What to expect from Functional Diagnostic Medicine
(and what it expects from you):

Welcome!

In a nutshell, Functional Medicine is a very comprehensive lifestyle modification program designed to help improve overall quality of life and restore proper balance and function within the body.  Because this approach can also be targeted at specific biochemical processes, some complicated conditions and numerous symptoms can also be improved, managed, and/or resolved, depending on the condition.  It's not a quick fix; it requires considerable time, investment, and commitment.  But for most, Functional Medicine is the best option.  For others, it's part of an integrated cooperative solution. 

Getting Started:

Learn more about the initial steps to becoming a Functional Medicine patient.

First appointment: Initial impressions and Lab Test Orders

Before this visit, Dr. Sweeney spent a few hours thoroughly reviewing the information you submitted and has formed a few initial thoughts as to what might be causing your problem and which testing would best fit your needs.

During this appointment, Dr. Sweeney will review these initial impressions with you. This isn't usually an official diagnosis, but simply the doctor's educated assessments that serve as a guide when determining necessary testing and support protocols.

Because the information we have is usually incomplete at the time of your first appointment (she hasn't yet ordered any lab tests or done a physical assessment), she doesn't typically give any treatment*/support recommendations, although she may begin some preliminary support for an obvious problem.  Dr. Sweeney is very thorough and informative; this visit usually lasts 1-2 hours.

Initial Lab Testing:

Near the end of this first visit, we take the first step in getting you well, which is to order the diagnostic lab testing discussed in the orientation.  None of the specimens are collected at our office; we'll provide you with written lab orders and home test kits.

The lab test results take some time to return to our office. Dr. Sweeney usually has all the test results back within 3 to 4 weeks, during which she will start you on a regimen to eliminate some common triggers of common problems.

Second Appointment: Physical Assessment/Evaluation

This exam includes the typical components of a comprehensive physical exam, including vital signs, reflexes, orthopedic/neurological function testing, and others.  Please wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. This exam typically lasts 30-60 minutes, depending on the depth and findings.  This can be a separate visit (especially if your schedule is busy and time is tight during the day), or it can be done on an earlier visit to save you trips to the office, especially if you're coming from another part of the state, country, or world.

Third Visit: Lab Test Results and Treatment* Plan:

During this visit, we review all the lab test results with you and what they mean.  We'll discuss what we found, and we'll talk about how we'll go about addressing it.  This is another lengthy visit, about 1-2 hours.  This visit also contains a lot of information, all of which will be reviewed periodically throughout the program; feel free to take notes during any visit!

Treatment*/Support Protocols:

Based on the results of all of your lab testing, we'll determine which physiological processes are functioning well and which are not. We'll work to restore your blood chemistry, blood sugar, oxygen, cellular function, hormone balance, digestive assimilation, and detoxification functions.

Personal responsibility is absolutely KEY. We will give you a comprehensive prescription for a healthy life, but we can't actually follow it FOR you; that part is up to you.

All patients are typically required to:
1. Make drastic changes to their diet and lifestyle
2. Avoid certain foods completely
3. Take prescribed daily supplements as directed
4. Incorporate physical activities into the average day and/or week
5. Follow other homecare instructions
6. Make other lifestyle changes conducive to better health
7. Keep regular follow-up appointments
8. Address any questions or concerns with the doctor as they come up

Follow-up Appointments/Lab Testing:

When we first attempt to stabilize a complex chronic condition, it may be necessary to schedule follow-up appointments more frequently at first. However, as your condition stabilizes and we're sure your support protocols are working for you, we'll space the follow-up visits apart further and further. Maintenance is typically once a month at first and when your condition is really starting to resolve or become very manageable, the appointments can be scheduled even less often.

These follow-up appointments last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour or more, depending on how much time we need.  We will always begin with questions you have so that they can be addressed.  Then we'll move on to more information as appropriate. 

When Dr. Sweeney orders follow-up lab testing, she'll only order the test panels that contained abnormal results (although sometimes it's truly more cost-effective to run the original panel, and if that's the case, she'll recommend that option). She'll order follow-up tests periodically until they show a functionally healthy result.

A Final Note:

It's important to remember that natural medicine takes time. The more advanced your condition (and the more conditions you have), the longer it will take to straighten everything out from the bottom up. Functional Medicine addresses the underlying cause of the problem, and there are no quick fixes. So, it's important to be patient, to write down your questions and concerns, and to be sure to bring them up during your scheduled visits with the doctor.

Functional Medicine relies on you to make a serious commitment to yourself and take an active role in controlling your own health. This includes making good dietary choices, resisting the occasional urge (especially at first) to "cheat", to take supplements as prescribed, follow through with all homecare instructions and exercises, and keep regular follow-up appointments. Again, we can give you the answers; it's up to you to implement them.  Together, we'll help you find answers and hope, and help you feel better!

Coming in from Out of Town?

All you'll need is a 2-night stay in South Texas during the week, preferably early in the week.  That enables us to establish an official doctor-patient relationship.  By doing things this way, we often save people more than their round-trip ticket airfare in lower lab costs alone.

If a trip to the southern US is simply not feasible at all, we completely understand; in those cases, the doctors then take on more of an elective consultant role.  Even though the vocabulary terms change, the quality of care and the depth of information offered is identical.  You'll feel like you were here in person!

*What do we mean by "Treatment"? This approach does not treat diseases or labels, nor does it based on patching symptoms; we treat the person with the dysfunction. We'll know we're moving in the right direction by matching a reduction of symptoms with the improvement of lab values.