Your first TRT visit at Solas Health & Wellness is a 45-minute consultation with Celeste Cisneros, FNP-BC ($200). We cover your full symptom history, review any existing labs, decide what additional bloodwork you need, and lay out a personalized plan. We do not prescribe testosterone at the first visit — treatment starts 1–2 weeks later once your baseline labs are in and we've confirmed your levels and screened for contraindications.
Before the Visit — What to Do
The first appointment goes much better if you arrive ready. Three things to do beforehand:
- Sleep your normal amount the night before. Acute sleep loss tanks testosterone temporarily — we want a number that reflects your real baseline, not a one-bad-night reading.
- Skip the heavy workout that morning. Strenuous training right before labs can transiently raise testosterone and mask a low reading. Easy walking is fine.
- Write down your top 2–3 symptoms with rough timelines. Energy, libido, body composition, mood, sleep, recovery — pick the ones that matter most to you and how long you've noticed them. This focuses the visit on what's actually impacting your life.
If we're planning to draw labs at your visit, you'll also want to fast for 8–12 hours beforehand (water and black coffee are fine) — that's mostly for the Lipid and metabolic panels, not the testosterone itself.
What to Bring
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| Photo ID | Identity verification at check-in |
| Recent labs (last 6 months) | Total T, CBC, CMP, Lipids, PSA, Thyroid — we can often work from these |
| Current medication & supplement list with doses | Interactions, contraindications, and full clinical picture |
| Top 2–3 symptoms with timelines | Focuses the visit on what's actually changing your life |
| HSA/FSA or credit card | $200 consult fee |
| Records from any prior TRT (even brief) | If applicable — affects how we approach restarting |
The Visit, Minute by Minute
Here's how a typical first TRT visit at Solas Health & Wellness unfolds:
- Minutes 0–10 — Symptom review. We start with what's actually bothering you and how long it's been going on. Energy, drive, body composition, sleep, mood, recovery, focus. We want details: when it started, what makes it better or worse, what's changed in your life around the same time.
- Minutes 10–20 — Medical and family history. Past diagnoses, surgeries, medications, supplements, alcohol use, sleep apnea, family history of prostate cancer, family history of cardiovascular disease, family-planning status.
- Minutes 20–30 — Lab review. If you brought labs, we go through them with you — what's in range, what's borderline, what's missing. We'll explain what each number means in plain language. If labs are outside our window or missing key markers, we plan the new draw.
- Minutes 30–40 — Treatment plan. Based on everything above, we walk through what we're recommending — whether that's TRT, lifestyle and metabolic optimization first, or a referral somewhere else if your symptoms point to something we're not the right specialty for.
- Minutes 40–45 — Logistics. Booking your next visit, lab orders, prescriptions, billing, and questions.
Lab Work — What We Order and Why
If you don't have recent comprehensive labs, we order a baseline panel that typically includes:
- Total Testosterone — your overall testosterone level
- Free Testosterone — the active portion
- SHBG — controls how much testosterone is bioavailable
- Estradiol (E2) — must be tracked in any TRT plan
- Hematocrit & Hemoglobin — TRT can raise these; we monitor
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel — kidney, liver, electrolytes, glucose
- Lipid Panel — baseline cardiovascular markers
- PSA — required for men 40+, recommended for younger men too
Depending on your symptoms, we may add Thyroid (TSH, Free T4), LH/FSH (especially if total testosterone is low — distinguishes primary vs. secondary hypogonadism), Vitamin D, or insulin/HbA1c. We order what's relevant — we don't run pan-panels for the sake of it.
Lab work is billed by the lab directly, not by Solas. We don't mark anything up. Baseline runs roughly $150–$300; follow-ups are smaller.
What Happens After the First Visit
Within 24–48 hours of your visit you'll receive:
- A written summary of the plan
- Your lab order (digital or paper, whichever you prefer)
- A link to schedule your follow-up review once labs are back
- Direct messaging access to the clinic for questions in the meantime
You then get your bloodwork drawn at any local lab. We'll often recommend a morning fasted draw, between 8 and 10 AM. Most labs return results to us within 2–5 business days.
When You Actually Start Treatment
Treatment typically starts 1–2 weeks after the initial visit, depending on how quickly you get your bloodwork drawn and how fast the medication ships from the pharmacy. The sequence:
- Visit 1 (Day 0): Initial consult, plan, lab order.
- Days 1–7: You get labs drawn. Results return.
- Visit 2 (~Day 7–14): Lab review (in-person or telehealth). If TRT is appropriate, we send the prescription to a compounding pharmacy and schedule your first injection visit.
- First injection visit (~Day 10–14): Medication arrives. We teach you how to self-administer at home. Most patients are doing their own injections from that point forward.
Some men start feeling subtle changes in mood and energy in 2–4 weeks. Body composition, libido, and performance improvements typically take 2–4 months of consistent treatment with appropriate lifestyle support.
Follow-Up Cadence
After you start TRT, the typical schedule is:
- 6–8 weeks: Recheck Testosterone, Free Testosterone, Estradiol, Hematocrit. Assess symptom response. Possibly adjust dose.
- Every 3 months: Provider visit (in-person or telehealth) for ongoing review.
- Every 3–6 months: Safety panel — Hematocrit, PSA, Estradiol — depending on your levels and risk profile.
- Annually: Full panel review including Lipids, CMP, and a broader check.
All ongoing visits are included in your flat $150 monthly fee — there's no per-visit charge.
Ready to book your first TRT visit?
Schedule your initial consultation with Celeste Cisneros, FNP-BC at Solas Health & Wellness in El Paso. 45 minutes, $200, no insurance hassle.
