Form & Function Healthcare

09/07/2026

Please watch this.

Before you spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on specialty testing, supplements, detoxes, or protocols because of something you saw online, please have a qualified clinician actually evaluate you first.

The number of patients coming to me worried that they have perimenopause, ADHD, EDS, POTS, MCAS—or some combination of them—is astounding.

These are all very real conditions, and they can absolutely affect quality of life. But medicine has an old saying: when you hear hoofbeats, think horses before zebras.

Fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, palpitations, joint pain, poor sleep, anxiety, and trouble concentrating can have many causes. Sometimes the answer is POTS, EDS, MCAS, ADHD, or hormonal changes. Sometimes it’s iron deficiency, thyroid disease, medication effects, poor sleep, stress, deconditioning, nutrition, or something else entirely.

The problem is that social media can make an uncommon diagnosis feel inevitable—and there is often someone waiting to sell you the test or the cure.

This NYT piece makes that even more concerning: some of the “experts” promoting health products online may not even be real people.

Your symptoms deserve to be taken seriously. But being frightened into a diagnosis is not the same thing as being diagnosed.

Please be skeptical of anyone who makes you afraid of your own body—and then sells you the solution.

The New York Times found hundreds of A.I.-generated doctors, healers and wellness influencers on social media touting the health benefits of supplements to American consumers. Many of these hyperrealistic looking ads promise medical miracles, and appear to be targeting older women, while making misl...

09/01/2026

FEEL LIKE GARBAGE?

It's probably because the pollen out there is ridiculous. We are breathing in salad in the form of microscopic pollen grains.

Current pollen level in Central Ohio: 11.8 out of 12
That is basically as high as it gets.

Right now the main offenders are:
🌿 Ragw**d
🌿 Chenopods
🌿 Nettle

So if your:
- throat hurts
- ears feel weird/full/itchy/poppy
- head is pounding
- sinuses feel angry
- eyes are itchy
- you keep wondering if you’re getting sick
…it's probably the high amount of allergens confusing your immune system.

Here’s why: pollen can cause nasal and sinus inflammation, which leads to postnasal drip (hello, sore throat), Eustachian tube irritation (hello, weird ears), and sinus pressure (hello, headache).

A little background on the villains:
Ragw**d = the fall allergy menace.
Chenopods = a group of w**ds like lamb’s quarters/pigw**d that also trigger allergies.
Nettle = another w**d pollen that can absolutely make allergy sufferers miserable.

The “out of 12” scale is an allergy index:
0–2.4 = low
2.5–4.8 = low-medium
4.9–7.2 = medium
7.3–9.6 = medium-high
9.7–12 = HIGH

So 11.8/12 = VERY HIGH.
As in: the air is trying to fight you.

If you feel awful but not truly sick, the pollen may be the reason.

08/28/2026

From a recent Medscape article "What Nurses Wish Their Patients Knew"

Jennifer DiPietrantonio, ADN, BSN, RN
Creator, Founder, and CEO, SB Clinical and StinkBalm, LLC

This is why staff aren't rushing to your bedside.

"The ER doesn't run on any one patient's timeline; it runs on whoever is closest to dying right now," says DiPietrantonio, who has been a nurse for 17 years, 12 in the emergency department, and now runs a company making discreet, under-the-nose odor barrier balm.

"When I finally got back to a room, I wasn't being careless or forgetful; I was triaging in real time, often making split-second decisions about who needed me most. Understanding this doesn't just ease patient frustration; it helps nurses, too. A little grace in those gaps means we walk back into the room less braced for anger and more able to be present with you," she says.

"If you didn't see me for an hour, it wasn't because I forgot you. I was probably performing chest compressions on someone in cardiac arrest, sitting with a family who had just received the worst news of their life, or cleaning and feeding someone's grandmother who couldn't care for herself."

08/27/2026

"What Nurses Wish Their Patients Knew" from Medscape

Jasmine Bhatti, RN
Founder, Navi Nurses

The best care plans are built together.

