Drawing 7 Viles of Blood: I passed out



Bonkers, they made me draw seven viles of blood. At least they didn't do it all at once. By all means, I had to come in again on the next day because I passed out on my fourth vile. It's probably because I was nervous. I do hate needles. I mean there are only few things I absolutely fear in this world: bugs and needles. I mean, needles and bugs are on the same level of fear for me. 

The 7 viles of blood were drawn for

  1. Estradiol
  2. FSH
  3. Lipid Profile
  4. LH
  5. Comprehensive Metabolic Profile
  6. Testosterone, Free,Total & Bioavail
  7. Hemoglobin A1c
  8. CBC w/ Diff & Platelet Count

I think every transgirls would have to suffer through this before their first HRT. It's mainly to check your testosterone levels (hormone balances) and to see if your body is capable of handling the hormone replacement therapy. In other words, it's for your safety. 

For teenagers like me, the physician will check my physical status by drawing the blood every 2 months. Simply to see how we’re doing. Based on the lab results that comes from our blood tests, the physician will add, subtract, discontinue, or make no changes to our current dosage of the female hormone (estradiol).

I think it's always important to keep ourselves hydrated and get enough sleep. Especially the day before  drawing blood. Always eat healthy, not too much nor too less. Being underweight can also be the problem and it could be the prominent reason on why some of us faint. Note that I weigh around 10 9LBS and my height is 5'3". My BMI is relatively low and being below average is never a good thing. It's unhealthy. Now, I can't say much about being overweight because I don't have any experience. But in my belief, maintaining yourself at the average is the safest bet. 

If you're like me and hates needles or prone to fainting, you can always tell the nurse beforehand and they can lay you down on a bed while they draw your blood. Therefore, you're more at a comfortable position and avoids the risk of getting injured by falling while fainting. 

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