New Home | Vitality Renewal

Board-Certified OB-GYN

• 25+ Years Clinical Experience

• Hormone & Functional Medicine Specialist

• Crystal Lake, IL

PERIMENOPAUSE, MENOPAUSE & HORMONE SPECIALIST — CRYSTAL LAKE, IL

Your Labs Are “Normal.”
But You Know

Something Is Wrong.

You’re exhausted. Foggy. Gaining weight despite doing everything right. And you’ve been told everything looks fine.

Hormones are the keys. Your cells are the locks.
When the locks are damaged— by toxins, inflammation, or chronic stress — the keys don’t work.
That’s where we start.

Work With Us

Take the Hormone Quiz

“I finally feel like myself again — after three years of being told my labs were normal.”

— Patient, Chicago northwest suburbs

Why You’re Here

Do Any of These Sound Familiar?

Many of our patients have seen two, three, even five doctors before finding us. Their story is remarkably consistent:

Fatigue that doesn’t improve with sleep. Weight gain despite doing the right things. A brain that doesn’t feel sharp. Mood shifts that don’t match your life. And a doctor who looked at your labs and said: “Everything looks fine.”

Normal range is a statistical standard — not an optimal one. It tells us whether you look like 90% of the population. It says nothing about whether you’re thriving.

“Something is being missed.”

We believe you. And we know where to look.

→ Persistent fatigue or low energy that doesn’t improve with rest

→ Brain fog, memory issues, or difficulty concentrating

→ Weight gain or difficulty losing weight despite effort

→ Hormone imbalance — perimenopause, menopause, testosterone concerns

→ Anxiety, low mood, or feeling emotionally “off”

→ Poor sleep or waking up exhausted

→ Inflammation, pain, or autoimmune symptoms

→ Digestive issues and food sensitivities

Not sure where to start?

Take our Hormone Quiz — quick, free, and often the first step toward real answers.

Take the Quiz

The Hormone Locksmith™ Approach

You Need More than Hormones. You Need Your Body to Respond to Them.

Hormones don’t work in isolation. You can have “normal” levels on paper and still feel completely off. Why?

Because hormones are only effective if your body can respond to them. If your cells are inflamed, if toxins are interfering, if your nervous system is out of balance — the message doesn’t get through.

We believe in hormone optimization, but we HAVE to include restoring function. We look at the whole picture: hormones, metabolism, gut health, brain chemistry, inflammation, and stress response.

We repair the locks — so the keys can finally work.

The Hormone Locksmith™

🔑 Hormones = Keys

🔒 Cells = Locks

When locks are damaged by toxins, inflammation, or chronic stress — hormones can’t work, even at “normal” levels.

Identify what’s damaging the locks — advanced testing beyond standard labs

Restore cellular function — address toxin burden, inflammation, gut health

Optimize hormones when appropriate — with the right levels and monitoring

Patients travel from across the Midwest to work with us — Wisconsin · Iowa · Indiana · Michigan · Southern Illinois · Greater Chicago Area

What to Expect

A Different Approach to Your Health

This is not quick-fix medicine. We take the time to understand your body — and guide you step by step toward lasting change.

A Deep, Unhurried First Visit

We review your full health history, current concerns, lifestyle, and goals — often connecting dots that haven’t been discussed before.

Advanced Testing for Real Insight

Comprehensive lab panels interpreted for optimal function — not just “not abnormal.” We look at hormones, metabolism, inflammation, nutrient status, and more.

A Plan Built Around Your Body

Your care plan is tailored to your biology, your priorities, and your capacity. We focus on what makes the biggest difference — not doing everything at once.

Ongoing Guidance as You Heal

Healing is a process. We adjust your plan over time, track your progress, and make sure you understand each step along the way.

Start with a Conversation

No pressure, no obligation — just a thoughtful starting point.

Patient Stories

Real Women. Real Answers. Real Change.

Hear from our happy patients

“

I finally feel like myself again. After three years of being told my labs were normal, someone finally looked deeper — and found what was wrong.

— Patient, Chicago northwest suburbs

“

For the first time in years, everything made sense. The explanation of how hormones actually work changed how I understood my own body.

— Patient, traveling from Wisconsin

“

I wasn’t crazy — something was actually wrong. I just needed a doctor who was willing to look for it. That’s what Vitality Renewal did.

— Patient, Crystal Lake area

Yvonne Karney, MD

Board-Certified OB-GYN · Functional & Integrative Medicine · The Hormone Locksmith™

“I practice the kind of medicine I wish had existed when I needed answers myself.”

Over 25 years of clinical medicine — including 8 years as a USAF physician and more than 80,000 patient encounters — shaped how I think about women’s health. I’ve seen what conventional medicine does well, and I’ve seen where it leaves patients behind.

Functional medicine gave me the tools to ask better questions. Not just “are your labs normal?” but “why do you feel the way you do?” — and more importantly, what do we do about it.

At Vitality Renewal, I serve as Medical Director, overseeing and guiding the care of every patient. Your day-to-day visits are delivered by our experienced nurse practitioner team — trained in the same root-cause approach, and supported by my clinical oversight at every step.

training & background

✔ Board-Certified OB-GYN, 25+ years

✔ USAF Physician, 8 years

✔ Functional & Integrative Medicine

✔ 14+ years specializing in BHRT

✔ 80,000+ patient encounters

Your care team

The People You’ll Work With

Most of your visits at Vitality Renewal will be with our nurse practitioner team — each experienced, each trained in root-cause functional medicine, and each practicing with the same philosophy Dr. Karney built this practice around. You’re in expert hands.

Charmagne Benz, MS, FNP-BC

Family Nurse Practitioner

Available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and select Saturdays, Charmagne brings a thoughtful, patient-centered approach to functional medicine and women’s hormone health.

Tanya Tanzillo, DNP, FNP-BC

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Available Tuesdays and Thursdays, Tanya combines 20+ years of clinical expertise with genuine care for the whole patient — not just the labs.

Meet the Full Team

Learn more about our providers, our health, coaches, and the team building behind your care

Free Resource

Stop Surviving on
Caffeine and Willpower.

Download my free guide — From Fatigued to Fabulous — and begin understanding what’s actually driving your exhaustion.

✔ Why fatigue is almost never about sleep alone

✔ The hormone–energy connection most doctors miss

✔ Five things you can start doing this week

✔ When to push for more comprehensive testing

Download the Free Guide

common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Real answers from Crystal Lake’s hormone and functional medicine experts.

Do you take insurance?

We are a cash-based practice. This allows us to spend more time with you, use more comprehensive testing, and focus entirely on root-cause care — not what an insurance company will approve.

What makes your lab testing different?

Many of the tests we use are standard — the difference is we order far more comprehensive panels, and we interpret results looking for optimal function, not just “normal range.” We also use advanced functional medicine tests like DUTCH hormone testing, salivary cortisol, and urine toxic elements panels when appropriate.

Do I need to take hormones?

Not necessarily. Our goal is to restore your body’s ability to function first. We look at both the hormones (the keys) and your cells’ ability to respond to them (the locks). Hormones are used when appropriate — never as a default.

Do you take insurance?

Healing is a process, not an event. Many patients begin noticing meaningful changes within the first few months. Our programs run six months to a year, with ongoing support to refine and guide your progress as your body heals.