My Top Gift to Myself and Loved Ones This Year - A Blood Test at 50% Off

I'm one lucky guy to live in an area where private medical labs and clinics are a dime a dozen. You just pick the one you like. I've used services of other private labs like KD Lab and Invitro, but now I want to share my review of Helix.

I prefer getting my blood tests done at private labs because the state-run clinic I'm affiliated with has endless queues. It's a mix of ticket-based and live queues. You get a ticket by visiting in person, but then you have to wait in line again to pick up your results. The chaos in the queue, the pushing and shoving, and the lack of care from the medical staff - it's all a real hassle. I'd rather pay for a private lab, no matter the cost.

Helix doesn't just offer blood tests - you can also book appointments with some doctors. At the lab closest to my home, there are only a few doctors: a pediatrician and a gynecologist. Having a pediatrician nearby is a major plus, especially since there's no state-run clinic in the area.

But when I checked their website, I saw that other Helix centers have a wider range of doctors, including endocrinologists, cardiologists, therapists, and dermatologists, and more. Remember, the doctors at private clinics are often the same ones working in state-run clinics, looking for extra work.

For me, though, it's all about the blood tests. Helix offers several types:

Blood tests for all bodily fluids

Skin scraping analysis

Ultrasound

I was really interested in getting a blood analysis done. Just in time, Helix had a promotion called 'Check-up your body for ... rub' in December-January. The package includes 11 critical health checks - that's an incredibly low price for such a comprehensive set of tests, usually starting from 5 thousand and above.

When I found out about this promotion, I created an account on Helix's website and headed to the lab. The website is super user-friendly and informative - you can learn everything you need without having to visit a medical center. I even contacted their support team online, and they responded promptly and to the point.

I think this was the most thoughtful gift I gave myself and my loved ones (I even convinced them to get their blood tests done too).

Medical lab and staff

The lab itself is small but spacious. Of course, this might vary depending on the specific location, but the Helix lab I visited was cozy, spacious, and spotless.

Right at the entrance, there's a basket with clean slippers that don't cost a thing. Then, you approach the administrator, who helps with ordering and scheduling an appointment with a doctor. That's also where you pay.

I've been to the diagnostic center a few times, and every time I've met with some of the administrators. They're all young, friendly women who handle my never-ending questions with ease. I'm not sure how much medical expertise they have (and to be honest, I'm not sure if they need it), but they know their stuff when it comes to the center's operations: how to take samples, how to set up client profiles, when results are ready, and more. Another staff member I've seen is the phlebotomist. Usually, it's a nurse, but the last time I was there, it was a male nurse. And let me tell you, the blood draw was SO much less painful than I've ever experienced before.The procedure room is small and has a strong disinfectant smell. I didn't see any other rooms.

Getting started and my experience

There are a few ways to go about this. You can just walk into the lab, approach an administrator, and let them know what you need. They'll take care of the rest. But I decided to take a more involved approach and do some of the work myself.

screenshot from Helix website I headed over to the Helix website, signed up (I needed my phone number and email), and tried to place an order for the tests I needed. I'm saying 'tried to' because I wasn't able to.screenshot from Helix website To place an order, you just tap on the test you're interested in and add it to your cart. Then you click 'place order' a few times. You don't need to pay online - you only pay in-centre. But when I added everything to my cart, the full price showed up, not the discounted price I was expecting. The website said that the staff member at the centre would give me a discount when I paid, but I was worried about any potential issues and decided to just mention the promotion when I got there.screenshot from Helix website In the end, everything worked out. The administrator placed the order under my personal profile and gave me a discount. When I signed up, I got around 300 welcome bonus rubles, which were immediately deducted.I was a pioneer, to be honest! I then registered my loved ones on the website, created their personal accounts, placed orders for the same tests, and sent them off to the lab. No issues whatsoever. You don't need a passport or any other documents (Invitro asks for a passport when you register).

The time slots for the tests are super convenient: 7 am to 2 pm. I slept in and went around 11 am. It turns out that if you don't do the blood test super early in the morning, the experience is actually more pleasant than usual. The whole visit took around 20-25 minutes.

Drawing blood is a pretty straightforward process - you sit on a regular table with the technician on the other side. They place your hand on a little pad, wipe your skin like they're trying to get to the meat, and then insert the needle painlessly. Next, they label the test tubes with the numbers from your order (you get a sheet with the details after you pay). I was surprised at how little blood they took for all those tests, but I guess it's just two tubes. I ordered a pretty comprehensive set of tests: a general clinical checkup with a leukocyte formula, ferritin, iron, vitamin D, creatinine, protein, hemoglobin, cholesterol, TSH, and a lipidogram.

The results arrived via email the next morning, and I spent the next half-day going over the data. I like how the results are presented - there are little arrows up and down next to the values that are outside the normal range. Now it's just a matter of Googling the names and possible causes for the abnormal results.Comparison to KDL and Invitro

Having used KDL and Invitro for ages, I based my comparison on past experiences and reviews. In terms of registration and ordering, Helix is more like KDL. However, both Helix and Invitro offer welcome bonuses when you sign up, which you can use to offset the cost of your tests.

Prices at all labs are pretty much the same. If, for example, ferritin is the priciest at KDL, vitamin D is the priciest at Helix. That's just the way it is.

The results come in super fast - it's all done within a day. The results are easy to read: they send them to your email and add them to your personal account. Helix has something interesting, though - they send a letter with a doctor's explanation along with the results. I'm guessing it's just a computer-generated thing, but it's still nice. The only recommendation is to go see a doctor.

So, I'm not even sure which lab is better. It really depends on the staff, location, and a bit of luck. For me, the plus of Helix is that it's not a super popular lab - at least, not as popular as KDL. You don't have to deal with long queues and crowds in the hallway.VerdictHelix is an awesome medical lab. I'm not sure how well they handle doctor's appointments, but for getting tests done, Helix is perfect. I got lucky with the staff, but the results come in fast and are easy to read; they also give you points for your orders that you can use to reduce the cost.

Since Helix is the closest lab to me and I had a positive experience, I'll definitely be coming back for check-ups and if I need to.

xa0

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