"Patients often think their job is to follow instructions, and ours is to make decisions. The best care plans are built together — and we can't build one without you. Speak up about changes in your body, even the ones that scare you or feel too small to mention; some of the most important catches in my career started with a patient saying, "it's probably nothing, but…." Speak up about what matters to you, not just what you think matters to us — a care plan can be medically sound and still fail if it ignores the life a person lives.

"Speak up if you feel unheard, and speak up to be part of the decision, not just the recipient of it. Informed consent isn't a form you sign; it's an ongoing conversation, and you're allowed to ask why a particular path was chosen and what happens if you choose differently. I wish more patients understood that their perspective isn't a "nice to have" tacked onto their care; it's the foundation of it.

"When patients speak up, we don't just get a more accurate plan; we get a plan built around the person who must live it. That's not a higher standard of care reserved for the few who insist on it. It's what every person deserves," says Bhatti, who worked in nursing for two decades before founding a company bringing personalized, hospital-quality nursing care to the home.

08/26/2026

From a recent article on Medscape "What Nurses Wish Their Patients Knew"

Danielle Miller, DNP, RN
Founder of The Pivot Nurse, Inc.

We come back day after day.

"I have been a nurse for over two decades. My career has included bedside nursing, management, leadership, and executive roles in consulting and technology," says Miller, who holds a doctorate in nursing.

"Even on the worst shifts, when we are tired, short-staffed, overwhelmed, hungry, behind, and emotionally drained, we come back. Day after day, we come back to care for you, to fight for you, to comfort you, to teach you, and to stand between you and harm as much as we possibly can," says Miller.

"We remember your names, the room, the diagnosis, and the time with your family. We remember the moments that things turned for the better, or the moments they unfortunately did not."

08/26/2026

From a recent Medscape article "What Nurses Wish Their Patients Knew"

Karen Selby, RN
Thoracic Oncology Nurse and Patient Advocate, The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com

Medicine is not a perfect science.

"Doctors and nurses do everything they can with the information available, but sometimes the correct diagnosis isn't obvious right away. Many illnesses share the same symptoms, and it often takes additional testing, imaging, or even time for the full picture to become clear," says Selby, who's been a nurse for 30 years.

"I encourage patients to advocate for themselves. If something doesn't feel right or symptoms persist despite treatment, don't be afraid to ask questions, seek a second opinion, or request a referral to a specialist. Finding the right diagnosis is sometimes a process, not a single appointment. The most important thing is to keep communicating with your healthcare team. We all share the same goal: finding the right answers and helping you receive the best possible care."

08/25/2026

From a recent Medscape article "What Nurses Wish Their Patients Knew"

Pam Vollmer, DNP, RN, AMB-BC, NPD-BC
CEO and Director of Content, CE Ready

Nurses are human, too.

We carry a lot of weight with us. The stories of loss, of a new terminal diagnosis, or of dangerous situations where we're unable to help keep us up at night. We wonder about our patients after they leave our care. Sometimes we are able to follow them briefly, but often we don't know the outcome and wish we did," says Vollmer, who holds a doctorate in nursing education and is the owner of a continuing education company.

"The calm demeanor patients often see in us is practiced and deliberate. It is not that we don't have emotions; it is that we are tracking a dozen different things while also coping with emotional fatigue and trying to make sure neither one causes us to make a mistake. When patients understand that our steadiness is effort rather than indifference, it changes the relationship. They trust us with their care and vulnerability, and that's exactly what helps us keep them safe," she says.

08/24/2026

From a recent Medscape article "What Nurses Wish Their Patients Knew"

Katelyn Carey, SN, RN
Clinical Consultant, Colossus Technologies Group

Stress affects communication.

"So many times when patients come in to be seen by a medical provider, their stress level is high. Perhaps they're worried that their symptoms mean something is wrong. Is it cancer? Is it a stroke? Something else that could change their life in frightening ways? Or maybe they're coming into the ER with significant pain or injuries. Stress could affect both your visit and what happens after it," says Carey, who was a nurse for 22 years and now works as an emergency department consultant.

