Schedule a Consultation

By Courtney Gilbert, PA-C |

Functional Medicine Finally Gave Her An Answer to PCOS

"Courtney Helped Me Ovulate For the First Time In My Life"

A photo of a woman posing after successfully overcoming hardships from her PCOS
You don’t often read about PCOS, unless it is in the context of a clinical summary, a symptom checklist or a frustrated post online by a woman who feels ignored.
This article is different.

A Real Patient Story, In Her Own Words

“I Was Laughed At By My Doctor. Then I Found Out I Was Right.“

Jackie is a functional medicine patient at Donaldson who agreed to share her experience because she knows, firsthand, how many women are still out there searching for the same answers she spent years trying to find. Her story is personal, specific and, at times, uncomfortable — because the reality of navigating a chronic hormonal condition through a system that wasn’t designed to listen can be all of those things.
This is an honest account of what it looks like when someone finally gets the care they deserved all along.

A Lifetime of Health Questions

Jackie was 28 years old and had never had a regular period in her life.

For most women, a menstrual cycle is something that simply happens. It is predictable. It is often inconvenient and occasionally uncomfortable. For Jackie, “normal” had always been elusive.

“I’ve most likely never actually ovulated, even at 28 years old,” she says.

A woman functional medicine patient posing in a manner that expresses

The Only Constant? Inconsistency.

Alongside the cycle irregularity came a host of symptoms that had quietly shaped her daily life for as long as she could remember: relentless fatigue, persistent indigestion and a pattern with her weight that defied every logical explanation.

She had lost 100 pounds through dedicated effort, only to gain it all back suddenly. Not gradually or through any identifiable change in behavior. But suddenly.

Something was wrong. She had always suspected it. And for years, she kept trying to find someone who would agree.

Jackie needed to know that she was right.

When a Doctor Laughs at You

She brought her concerns to multiple traditional providers. She described her symptoms, her history, her suspicions. She mentioned PCOS by name. The normalcy she sought for her body still wasn’t there; in its place was an exhausting routine of sharing her concerns with providers without answers.

But One of Those Appointments Still Stands Out

“When I brought up the possibility of PCOS to one doctor, he literally laughed in my face,” she says. “He said, ‘Oh, honey, it’s never anything like that. It’s almost always lifestyle.’ He then told me how he had lost 50 pounds by calorie counting.”

Jackie explained that she had lost 100 pounds and gained it all back very suddenly. She expressed that something was clearly wrong. He assured her it was something she was doing wrong and referred her to a nutrition class.

She went back to her car and cried.

Courtney discussing PCOS treatments with patients at an event in Columbus Ohio

Her 1st Donaldson Consultation Was Different. Significantly Different.

“Pretty much as soon as I described my symptoms to my provider at Donaldson, she wanted to test for PCOS,” Jackie says. “I was immediately diagnosed. I had all the markers.”

The DUTCH test results were the missing puzzle pieces that helped provide the full picture. Her cortisol was completely inverted: sky-high at night when her body should have been winding down, and bottomed out in the morning when it should have been waking her up.

“When my Dutch test results came back showing complete adrenal dysfunction, I almost wanted to send them to the doctor who had laughed at me,” she says. “It was so validating.”

-Jackie

PCOS Is Not A One-Size-Fits-All Diagnosis

According to Courtney, because PCOS is a syndrome, that means there are multiple possible root causes driving a patient’s symptoms.

“If we treat based solely on the label, we often miss what is actually happening underneath. Testing allows me to understand why a patient’s hormones are dysregulated, why ovulation may not be occurring, or why symptoms like weight gain, acne, hair loss or cycle irregularity are showing up. It also helps prevent unnecessary or mismatched treatments that can leave patients feeling frustrated or dismissed.”

-Courtney Gilbert, PA-C

Complex Symptoms Require a Plan That Comes in Stages

Like many functional medicine patients, Jackie’s care plan was iterative. New methods were introduced as the previous stage in the process gave answers. Or, in some cases, new questions.

“Stage one focused on leveling out and getting a handle on where things stood,” she says. “Once my labs improved, we moved into gut health. After healing that, we dove deep into the PCOS side. Now, I’m finally starting to see the results of two years of work.”

Diagnostic testing was spread across roughly two years to keep costs manageable. This is a practical reality that Jackie is candid about, and one that reflects how Donaldson approaches functional medicine care: at a pace that works best for the patient.

