Once I laid out all the materials and read through the directions, I began to prep my sample finger. (Nurse’s note: It’s incredibly important to make sure your hands and working surface are clean.) After sanitizing my finger with the provided alcohol swab, I went in for the prick. I will say, this part was a bit uncomfortable.
After pricking your finger, you’re directed to ease the drops of blood into a tiny little vial while being careful not to touch the vial and tip it over. This was the most difficult part of the whole process. It took about 10 drops of blood total to fill the container to its marked lines, and I had to use multiple fingers.
Once I placed the sample vial in the bag, I sealed it up, placed it inside the box that it arrived in, and then put the sample inside the provided self-addressed envelope. The whole process took me about 10 minutes to complete.
As the brand requires, I dropped the sample off at a UPS Store the same day the sample was taken. As soon as it was scanned into the UPS system, I received a notification on my phone that it was on its way. I mailed it on Monday morning and was notified in the app that it was received by the lab on Wednesday. The notification that my results were ready to be viewed arrived on Saturday afternoon, five days after I had dropped off the kit.
My results revealed that I was low in vitamin D. This is not surprising to me as vitamin D deficiencies are incredibly common. The test incorporates a generic blurb, outlining the results and why this vitamin is important. This is the point at which you can choose to schedule a virtual consultation with a health care provider to review your results (for an added $39 cost). I declined further interpretations but read up on how to reach my optimal vitamin D status.