Book ConsultationFrequently Asked Questions
What happens at your first TRT visit?
Your first TRT visit at Solas Health & Wellness is a 45-minute consultation with Celeste Cisneros, FNP-BC. We go through a detailed symptom review, your full medical and family history, any current medications and supplements, your goals (sex drive, energy, body composition, sleep, mood), and your family-planning situation. We then review any existing labs you've brought, decide what additional bloodwork you need, and lay out a clear plan. We don't prescribe testosterone at the first visit before labs are in — that comes after we have data.
How long does the first TRT visit take?
Plan for about 45 minutes of provider time. Add 10–15 minutes if you arrive a bit early to fill out intake paperwork (you can also complete it ahead of time at home via our secure intake link). If we draw labs onsite or refer you to a lab next door, allow another 15–30 minutes for that — but most patients schedule labs separately.
Do I need to be fasting for my first TRT appointment?
If we're planning to draw labs the same day as your first visit, yes — most TRT panels include a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel and Lipid Panel that ideally require an 8–12 hour fast. Testosterone itself is best drawn first thing in the morning regardless of fasting, since levels peak in the early AM. We schedule first-visit lab draws between 8 and 10 AM whenever possible.
What should I bring to my first TRT visit?
Bring (1) a photo ID, (2) any labs your PCP has done in the last 6 months — especially Total Testosterone, CBC, CMP, Lipids, PSA, and Thyroid panels, (3) a list of all current medications and supplements with doses, (4) notes on your top 2–3 symptoms with how long you've had them, and (5) a credit card or HSA/FSA card for the initial consult fee. If you've ever been treated for testosterone before — even briefly — bring those records too.
Will I get a testosterone prescription at the first visit?
No — and that's intentional. Real TRT requires baseline bloodwork to confirm your testosterone is actually low and to identify any contraindications. A clinic that prescribes testosterone before seeing your labs is not practicing real medicine. After your first visit, we order the labs, you get them drawn within the next few days, and we typically start treatment 1–2 weeks later once the results are in.
When will I actually start TRT after the first visit?
Most patients start testosterone within 1–2 weeks of their initial consult — the timeline depends on how quickly you get your bloodwork drawn and how quickly the pharmacy ships your medication. After your labs come back, we have a brief follow-up (in-person or telehealth) to review them, confirm the plan, and start treatment. Many patients self-administer their first dose at home that same week.
How much does the first TRT visit cost?
The initial consultation at Solas Health & Wellness is $200. That covers your full 45-minute evaluation with Celeste Cisneros, FNP-BC, including symptom review, medical history, lab review, and personalized treatment plan. The $200 is a one-time fee — after that, the ongoing TRT program is a flat $150/month plus separately-billed medication and labs.
Will you require labs even if I just had bloodwork done?
If you have recent labs (within ~6 months) that include Total Testosterone, Free Testosterone or SHBG, Estradiol, Hematocrit, and basic metabolic markers, we can often work from those — bring the actual lab report, not just a summary. If they're older than 6 months, or if testosterone wasn't drawn at the right time of day, we'll likely need to repeat key markers. Safety markers (Hematocrit, PSA, E2) need to be current.
Do I need to do anything before the first visit?
Three things help: (1) sleep your normal amount the night before so your levels reflect your baseline, (2) skip strenuous workouts the morning of any lab draw — heavy training transiently raises testosterone and can mask a low reading, and (3) think through your top 2–3 symptoms with rough timelines. Writing them down ahead of the visit means we cover everything that matters in the time we have.
Can my first TRT visit be done via telehealth?
We strongly recommend the first visit be in person at our El Paso clinic. There's value in being seen physically — baseline vitals, body composition observations, and a more thorough conversation than a video call usually allows. Follow-up visits after you're established on therapy can be done via telehealth for Texas and New Mexico patients, which is when most of your visits will happen anyway.
What if my labs come back normal but I still have symptoms?
This is more common than people think — and it's exactly why we don't rely on testosterone numbers alone. If your testosterone is in a healthy range but you have real symptoms, we look at what else might be driving them: thyroid function, sleep quality, blood-sugar regulation, nutrient deficiencies (vitamin D, B12, magnesium, ferritin), cortisol/stress, body composition, and lifestyle factors. The point of a structured first visit is to find the right answer, not to push you toward a prescription that may not help.
How often will I see Celeste after the first visit?
Most TRT patients are seen at roughly 6–8 weeks after starting therapy to recheck levels and assess response, then every 3 months once stable. Safety labs (Hematocrit, PSA, Estradiol) are typically repeated every 3–6 months. Established patients in Texas and New Mexico can do most follow-ups via telehealth — in-clinic visits are reserved for situations that benefit from being seen in person.
Is the first TRT visit confidential?
Yes. All visits, labs, and treatment plans are protected under HIPAA. Solas Health & Wellness does not share your treatment information with anyone — including your insurance company, since we're a cash-pay practice. We don't generate insurance claims or diagnostic codes that get reported to plans. Your TRT records stay between you and your provider.
What if I'm coming from Las Cruces, Sunland Park, or Santa Teresa?
Celeste Cisneros, FNP-BC is licensed in both Texas and New Mexico, and we routinely see TRT patients from across the borderplex. Your initial visit is in El Paso (at 6633 N Mesa St, Suite 508), but follow-ups can typically be telehealth so you're not making the drive every 3 months. Lab work can be drawn at any lab convenient to you.
This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Testosterone replacement therapy is a prescription medication that requires medical evaluation. Please consult with a licensed prescriber before starting any new medication.