After a lifetime of treating her rare bone disease, X-linked hypophosphatemia, a patient is at the end of her rope. She’s in pain, frustrated, and nothing seems to help. So when a clinical trial presents itself, her doctor isn’t sure she’ll want to participate. While the decision to participate is surprising, the results of the clinical trial are astonishing.

A 45-year-old is out for a drive. As she accelerates her stick-shift car, she starts to experience familiar, and scary, symptoms: facial tingling, numbness around her mouth, and her hands cramp and lock onto the steering wheel … Her story takes many wrong turns, but eventually she is diagnosed with hypoparathyroidism, a rare bone disease, and finds an experimental treatment that changes her life.

A 9-year-old cannonballs into the shallow end of the pool. There’s a stab of pain through her hip. What seems like just a bump takes a complicated turn. After discovering a bone growth, the child is diagnosed with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. This extremely rare bone disorder has a devastating impact, but thanks to unexpected areas of research, patients have new reasons to hope.

During a 20-week ultrasound appointment, there’s devastating news: the baby’s bones are broken and bowed. Despite this, the baby is born and does well. After testing, all signs point to hypophosphatasia. And thanks to the life-changing treatment of enzyme replacement therapy, today, this child and many others with this rare bone disease are living happy, healthy lives.

What’s thought to be a case of newborn hiccups unravels to a grim diagnosis: generalized arterial calcification of infancy, or GACI, a rare genetic condition with a challenging prognosis. Nearly half of infants don't survive beyond six months. But a revolutionary clinical trial could potentially transform this child's life and the lives of others with this disease.

A 62-year-old falls and fractures her wrist. This simple fracture reveals underlying osteoporosis, requiring lifelong (and expensive) medication. But this is where biosimilars come in. Biosimilars are extremely similar to the original drug they're designed to imitate, but much cheaper. This makes them more accessible to more people, meaning fewer fractures … better health … a better economy … and ultimately, a better quality of life.

What can you do when your attending physician is a bully? We talk with two nurses, Melissa and Laura, about their experiences being bullied by a physician. Connie spoke with Carolyn Smith, an associate professor and associate dean of research, and author of "Standing Up Against Workplace Bullying Behavior: Recommendations From Newly Licensed Nurses" for insight. All three weigh in on standing up for yourself, calling out bullying, and sticking to your boundaries.

When is it okay to admit that you don’t know how to do something? Hear the story of Tamara Kuhn, a bedside telemetry nurse, who in a moment of crisis, used her problem-solving skills to keep her patient and herself safe. Connie spoke with Jill Clemmons, an acute care nurse practitioner, for insight. Jill discusses how taking care of yourself, preparation, and finding your why are key to navigating difficult situations.

What do you do when you know something is wrong with a patient, but don’t have the data to back it up? Hear the story of Diana Struthers Stanton, a nurse whose instinct was telling her something was wrong with a patient, but didn’t have the clinical data to back it up. For insight, Connie spoke with Dr. Sarah Kim, a specialist in emotion-focused mindful psychotherapy, about the importance of trusting your gut.

How do you know when generic symptoms are masquerading as something serious? Hear the story of Molly Lalonde, a pediatric nurse practitioner, who met a patient with an unexpected concern. To get another perspective, our host Connie Levie spoke with Dr. Raj Bhardwaj, an urgent care physician and host of the podcast DDx, about zooming out, respecting the concerns of your patients, and following your spidey sense.

While nursing school equips you with valuable knowledge and skills, it doesn't prepare you for the real-life challenges you’ll face on the floor. They Don't Teach That In Nursing School is your go-to guide, offering unique solutions to the unexpected problems you'll encounter as a nurse. This is a limited (four episode) series that launches on Nov 1st! Give it a listen!

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Special announcement from Raj you won't want to miss!

When an ultrasound discovers something unexpected — hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a major fetal cardiac anomaly — a patient is put on a cross-state journey that she never planned for.

A patient discovers she is having a twin pregnancy … but one twin will not survive. A decision must be made: have a pregnancy reduction or move forward knowing her life and the remaining twin are at risk.

Faced with an abnormal placenta and numerous challenges, including a molar pregnancy, a patient endeavors to carry her pregnancy … until at 19 weeks, everything changes.

Meet three obstetricians who perform an essential medical procedure: abortion. Learn about their patients and how abortion affects both physical and mental health. From a molar pregnancy to fetal chromosomal abnormalities, these stories illustrate the life-saving impact of abortion, and its necessity within healthcare.