My journey into functional medicine didn’t begin in a classroom or a clinic — it began around my 40th birthday, when I started feeling like a stranger in my own body.

I was exhausted all the time — not “I need a nap” tired, but a heaviness that followed me everywhere. I needed caffeine just to get through the morning, then more to survive the afternoon. I worked out harder, thinking movement would help, but instead my body pushed back. The more I exercised, the worse I felt.

Like most women, I went to my doctor looking for answers. We ran a full panel of blood work. I waited, hoping for clarity — only to hear what so many women hear: “Everything looks normal. Just keep doing what you're doing.”

But nothing felt normal. My cravings skyrocketed. My motivation disappeared. Eating well felt impossible because I barely had the energy to care. Beneath it all was a fear I couldn’t ignore:

If this continues, I’m going to develop a metabolic disease.

So I dug deeper. I ordered comprehensive hormone and micronutrient testing — the kind traditional medicine rarely offers — and what I found was flooring:

So I dug deeper. I ordered comprehensive hormone and micronutrient testing — the kind traditional medicine rarely offers — and what I found was flooring:

• My progesterone was nearly undetectable

• My hormones were completely dysregulated

• I had significant nutrient deficiencies, despite eating well

My cortisol pattern showed stress my body had been carrying for years.

And despite being a physician — with access, training, and experience — I still couldn’t get the support I needed within the conventional model. And then it clicked for me.

I finally understood what so many women learn the hard way: Our healthcare system is designed to react to disease — not prevent it, not explain it, and certainly not help women thrive through hormonal change.

But the truth is, I had been seeing the cracks in our system long before my own health crisis.

Growing up in Ghana, the only time people sought care was when they were already very ill — often too late. I learned early that wellness must be protected, not rescued. Years later, on a mission trip to Kingston, Jamaica, I watched children run joyfully toward a doctor who cared for them with presence and compassion. That moment showed me how profoundly a physician can impact someone’s life — far beyond prescriptions.

After degrees in biochemistry, public health, medical sciences, and finally my medical degree, I spent many years in traditional healthcare. I loved my patients. I loved the science. But I saw the same pattern repeated endlessly…

Women dismissed. Symptoms minimized. Labs called “normal”. Root causes ignored

And now I was personally living the very thing I had witnessed for years. That’s when my purpose became unmistakably clear… I did not become a doctor to simply treat disease. I became a doctor to help women reclaim their vitality before disease ever takes root.

→ Traditional medicine focuses on what’s wrong.
→ Functional medicine focuses on what’s possible.

At Oasis Women’s Functional Medicine, I treat women as whole people — not numbers on a lab report. We explore sleep, stress, metabolism, hormones, nutrition, movement, relationships, purpose… all the factors that shape a woman’s well-being. When you’re treated as a whole person, you gain the clarity and strength to live the life God created you for. You cannot fulfill your purpose when you are dismissed, depleted, or running on empty.

My own journey taught me that women deserve better.
We deserve answers. We deserve support. We deserve true health — not just the absence of disease.

I created Oasis so women can finally receive the care, compassion, and clinical depth they’ve been missing.
Together, we focus on what you want for your life — not just what you don’t want. Your health can become the foundation for purpose, vitality, and joy. Let’s get you there, together.

I’m honored to walk this journey with you.

- With love and light, Doctor Ruth