Cross-Collaboration With Other Donaldson Providers

During the gut health phase, Jackie also worked with Colleen Bush, RDN, whose testing uncovered an H. pylori infection Jackie had likely carried for nearly 15 years. That infection had probably been contributing to her chronic fatigue, indigestion and gut symptoms for well over a decade.

She healed it completely without antibiotics.

The Role of Birth Control for Hormone Regulation

The care plan also included a conversation that many of Jackie’s previous providers had never offered her: an honest discussion about birth control. Courtney helped Jackie understand the risks she had never been told about and worked with her to get off it entirely.

For anyone navigating similar questions, Courtney has written about managing PCOS without birth control in detail.

A woman functional medicine patient meal-prepping dinner in her suburban kitchen

Her “Aha” Moment: When It Finally Started Making Sense

The DUTCH test provided external proof for a lifetime of experiences she had never been able to explain.

“I’ve struggled with insomnia and difficulty waking up for as long as I can remember,” she says. “Seeing the data — my cortisol completely inverted — was external validation for symptoms I’d dealt with my whole life.”

That kind of validation is vital. Not just clinically, but personally.

When your body has been communicating something for years and no one has been willing to listen, seeing it in print and then explained with empathy by a care provider carries a weight that goes beyond the lab results themselves.

“When a patient feels genuinely heard, the entire relationship changes. Many patients with PCOS have internalized the belief that their goals — whether that’s regular cycles or fertility — are unrealistic. When someone validates their experience patients often reengage with their health in a different way. They become more motivated & confident.”

-Courtney Gilbert, PA-C

Two Years of Work, Still Paying Off

The results Jackie has seen are real, measurable and still in motion.

She has lost more than 45 pounds and is now approaching 50. She has dropped three pant sizes. Her sleep, which once averaged three to four hours a night, now consistently reaches seven to eight.

Her cycles have been getting shorter and more regular since stopping birth control, and she tracks everything using Natural Cycles, an FDA-cleared app that she and Courtney use together to monitor what her body is doing in real time.

Real PCOS Patient Columbus, Ohio
Actual Patient

And for the first time in her life, ovulation feels like a possibility rather than a distant concept.

“Courtney is the only person who has ever made it feel possible,” Jackie says. “When I told her that other doctors said what I was trying to do was impossible, she said, ‘That’s really sad, but I’ve had patients who have had their cycles for the first time. I know you can too.’ That meant everything.”

Continued Progress is Possible Because of a Foundation Rooted in Respect & Determination

Jackie’s ability to ask thoughtful questions and express concerns directly has been vital to this iterative care process. Her level of transparency has allowed her care plan to adjust when needed and respond to her body in real time, rather than forcing a rigid protocol, Courtney says.

“Working with Jackie has been deeply rewarding. She came into care curious, motivated & willing to look beyond surface-level explanations. From the beginning, there was a shared commitment to understanding her body & approaching her health with honesty & patience.”

-Courtney Gilbert, PA-C

She Continues On Her Journey — & That’s the Point

Jackie is clear-eyed about where she is. This is not a finished story.

“I’m still on the journey,” she says. “It’s not easy to heal PCOS and encourage your body to do something it’s never done before. But I wanted to share my story to encourage anyone who’s been turned away — or literally laughed at — by their healthcare providers. There are people who will listen, & there are options open to you.”

That is the point of sharing this story. It is not a cure. It is not a guarantee. But it is further evidence that the right provider, the right testing and a care plan built around your actual body can change what feels possible.

About The Authors

Courtney Gilbert, PA-C, Author Photo

Read More Courtney Gilbert, PA-C

Courtney Gilbert, PA-C

Courtney Gilbert, PA-C, is a hormone health and fertility optimization specialist in Columbus, Ohio. She has a robust background in urogynecology and a deep expertise in functional medicine approaches to hormone replacement therapy, PCOS and sexual wellness. She prioritizes education-driven, personalized care by taking the time to understand each patient’s full picture before recommending a plan.

A Donaldson functional medicine patient who experienced success using a holistic PCOS treatment plan

Jackie 

Jackie is a functional medicine patient at Donaldson who works directly with Courtney Gilbert, PA-C, to manage her PCOS symptoms. She also routinely collaborates with other members of the care team, including registered dietitian Colleen Bush, throughout the process. Jackie has chosen not to include her last name in this article due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter.

Related Articles

View All