Caryn (41)
Stay-At-Home-Mom
West Hills, CA

Caryn is a stay-at-home mom of two daughters, Caris (5) and Camryn (11 months). She and her husband, Craig, have been together for 16 years in total and married for 7. During her most recent pregnancy with Camryn, Caryn battled with a rare complication called hyperemesis gravidarum, which is characterized by severe nausea and vomiting and is considered a medical emergency. She was vomiting 6-8 times per day. It was so bad that during a violent vomiting episode, her nose began to bleed. Caris witnessed this and was completely traumatized. Caryn struggled so much that she didn’t know if she would be able to carry her baby to term and considered ending her pregnancy. She had to inject herself in the stomach with needles every 12 hours just to keep her baby alive. The experience left Caryn traumatized and feeling that her body betrayed her. Since giving birth, Caryn’s health and fitness has become her top priority in life, over everything else. She wants to feel in control of her body again, but her family thinks she has taken things to an extreme.

Caryn works out 7 days a week. If she is not at the gym or in a fitness class, she will be working out at home. She prioritizes exercise over everything else, including her children. Baby Camryn was recently sick and needed to go to the doctor, but Caryn skipped the appointment so she could get in her workout. Camryn ended up being rushed to the ER after having green vomit. Caryn let her fitness take precedence over her own child’s health.  Caryn admits working out is like a drug for her and Craig feels she is an addict. He is now taking care of everything in the household, on top of his job, because Caryn has disappeared on all her responsibilities as a mother and wife. Craig feels he is in his marriage alone and deeply misses his wife. They have not been intimate with each other for some time, but Caryn blames that on her pregnancy. She felt like her body wasn’t hers and she was just a “host” for her daughter. Caryn doesn’t want anyone “taking over” her body anymore, so she refuses to let Craig touch her in an intimate way.

Because of the illness during pregnancy, Caryn has a fear of getting sick and worries about everything she puts in her mouth. She does load up on supplements including; a daily ultrabiotic, niacin, omega 3, mitofit, glucofit, quercetin, and bergamot. She dreams of being a health and fitness influencer, but admits she doesn’t think she is good enough the way she is, which is why she has to keep pushing herself. Caryn doesn’t think she has a problem and Craig is nearly at the end of his rope and says something must change soon, because Caryn’s desperation to be fit is ripping their family apart.