<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Dear Fellow Listmembers,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for you replies, they
were very helpful and I felt much better after reading them.  I received
27 responses in no time, some within hours of writing my original
email.  I will try to summarize the info for all of you.

Many, many responses said I needed to give myself more time.  An injured
gut will not repair itself in just a few months especially after years
of damage.  It is important to follow the gluten free diet so healing
will continue and absorption will be increased.

Many said it took 6 months to a year for iron levels to return to normal
and some even longer than that.

Things to help improve iron absorption: (as stated in responses I
received)

-Vitamin C, 1000mg. twice a day, take with iron supplement

-additional folic acid (no recommended amount stated)

-B vitamins and Vitamin K

-one person stated to address the leaky gut syndrome, her nutritionist
and physician recommended one L-glutamine capsule 500mg and one
probiotics acidophilus capsule.  The glutamine is an amino acid and
works on metabolizing fats and sugars and carrying oxygen to the brain
(it's gf).  The probiotics re-establishes the flora in the intestine.
Her lactose intolerance was gone in about 6 months to show the villa
were back.

-one person recommended liquid chlorophyll to drink in water several
times a day (tasteless, green) and a brand of supplements available on
line at http://www.melaleuca.com which are readily absorbed because of a
patented fructose compounding process used to manufacture their
supplements.  (Prenatal form of Melvista had more iron and is gluten
free).

Always try to get good food sources of iron, some high iron foods are
leafy green vegetables (kale, chard, broccoli), dried legumes.  Your
body absorbs the iron better if taken with a vitamin C source.

Cooking in cast iron helps raise iron level of foods.

Things that hinder iron absorption: caffeine, tea, zinc, calcium

Always determine the type of anemia you have - Pernicious anemia
requires Vitamin b12 injections on a regular basis.  Some received iron
and B12 injections to get their levels closer to an acceptable level.
One person didn't get any results with any form of supplement so was
given intravenous iron and noticed a big improvement.

Someone else reminded me about calcium absorption and bone densitiy.

Once again, I thank you for all the good recommendations, you are a
wealth of information.

Happy Thanksgiving, Rita