‘We Lie to our Patients Every Day’: Texas Patient Goes to the Doctor. Then a Nurse Deceived Him About Labs

A nurse practitioner in Bullard, Texas, is getting attention on TikTok after sharing a story she says highlights a bigger problem in modern medicine: patients being told everything is fine when it isn’t.

Brittany Hernandez (@lone.star.wellness) recently posted a video recounting an encounter with a patient whose primary care doctor had assured them their lab results were normal. Hernandez made a point to stress that the patient wasn’t to blame.

“No fault to them,” Hernandez said. “We don’t know what we don’t know.”

From there, she widened the lens. Hernandez argued that the issue isn’t usually intentional harm, but a system that often stops at surface-level answers instead of digging deeper.

“As practitioners and medical providers, we lie,” she said. “We lie to our patients every day.”

According to Hernandez, those “lies” stem from relying on broad reference ranges without considering what’s actually optimal for an individual patient. She explained that many providers don’t take the extra time to stay current on research or pursue additional training, instead defaulting to what medical school taught them about what’s considered normal.

“Labs that are normal don’t necessarily equal healthy,” she said.

She framed the story as a PSA for patients who feel dismissed despite ongoing symptoms. As of Tuesday, her video had pulled in nearly 9,000 views.

What Happened?

Hernandez said the patient she saw came in dealing with a long list of issues, including low energy, low motivation, hair loss, low sex drive, and bouts of depression. At the time, the patient was already on multiple medications, including subcutaneous testosterone injections, oral progesterone at night, and a thyroid medication.

The patient had previously been told nothing was wrong because their lab results fell within normal ranges. But Hernandez said a closer look told a very different story.

She pointed to an extremely high globulin hormone level, indicating that the patient’s hormones—even if technically normal—were being bound and not properly released into the body.

“Things are not working like they should,” Hernandez said.

She also noticed the patient’s thyroid-stimulating hormone was too high, which lined up with the symptoms they were experiencing. After reviewing the labs more closely, Hernandez said the patient wasn’t on the correct thyroid medication or dosage. The patient had assumed testosterone was the problem, but Hernandez said that wasn’t the case.

On top of that, the patient was taking oral birth control, which Hernandez said was further suppressing key hormones.

Hernandez wrapped up her video with a message she wanted viewers to remember.

“Normal labs don’t necessarily mean optimal,” she said. “Optimal beats normal every time.”

She added that her approach centers on individualized care. “Every individual is different,” she said.

Feeling Dismissed At The Doctor

Feeling dismissed at the doctor’s office has become so prevalent that it has its own name: medical gaslighting.

In short, this is when a patient’s concerns are minimized—or chalked up to stress or anxiety—instead of being taken seriously. Research has long noted that women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ patients are disproportionately affected.

Here’s how it plays out in practice. You might hear that your symptoms are “probably nothing” because your lab work is normal or that it’s “all in your head.” You might notice, too, that requests for additional testing are denied, or that you feel rushed during your appointment.

But as Hernandez suggested, this approach to patient care can have consequences. For one, symptoms might worsen if diagnoses are delayed. Patients also report feeling frustrated and doubtful of their own intuition.

If this sounds familiar, you might want to start taking matters into your own hands by writing down a detailed list of symptoms and questions ahead of an appointment, and asking your primary care physician direct questions about test results and—if needed—referrals.

And if your primary care physician isn’t taking your concerns seriously, it’s okay to seek a second opinion—which Hernandez suggests the patient she saw did. As Hernandez said, a good provider treats you as an expert on your own body and works with you, not around you.

Viewers Thank Nurse For Sharing Patients’ Tale

Plenty of viewers who came across Hernandez’s video said they were grateful she spoke up, noting how rare it feels to encounter a provider who takes the time to look closely at what’s actually going on with a patient.

“This is how healthcare should be,” one viewer said. “Bless you for understanding your patients’ concerns.”

“We need more doctors like yourself!! Doctors nowadays just wanna give you pills and send you on your way,” another wrote. “So frustrating!!”

“This is so true,” a third person shared. “Someone who actually gets it’s not one size fits all!”

Some viewers went a step further, saying Hernandez’s video convinced them to book an appointment with her directly.

“I’m making an appointment with you!” one person declared.

“I need to come see you,” another added.

“I need to come see you,” a third echoed. “Because this is my life.”

Indeed, Hernandez’s description of the patient she treated also struck a nerve with people who said they recognized themselves in the symptoms she listed.

“You literally described all my symptoms,” one commenter wrote.

“Did you spy on me cause I swear that’s all my symptoms,” another joked.

Patch has reached out to Hernandez via a direct message on TikTok.

@lone.star.wellness?