Growing up in a family full of medical people, we were never people who willingly went to the doctor. Unless something was wrong. Like REALLY wrong. But as I started down the path of holistic healing and working to heal my hormones naturally, I learned very quickly that it’s much easier/faster to do things when you have accurate info. It’s kind of like driving with a GPS vs without it. You’re far more likely to get to your destination with Waze along for the ride. Or in the case of today’s blog post, the Everlywell Thyroid Test.
In the last few years, I’ve taken several of Everlywell’s tests for reason or another. I don’t think anyone would be surprised to hear that I’m a fan. I’m major on investing in my time and health. Everlywell makes it easier to do that by shipping me a test and then giving me results quickly. I should also note before we jump into today’s review that this post is NOT sponsored but I was kindly gifted this test. After looking back at my hormone history recently, I was curious to see how they had changed based on previous test. As well as, I wanted to check in and see what my body was saying that I might be missing. But we’ll get to that in a second.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. this is not medical advice. as the resident guinea pig for the wss community, i’m here to share my experience.
What Do you need to know about at home lab tests?
The idea with at home lab tests is that you can easily do them on your own time. No fuss. No muss. You just take the test and ship it off. Which tbh is a pretty accurate assessment. Based on the three tests I’ve taken (food sensitivity, women’s health and thyroid), there’s nothing particularly difficult about taking them. And unless you’re squeamish, have clotting issues or faint at the sight of your own blood, you’ll most likely be okay. (again, I’m not a doctor)
If anything, I think the one thing most people might struggle with when taking the Everlywell Thyroid Test or any of the others for that matter, would be making sure you get enough blood for the lab to process. In your info packet it shows a little photo of what a GOOD sample looks like. If you don’t provide enough for them to test, you’re going to waste your money and your time. So my best advice would be to make sure you have actually set aside the time to do the test in full. Or in the case of the Women’s Health test, you’re prepared to have to spit in tubes all day.
Top Tips For Taking An At Home Blood Test?
Hydrate. If you are someone who doesn’t pay attention to your water intake, make sure you do for the few days before. It’s a lot easier to get the droplets on the sheet if your body is hydrated.
Prick the outside of your finger so you can easily push the blood droplets off. You don’t want to scrape your finger against the paper for the sample. I typically use of the outside tip of my middle finger because I can easily press my thumb against it to release the blood. You’re going to need the strength of your fingers to make sure your finger doesn’t clot too quickly. So while they suggest using your ring finger as an option, I’d go with pointer or middle finger.
Make sure you keep your arm down while you’re doing the test. When you pull your arm up to check on your finger, you’re sending the blood back to your heart. It’s going to make your blood clot quicker. And potentially, you’ll have to prick yourself all over again. If you can avoid it, try to keep it at your side.
Make sure you’re warm when you take the test. If you’re freezing, it’s going to make getting the blood to flow challenging.
Unless you have to (like with the Women’s Health test), I would avoid taking it right when you wake up. I took my EverlyWell Thyroid Test mid morning after I’d had a chance to move around and drink some water. But double check the instructions because each test has different requirements.
Does This Mean You Can Skip The Doctor?
I’m never going to tell you to skip seeing your MD. They are (hopefully) smart cookies that want the best for you. What I will say is that if you want to bring the test to your MD, be sure to download the format that looks like code. Aka the medical test results.
When you get your results back from EverlyWell, you also get a bit of info on what certain things might indicate within your body. After I took the Women’s Health test, I had a better idea of what my hormones were trying to tell me physically (aka my body was behaving in ways that indicated I might have PCOS). And with the recent test, it’s shown me that I haven’t been eating enough. Again, all of this is self diagnosed and gives me a great starting point/indicator as to what’s happening internally. But no, these tests don’t replace a traditional doctor.
Will My Insurance Cover It?
I know people want to know this but I don’t know enough about insurance. So I would ask them. Telehealth is a weird space in medical land. And with Covid, there’s always the possibility that coverage will adapt. I would ask but if anything, be sure to check with your accountant come tax time to see if it’s a write off.
How Do I Take The Test?
For 2 of the 3 tests I’ve taken, they are very straight forward. You get a kit. Inside the kit you’ll find the lancets (aka your new prickly bestie), everything you need to sanitize and cover your finger pre/post pricking, a biohazard bag, a bag to mail your test in and the little packet where you’ll be adding your blood droplets.
Every test will suggest different things depending on what it’s measuring. But for the thyroid test, there’s no specific notes about time of day. Just be sure that when you take it, you can mail it off within a day.
What’s The Difference Between The Thyroid Test & The Women’s Health Test?
Besides the obvious bit (price), you get a lot less info with the thyroid test. The women’s health test tracks EVERYTHING. You also need to set aside a day where you can actually take it because they measure your cortisol levels throughout the day. So you’ll need to be able to spit into the little tubes which takes far more time than you’d think.
How Did I Use The Info Personally?
When I decided to do this test, I wanted to see how much my change in habits and lifestyle had truly impacted me over the last few years. I’ve healed my gut. My hormonal acne only rears it’s ugly head occasionally. And my periods are regular. So when I got the test results, I was a bit surprised to see that I had a number that wasn’t in the normal range.
Thankfully, I could compare it to past test results. And with a little bit of google, I could easily find that the numbers were most likely telling me I needed to eat more. But I’ve used every test as a way to test & see what my body might be needing that I’m missing.
When And How Do I Get My Results?
Inside your test packet is a handy code that you go online to add into your EverlyWell account. If don’t do this, you won’t be told when your test results come in so be sure you do it. Otherwise they don’t know it was YOU that took the test.
Typically, you’ll have answers within a few weeks. I don’t think I’ve ever had issues with it being longer than 2 or 3. But I do know that EverlyWell quickly jumped into creating Covid tests. However, considering I’ve taken this test within the midst of all things Corona and got my test results within 3-4 weeks, I’d say expect less than a month.
If you add the info to your account, you’ll get email & text updates. You can always log on to see what the status is of your test. They have tracking from the moment you ship it back to when it arrives to when your results are ready.
Do I Recommend The Tests?
For the ones I’ve taken, yes. I’ve gone back and forth with the food sensitivity test a bit over the years. There’s a million and 10 elimination diets on the market that can help you determine if you’re having issues with certain foods. But I think that having a starting point is incredibly helpful. And I absolutely think it helped me heal my own gut.
As for the hormone tests, I always recommend them if you’re looking to take matters into your own hands. I’ve found that with the knowledge I’ve been given and a bit of research, I’ve been able to achieve my personal goals. Plus, they give you the option to print the DR version if decide to consult someone else.
If you found today’s post helpful or have taken any of the other tests, be sure to leave a comment below so we can help the other babes in the WSS community. And if you have any questions I didn’t hit, leave those there are well. For now, I hope you have a beautiful day wherever you are in the world. Sending you all the virtual hugs and positive prayers. Until next time. Xoxo, Savvy