body from the surgery. I told my friends if I can walk, and eat everything else will be a bonus, I just wanted to get out of the hospital, and get on with my “new normal” life. I still have a golf ball size scar in the middle of my incision, from the fistula, the tissue is sunk in, and much thinner the the surrounding tissue. I am concerned about future problems, like hernias, but live a very active life so have to balance getting stronger, enjoying what I li...
Post a Comment
Read more

Remembering my Dad, Feb 12, 1980.

 On the  45th eve of my dad’s passing, I was reading some hand written notes by my mother. Talking to dad on one of his last days. I was struck by a few lines that stated dad was upset that on one of the last time I was to see him I had a very blank look, and wasn’t showing any emotion. But inside I was crying and no idea why I didn’t show it. I have lived with this guilt I guess from that day. We did get to visit one last time and he told me he was proud of me, I told him I would never forget him. He was funny, kind, and a gentle soul, always wanting to help those around him. We were close growing up, but somewhere along the way I started to rebel and pretend I didn’t like to hang out with him doing chores around the yard, but honestly these were my favourite times. He had a habit of making up songs, one was called ‘Scott of the Arctic”, he was singing it one day and for some reason I told him I hated that song and never want to hear it again. I think I wanted to go play with...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jan 29, 2025 double track fat bike ride, exploring in K Country AB.

Jan 29, 2025 double track fat bike ride, exploring in K country AB. Beautiful spring like temps. 1 st time on these trails, can't wait to go back and ride more. The days leading up to this adventure had been very emotional. It was a year ago, Jan 28, 2024 that I was readmitted to the hospital after complications from the Whipple Surgery . I had no idea when I went to ER that it would be the start of a 90 day Hospital stay. What a difference a year can make, this ride helped get me out of the funk I was in. I love riding my bike. Things were seeming to be improving, the leaks and enterocutaneous fistula I had seemed to healing, and I was starting to eat more to get my strength back. On Jan18, 2024 I was prescribed Creon, a pancreatic enzyme, to help with digestion. After taking the Creon for a few days, things started to go poorly. I had strange feeling in my stomach, and the fistula went from a small pencil size hole, to a golf ball size, with a large piece of “slough”, tissue ha...
Post a Comment
Read more