Day 407: Blood Test Results

personal

So I have no idea whether this is a terrible idea or not, but I got my blood test results back a little over two weeks ago and thought I’d share them here because why not?

Why

I’ve been vegan/vegetarian for more than 4 years now, and people recommend getting blood tests every so often to check for any major deficiencies. Even if you’re not vegan/vegetarian, blood tests are useful for assessing your general health.

Cost

Since I’m not on Taiwan’s national health plan, I paid out-of-pocket at a private clinic.

Here’s the cost breakdown:

  • NT$800 (~$29 USD) for standard blood test
  • NT$2270 (~$81 USD) for additional tests
  • NT$2000 (~$72 USD) for STD tests

In total, I paid ~$182 for all the tests and an additional ~$94 for two doctor consultations (one for getting the test; another for discussing the results).

Not exactly cheap, but I figured it’s worth checking on my body since I don’t think I’ve had a blood test since I stopped eating meat back in 2016, and I’ve had sexual partners since my last routine STD check.

Procedure

I got a sheet that let me choose what things I wanted to check for in addition to the standard tests. It’s like ordering dishes at a restaurant but for your body: Oh yeah, let’s do some semen analysis and you know what? Throw a cocaine test in there as well.

The cost of tests vary quite a bit: For example, getting my calcium levels cost NT$70 (~$2.50 USD), but checking my Vitamin D levels was more than 10x the cost at NT$800 (~$29 USD).

I ordered extra tests for things that vegans can often be deficient in: Vitamin B12, Iron, Calcium, Vitamin D. I also ordered one for testosterone because it seemed interesting to know.

I peed into a cup in the bathroom. They drew some blood. They told me they needed to collect more pee so I chugged water until I was ready to go again.

Results

You can check out the documents below:

Blood & urine test

STD test

Notable findings:

  • My uric acid is high

    • I hadn’t heard of uric acid before. It’s apparently a waste product from digesting foods that are high in purines, which is another thing I hadn’t heard of before. Buildup of uric acid leads to gout, which leads to “intense pain and swelling” in the joints of your foot. Yeah, that’s gonna be a no from me, dawg.

    • Of the purine-rich foods listed here, the only things I consume on a somewhat regular basis are peas (from protein powder), dried beans, and mushrooms. I really like mushrooms so that’s a bummer. Maybe this means I should stop consuming pea protein?

    • Ways to reduce my uric acid levels:

      • Reduce intake of peas, beans, and mushrooms
      • Reduce sugar intake
      • Drink more water

  • My cholesterol levels are ✨ amazing ✨

    • My total cholesterol is 128 mg/dL, and my doctor said that it’s one of the lowest he’s ever seen. Thanks, plants.

  • Some types of white blood cells (neutrophils, lymphocytes) are out of balance

    • My doctor told me that since my total white blood count is normal, I don’t need to worry about it. Cool?

  • My urine pH is high

    • Apparently diets low in meat and high in fruits and vegetables lead to more alkaline urine (higher pH).

    • That’s not great because kidney stones form in highly acidic or basic/alkaline environments (basically when your pH isn’t neutral). Hard pass.

    • Ways to make my pee more acidic:

      • I don’t know. Googling doesn’t turn up much. If you know more about this, let me know!

  • I’m deficient in vitamin D

    • But apparently so is everyone else. Nevertheless, going to start supplementing.

  • My vitamin B12, calcium, iron, and testosterone levels are normal

  • I have oral herpes (HSV 1)

    • This isn’t actually a notable finding because I’ve known about this for a long time now. I’m pretty sure I know when I got it, too: I remember seeing some weird bumps near some girl’s lips who came onto me in a club when I was backpacking in Europe in 2013, but I was either too drunk or horny to make the wise decision of playing it safe. Thanks, 20-year-old me.
    • Fun fact: Most people (50-80% of U.S. adults) have oral herpes
    • I haven’t had cold sores in years which is great because they hurt like heck and I’m not interested

Overall, there don’t seem to be any major deficiencies or issues, and I feel pretty strong and healthy most of the time. Quite grateful for my physical well-being right now because I know these things can drastically change in a flash. I will appreciate it while I can.