71: PCOS, Spotting, & Infertility - Katelyn's Case Study

In this week’s episode of Hormone Health Class, I’m walking you through Katelyn’s powerful case study—one that started with years of irregular periods, daily spotting, fatigue, and infertility struggles. After feeling dismissed by conventional care and frustrated with “normal” labs, she came to me ready to dig deeper.

Together, we uncovered hidden imbalances through HTMA testing, supported her metabolism and minerals, and built a targeted plan for healing. The results? Not only did her spotting improve and energy return, but Katelyn also got the positive pregnancy test she had been hoping for.

If you’ve ever felt stuck with PCOS, irregular cycles, or unexplained infertility, this episode will give you a behind-the-scenes look at what functional testing and root-cause support can do.

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Transcript

Hey, hey—welcome back to the podcast!

I’m so excited for today’s episode because it’s one of my favorite styles to record: a case study episode. These really help bring my work to life and show you what it looks like in action with real clients. Today, I’m featuring my client Katelyn.

Case studies make it easier to understand what I actually do in my programs and 1:1 coaching. They take things from being “concepts” to being tangible. I’m good at helping my clients get results, but sometimes explaining it all in a clear way is harder for me. These episodes bridge that gap.

I want to emphasize that while I guide and support, the credit belongs to my clients. They’re the ones showing up, doing the work, and following through. My role is to cheer them on, keep them accountable, and help troubleshoot along the way.

Katelyn’s Starting Point

When Katelyn came to me, she was struggling with:

• Fatigue and trouble concentrating
• Irregular periods and spotting—almost daily at times
• Infertility

Her history was long: irregular cycles since she was 16, years on birth control, then cycles immediately going back to irregular with spotting in between when she came off. She went months without a cycle, tried medications to induce ovulation, but nothing worked.

Her doctor’s only suggestion was to go back on birth control—which Katelyn refused because she wanted to conceive naturally. She even underwent a procedure to try to stop the spotting. It worked briefly but came right back. She was tired of Band-Aid fixes and ready to dig deeper.

Her #1 goal: balance her hormones, learn about minerals, and become healthier so she could get pregnant and feel like herself again.

Intake Insights

On her intake form, a few things stood out:

• Trouble falling asleep and staying asleep → had me thinking about her cortisol and adrenals.
• Very painful cramps (9/10).
• PMS symptoms: bloating, mood swings, headaches, breast tenderness, low energy, anxiety, carb cravings, diarrhea.
• On her period: heavy bleeding, spotting between cycles, irregular cycles.
• PCOS diagnosis in the past.

Why We Chose HTMA Testing First

We decided to start with HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis) instead of the DUTCH test. The DUTCH test tells us what’s happening with hormone levels and cortisol patterns, but the HTMA test tells us why. It uncovers the mineral imbalances driving hormone issues.

Katelyn’s HTMA Results

Here’s what stood out most:

• Calcium Shell – Her calcium was very high, creating a barrier around her cells. This makes it hard for nutrients and hormones to move in and out, and often puts the nervous system in a “freeze” state.
• High Magnesium – Indicates her body was burning through magnesium at a rapid rate, not that she had too much.
• High Zinc – Suggests inflammation and also affects the zinc:copper ratio, which ties into estrogen/progesterone balance.
• Very Low Heavy Metals Showing – Sounds good, but actually means her body wasn’t detoxing them effectively.
• Key Ratios:
  • Calcium:Phosphorus → high, showing slowed metabolism.
  • Sodium:Potassium → very low, making cellular communication difficult.
  • Calcium:Potassium → pointed to trouble getting thyroid hormone into cells (cellular hypothyroidism).
  • Zinc:Copper → very high, suggesting estrogen dominance.
  • Sodium:Magnesium → bottomed out, showing adrenal stress and cortisol imbalance.

Care Plan Highlights

Based on her results and symptoms, her plan included:

• Mineral baths for absorption through the skin.
• Adrenal support supplements.
• Hormone balance support (without jumping straight to DIM, which can be overused and harmful if unnecessary).
• Targeted support for the calcium shell to get calcium back in the bones and teeth.
• Magnesium and potassium support.
• Detox support with a binder to address hidden heavy metals.

The Transformation

Within about 2 months, Katelyn sent me a message during one of our check-ins:

“We got a positive pregnancy test. We’re so excited and cannot thank you enough for your support to get to this point.”

After years of irregular cycles, spotting, and feeling hopeless about conceiving naturally, she was finally pregnant.

Why This Matters

Katelyn’s story shows the power of going deeper than “your labs are normal” and refusing to accept Band-Aid solutions like birth control for everything. By uncovering root causes and supporting her metabolism, minerals, and adrenals, she was able to bring her body back into balance—and her dream of pregnancy became reality.

If you see yourself in Katelyn’s story—struggling with irregular cycles, spotting, painful periods, or infertility—know that there are answers beyond surface-level fixes.