Reality television star Janet Caperna has shared a distressing personal health battle that led to her losing a significant amount of weight in a shockingly short period. The 36-year-old Bravo personality, known for appearing on The Valley, revealed she was hospitalised twice after a severe reaction to holiday overindulgence.
A Holiday Celebration Turns to Illness
What began as a festive dinner and night of drinking with friends and family swiftly descended into a medical emergency for Caperna. She initially dismissed her symptoms as a severe hangover or common food poisoning. However, the situation escalated when she found herself unable to stop vomiting, prompting two urgent trips to hospital.
The diagnosis was far more serious than she had anticipated. Doctors confirmed she was suffering from a severe case of acute gastritis and colitis, conditions involving inflammation of the stomach and colon lining. "It's usually set off by something like food poisoning and it was just wreaking havoc on my body," Caperna explained to the Daily Mail.
"Hot Glass Moving Through Me": The Physical Ordeal
Caperna described the experience in harrowing detail, stating it felt as if her insides were being wrung out. She likened the pain to having "hot glass moving through me." The illness was so debilitating that even a tiny sip of water would trigger vomiting, offering her no relief for twelve agonising days.
As a result of this prolonged sickness, she lost close to 20 pounds (approximately 9kg) in less than two weeks. The physical transformation was stark. "I look sick, so I can't just start going about my normal life again and not say something," she admitted, concerned about fans' reactions to her altered appearance on social media. She was keen to stress, "I don't want to glamorize looking like this because I look genuinely ill."
Recovery and Reflection on Health
The health scare was a particular blow for the mother-of-one, who had previously undertaken a dedicated fitness journey. After the birth of her son Cameron in 2023, Caperna lost around 70 pounds over eighteen months through diet and Pilates, avoiding quick-fix solutions. "Instead of jumping on Ozempic to lose my baby weight, I did it the hard way," she said, reflecting on her former strength and fitness.
Now, she feels "like a pile of bones" and is focused on regaining her health and weight. On her podcast, This Side of the Hill, she discussed her new priority: getting healthy and gaining weight back. She attributed the gastritis flare-up to her holiday excess, which included more alcohol than usual and an "excess of dairy," joking that her body had finally rebelled against being treated like a "garbage disposal."
Looking ahead, Caperna is now concentrating on her recovery and the upcoming third season of The Valley. Filming has concluded on the new series, which will see a reshuffled cast. It will be the first season without Jax Taylor, and Scheana Shay will also be absent despite past guest appearances. They will be replaced by full-time additions and Vanderpump Rules favourites Tom Schwartz and Lala Kent. The show is expected to return to Bravo in the coming months.
