Hello! I’m Caitlin

My Story

I remember having joint pain since I was about five years old. The pain was mainly in my hands, feet, and elbows. It would come and go and seemed to be worse in the colder weather. This was what I knew, and I thought it was normal to have these aches and pains from time to time. 

Fast forward to my teenage years, and I had my gallbladder removed when I was sixteen. Prior to the surgery I had pain for about a year, which we thought was indigestion so I would take Maalox or Tums. They didn’t help.  It got so bad that one of the stones was trying to pass through into my pancreas causing that organ to become inflamed. I was having a severe bout of pancreatitis that sent me to the ER. I was told that if I had waited any longer I would have been dead. After my gallbladder was removed, I felt a lot better! It was a huge relief, but more issues were to come because I never changed the way I was eating. 

In my 20’s I experienced a lot of anxiety, fatigue, and digestive issues. Some of you may be able to relate to the fear of being away from home because you do not know where the nearest bathroom is located. I would take Pepto Bismol daily when I would travel in hopes I would not have any digestive issues. I realize now that this is no way to live.

I turned to exercise in college as a means of coping with stress and anxiety. I loved it so much that after I got my B.A. degree in Biology I pursued my M.S. degree in Exercise Science and became a Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist, Personal Trainer and Cancer Exercise Trainer with the American College of Sports Medicine. The exercise helped me feel good and stay in shape. I still value all the health benefits it brings to our lives.

A few years later, I realized I still did not feel well. I was tired all the time even after getting a good night’s rest. I would go to the doctor, and they would tell me “every woman complains of being tired.”

The final straw was when I was in my mid-late 20’s and did not get my menstrual cycle for a year. I went back to see my OBGYN and they did several tests that determined I probably had polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). The solution was to put me on oral contraceptives. I followed the recommendation, and after a few days I stopped them because I felt so awful. I was in bed by 7pm because I was exhausted, and I felt very irritated easily. I was at a loss and just prayed that my period would come back on its own. 

Around this time my sister started seeing a natural health practitioner who was helping her with some chronic issues she had, and she recommended I see him. I was all on board. I was so “sick and tired of being sick and tired” and ready to do whatever it took to feel better. 

He reviewed my diet weekly to help me take baby steps to improve it, and he recommended whole food supplements to help support my body with a gentle detox. I thought my diet was pretty good: lots of vegetables and fruits and home cooked meals, but I also realized I was a sugar addict! In my mind it was ok to eat ten cookies after dinner because of the exercise I was doing. 

I learned that it is not as simple as “calories in, calories out.” We have to look at our food as powerful medicine to help our bodies heal. The quality is what really matters. I also had a lot of dairy and grains in my diet, which were exacerbating my joint pain. In just two months after starting the nutrition program, I got my period back, and it has been regular since. What a miracle! 

I knew that my body was responding to the healthy changes I made. In time I also noticed my joint pain went away, and my fatigue was no longer there. I was able to get through a whole day feeling good with stable energy. It had been a long time. My anxiety and digestive issues also improved. My body healed as a whole. 

This journey is what sparked my passion for nutrition. I went back to school for my M.S. degree in Applied Clinical Nutrition so I could help others. It was actually not until around this time that I found out I had an autoimmune condition and was given a Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosis. This did not upset me because I realized my body had been in remission for several years because of the lifestyle changes I made. I feel healed and free from this condition. 

I know what it feels like to have digestive issues, anxiety, gallbladder pain, pancreatitis, terrible joint pain and fatigue, and hormonal imbalances/PCOS and to come out on the other side living a fuller, healthier life. You are not alone, and there is hope for you!

Caitlin with her husband and three children