One of the reassuring things about dialysis is how closely everything is monitored.

Following my latest blood results, the dialysis unit manager has adjusted my intravenous iron from weekly to alternate weeks. My transferrin saturation (TSAT) is currently below 20%, meaning there isn’t quite enough transferrin available to carry stored iron to the bone marrow, where it is incorporated into haemoglobin.

As she explained, this is a minor adjustment, and it should help restore the balance.

Living with kidney failure—and HIV—has taught me that healthcare is often about small, timely changes rather than dramatic interventions. Regular blood tests allow problems to be identified early and treatment fine-tuned before they become more significant.

I’m grateful for a dialysis team that pays such close attention to the details.