Miss Diagnosed
Met Kristen
Kristen Olinger spent 37 years experiencing fainting, dehydration, and other unexplained health problems that were repeatedly dismissed with advice to drink more water because she “looked fine.” After her husband advocated for further testing, Kristen finally found answers and now encourages others to trust their bodies and keep searching for a care team that will listen.
Patient Story Misdiagnosed
A Woman’s Issue · October 2025
Childhood health problems · Fainting · Dehydration
“Just needs to drink more and looks fine”
OR
SVT · POTS · Orthostatic hypotension · Ehlers-Danlos · Dysautonomia · Mast cell activation?
Kristen’s Story
Hello, my name is Kristen Olinger, and for as long as I can remember, I have struggled with my health.
I have many childhood memories of being hospitalized for fainting episodes or dehydration, along with countless other appointments for various symptoms.
I was told I needed to drink more water mostly and, “You look fine.”
These events persisted, but my speaking up about them diminished.
It took me 37 years to finally receive a proper diagnosis, and only because my husband was not willing to sit back and watch my symptoms be dismissed.
He advocated and fought for proper diagnostics beyond my general appearance.
Having such a long delay before diagnosis and, ultimately, treatment negatively impacted me in many ways.
First, without help, I unnecessarily struggled physically far longer than I needed to.
However, I think my mental health took a bigger hit over time—year after year—having my symptoms written off and questioning myself and my sanity sometimes.
I hope sharing my story can help someone else in their journey to finding answers.
It’s hard to keep fighting sometimes, but trust that YOU know your body better than anyone, so keep pushing until you find the right care team that will listen.