"People take in, process, and retain information differently when stressed. Stress makes you less likely to remember what we said, and what you wanted to say. So, consider bringing someone with you to high-stress appointments, someone who can help you remember. Consider writing down your questions and concerns ahead of time or taking notes during the visit.

"Stress makes it harder to understand detailed information. And human nature makes us not want to admit we didn't understand something the first time. Please ask questions. Better yet, say 'This is how I understood what you just said,' and repeat things back in your own words.

"Stress makes us more prone to lashing out at others, especially when there are long wait times or other factors making the situation more challenging. Take some deep breaths, take a break, do whatever you need to manage your emotions."

08/24/2026

Continuing the series from a recent Medscape article "What Nurses Wish Their Patients Knew"

Constance Hall, EdD-CI, MSN, BA, RN
Chair, Master of Public Health Program, Post University

"Your nurse sees you as a whole person, not a diagnosis."

"When I walk into a patient's room, I am not just tracking vitals or administering medications; I am reading the room. I notice when you are frightened but trying to be brave. I notice when you don't understand what the physician just said, yet you nod anyway. I notice when the family member sitting in the corner is carrying even more anxiety than you are. Nursing is the science of observation and the art of human connection, and we practice both simultaneously around the clock," says Hall, a nurse with 32 years of experience.

"Speaking up is never a burden to us; it is our purpose. Tell us what hurts, what confuses you, and what you are afraid to ask the doctor. Tell us what matters to you outside of these four walls, because it directly shapes the care we provide inside them. The more you share, the more precisely we can advocate for you — and advocacy is the very core of what we do," says Hall.

"Today's healthcare system is treacherous to navigate alone. It is complex, fragmented, and often overwhelming, even for those of us who work inside it. Every patient deserves an advocate — someone who knows the exact questions to ask, who understands the system well enough to push back when necessary, and who will refuse to let you fall through the cracks. If you have a nurse in your life, lean on them. If you don't, seek one out. You should never have to navigate this alone."

08/23/2026

Years ago, working in a psych hospital, I remember a patient being baffled that the nurses weren’t freaking out about something another patient was doing.

I don’t remember what it was. Screaming, violence, peeing on something—take your pick.

But it made me think about how strange healthcare must look from the patient side. Sometimes what looks like detachment is really experience, professionalism, and self-preservation.

If nurses freaked out every time something terrible happened, there would be no nurses left.

I like this recent Medscape article about what nurses wish their patients knew, and I’m going to share a few of those things over the next several days.

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Here is the first one from Bailyn Fields, RN
Health Education Specialist, Boomer Benefits

"Triage isn't first-come, first-served; it's risk-first."

"That's why someone who arrived at the hospital later may be taken through sooner if their symptoms suggest immediate danger," says Fields, who's been a nurse for 12 years. "Triage is one of the main ways nurses prevent avoidable harm when demand is higher than capacity. In a busy department, decisions are being made continuously about who could deteriorate in minutes vs who is stable enough to wait a bit longer, even if they feel dreadful. Those judgments depend on the whole picture, not just one symptom.

"It also helps to understand that long waits usually reflect system pressure and bottlenecks, not a lack of concern. When people assume nobody cares, frustration understandably rises, but conflict at the desk or in the waiting area can slow care for everyone and distract staff from clinical assessment. With staffing stretched and a lot of care happening simultaneously, a calmer environment helps nurses make better, safer decisions," Fields says.

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I would like to add something about emergency departments. The job of the emergency department is to make sure that you are not in imminent danger of dying or permanent damage. So, if you go there thinking that your head cold, chronic achy joint, or itchy rash is going to be cured, most likely you are going to be disappointed. These things will be evaluated, but unless the head cold is meningitis, the achy joint is septic, or the rash is Steven Johnson Syndrome, you will probably be told to go home and call a primary care provider.