2025.10.17 - Feeling Healthier with a little help from Whoop.

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday... Wait. No. That's something else.

It's ten am on a Friday. I'm sitting outside in the sun. Leaves fall from the trees and blow across the sidewalks. Autumn is here, but summer hasn't yet conceded its rule. The temps promise to drop fifteen degrees overnight. And while I love the brisk rainy colorful Autumn weather, I'll happily sip my coffee and enjoy this sunshiny warmth one more day.

This week, I've accomplished a lot. I narrowed down the initial architecture for a social app I want to build. I dabbled a bit in HomeAssistant and set up my first local server and docker instance for a computer Home lab. I designed an easily assembled streetlamp that I 3D Printed. It includes a slot for a tiny LED bulb, so it lights up. I may next learn sodering skills so I can add a switch for the bulb, but that's further in the distance. I'm also anxiously awaiting some black metal filament, because the current orange streetlamp (I always have extra orange filament) is a bit too Halloweeny to survive past October.

This week, I also had my initial blood draw for Whoops' Advanced Labs program. I've been excited for this feature since they announced it. Basically, you get a normal blood test that scans for a few extra biomarkers not normally covered by your primary care physician, then all that data populates your app with your other fitness data. Last year, my partner went through a similar program with Functional Health, and she loved it. But given my preference for technology and centralized data, I was extra excited to get my blood work taken on a more frequent schedule and to see the results alongside my other behavioral data.

The process has been great. I chose the number of blood draws I wanted over the next twelve months. I opted for quarterly. Drove to a Quest Diagnostics location five minutes from home. Whoop provided clear instructions. Test went smoothly. Results started to populate my biomarker dashboard the same day.

Most importantly, Whoop offers plenty of insight about every biomarker. What the test measures, why it matters, how it relates to other biomarkers, how it relates to Whoop behaviors (sleeping, fitness, journal data, etc.), and how to improve it. In the past, if a lab test was abnormal, I'd google for an hour and read all sorts of contradictory info about whether or not I'm dying. Whoop puts all that medical info in one place, right alongside your results, and I love it. My traditional trouble spots (i.e. cholesterol) show up. I also see some indicators of inflammation, which feel accurate. Still waiting on a handful of results to arrive, but so far I'm thrilled.

Most importantly, I can modify my behavior, knowing I get tested again in 3 months, which is better than the 12 months I usually wait with a primary care physician. For my brain, this really makes experimentation plausible. I'm not the most disciplined person in the world, but I can certainly manage to (mostly) control my behavior for three months to see if the modifications bear results. I'm super excited about that.

The only feature I'm still waiting on is an analysis of the biomarkers alongside my journal behaviors and exercise habits. I want a plan specific to my data. There's a clinical review of my labs coming once all the results arrive. Once I find out, I'll report back with an update below. Now that Whoop has that data (including some past tests I uploaded to see trends), I hope they can create a more comprehensive analysis and plan.

Fingers crossed. It's the closest thing I've seen to a "full" picture of my health. Optimistic that it can grow into something awesome. Devestated that modern American healthcare hasn't already provided it.

In any case, that's what's happening in my world. Blood, software, and 3D printed streetlamps. What a time to be alive.