Taking your sample, step by step

The day before

• Check that everything is in the kit, and read the instructions once.
• Plan to post the sample early in the week (Monday to Thursday), so it doesn’t sit at the post office over the weekend.
• Eat as you normally do. The point is to measure your normal.

On the day

1. Warm up

   Drink a glass of water. Wash your hands in warm water for a minute or two. Warm hands give better blood flow and a much easier sample.

2. Set up

   Sit at a clean table. Open the card so the circles face up, and have the wipe, lancet and plaster within reach.

3. Choose a finger

   The ring finger or middle finger of your non-dominant hand usually works best. Use the side of the fingertip.

4. Clean and prick

   Clean the fingertip with the wipe and let it dry. Press the lancet firmly against the side of the fingertip as described in the kit.

5. Let the drops fall

   Hold your hand below heart level. Let large drops fall onto the circles without touching the card. Gently massaging from the palm towards the finger helps. Don’t squeeze hard.

6. Dry

   Put on the plaster. Leave the card to dry flat at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, for as long as the kit says.

7. Pack and post

   Put the dry card in the bag and the return envelope, and post it the same day if you can.

If it doesn’t work first time

It happens. Warm your hands again, use a new lancet on a different finger, and keep going. Most kits include a spare lancet.

Then what?

The lab usually needs a few weeks. You are told when your results are ready. Read how to understand them.