Disclosure - I received a Baseline test from Forth with Life free of charge for the purpose of this Forth With Life review. All opinions are honest and my own.
This month I will turn 36. Don't get me wrong, I know that I'm not exactly elderly yet, but I am feeling my age more keenly than ever. I'm nearing the end of my childbearing years which makes me feel old and forty is looming. Whilst in my head I still feel like a young 22 year old, realistically I have to accept that I'm not. However, I want to make the most out of my life, I want to be around to see my children grow up, and to see their children grow up hopefully. I know that my body has limitations and they increase with age so this year I have vowed to take care of my health better.
For me this extends further than just promising to eat healthier and go to the gym. I want to make sure that my body is well, and the only way that you can really do this is by running tests to check. I've recently been experiencing some symptoms which could be related to just being a busy mum of three young children with a job to juggle, or they could indicate a more serious health problem.
At the end of last year a company called Forth With Life got in touch to see if I wanted to review one of their at home blood test kits. They do a variety of kits which you can use at home and send to their lab to test for all sorts of vitamin deficiencies and to look at other markers to give you an indication of the state of your health. I received the Baseline test which tests various basic markers. It works on a subscription basis so you will receive a new kit every 3, 4 or 6 months so that you can keep a track of your results over time and monitor any changes. There are lots of other tests available if you are looking at something in particular.
The test is a simple finger prick one which is easy to do at home. It comes with everything you need and comprehensive instructions on how to collect your sample. I did find it a little difficult to get enough blood to fill the vial but there are some tips included on how to get the blood flowing easier.
I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting it to show anything much. I live a healthy life and thought maybe it might show a bit of anaemia but that was it. You can imagine my shock then when I received the results showing that my TSH levels are high - an indicator that I could have an under active thyroid. It also showed that I was low in vitamin D which I was also shocked at because I always have tests for that when I am pregnant and it has never shown up before.
The results are all really easy to read and you can see straight away from the green and red text whether your results are within the normal range, and if you click for more detail you can see where in the normal range they are. There is also a really useful information section about each result.
All your results are really easy to see when you are logged onto their website and they also have an app which came in handy when I was showing the results to my GP.
It was recommended that after those results I visit the GP which I did and their tests confirmed the same results, and I now have to go back in February for more detailed tests to see exactly what is going on with my thyroid. It could explain a few random symptoms I have that I have just put down to being a busy mum until now.
As you can imagine I am so glad that I did this test at home and I would really encourage all of you to take one if you can as it might show up something serious that you need to get treated. Hopefully of course it would just show you that you are fit and healthy. Looking after my health is a massive priority for me, especially as I have children and I want to be strong and healthy to for them. I'll keep you updated on my thyroid issues as I find out what the more thorough tests show up. The doctor also recommended that I take some supplements for the vitamin D deficiency and now I take a high dose vitamin D every day so I hope that when my bloods are re-tested this will show an improvement.
I hope you found this Forth With Life Review useful. You might also like these posts...
Marty Rogers
That's pretty neat, I might have to give them a try!
We Made This Life
Definitely do, it really made a difference to me!