NICK Knowles' wife Katie has revealed that she has had a hysterectomy after going through 'years of pain'.
The media personality took to social media from her hospital bed to reveal her surgery and the years of agony, bleeding and sickness she had suffered before the op.
The mum of two also spoke candidly about the "grief" she feels for not being able to have more children as a result of the surgery.
Katie, 35, married husband, former Strictly Come Dancing star Nick, 62, in a stunning Essex ceremony last month.
But just weeks after their big day, Katie was admitted to hospital to undergo the complex hysterectomy procedure.
A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure which removes the womb. It is more common for women in their 40s and 50s but can be carried out in response to a range of serious health conditions.
Katie, who has daughters Savannah, nine, and Alex, six, from a previous relationship, posted a behind-the-scenes montage video on Instagram as she shared a candid look from her experience.
She revealed that she has suffered years of pain because she suffered from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis and adenomyosis.
In the video, the personality appeared in a gown and compression socks as she elected to have her third operation.
She took selfies from the bed as she showed her 98k followers round her private bathroom.
After the surgery, she also had several bandages on her stomach as Katie wrote: "I’m 35 and I’ve just had a hysterectomy.
"I’ve lived with pcos, endometriosis and adenomyosis since Moses wore short pants. And no, it wasn’t 'just a bad period.'
"It was constant hospital trips. Multiple laparoscopies. Bleeding through clothes. Vomiting from the pain. Being curled up in bed, missing out on life.
"It was extreme bloating that made me look pregnant. It was migraines, stabbing pains in my legs, butt and stomach.
"It was chronic fatigue. It was hiding in loos, crying over another ruined day. It was my daughters terrified of getting their periods in case they end up like mummy."
She continued: "Years of misdiagnosis & being fobbed off. Told to take painkillers. That it was 'normal.' It wasn’t.
don’t recognise the woman I am when I’m in pain. Because I don’t want to remember the days where I was too sore, too tired, too bloated.
"I’ve cried on bathroom floors. I’ve bled through clothes in public.
I’ve had 3 surgeries.
"I’ve tried every pill, every patch, every hormone tweak. I’ve been put on a medical menopause just to get through uni. And still… the pain came."
"Today I looked through my phone and realised I hardly have any photos of myself like this.
"Because I don’t recognise the woman I am when I’m in pain. Because I don’t want to remember the days where I was too sore, too tired, too bloated."
When heavy periods could be something sinister
WHEN it comes to periods, there is a textbook definition of normal - but then there is also what a normal period looks like for you.
For some (lucky) people, these definitions overlap; for others, they don't.
The NHS recognises a 'normal period' as losing between 30 and 60ml, or six to eight teaspoonfuls, each month. A 'heavy' period' is anything more than 80ml.
Another, arguably simpler, way of working out whether your period is heavy is to count the number of pads or tampons you use.
Having to change a pad or tampon every one to two hours, or emptying a menstrual cup more often than is recommended, is a sign your period is heavy.
An NHS test can also help reveal whether your periods are heavy and if it's worth seeing your GP.
Dr Fran Yarlett, GP and medical director at The Lowdown, said: "Heavy periods can be normal for some people.
"But if your periods have changed and become heavier, this can signify medical problems." This could be:
- Early-stage cervical cancer
- Fibroids (non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the womb)
- Perimenopause (the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause)
- Hypothyroidism (when the thyroid doesn't produce enough hormones
- Endometriosis (tissue similar to that in the womb grows in other areas of the body)
The star admitted that she has no plans to have more children, however she is still going through 'grief' as she felt that that choice was taken away from her.
She said: "I didn’t want more children, my girls are everything. But that doesn’t mean this is easy. Because the choice has been taken from me.
"And that grief is real. It feels like something in me has changed, apart from being sans uterus.
"Right now, I’m in lots of pain. Im bloated. I’m exhausted. I’m hot. I’m forgetful. I’m hot (see how that works on multiple levels 😂).
"I feel raw and less like myself. Less like a woman, if I’m being really honest."
"But this was a decision I made to take my life back. To stop surviving and start living again, & have days that aren’t defined by pain."
Katie also opened up on her raw emotions around the surgery, but she urged social media users to be kind.
She added : "This is hopefully the beginning of healing. The beginning of self-love, scars, stitches and all.
"And please, if you’ve made it this far, I ask gently: This is something deeply personal. If you’re tempted to leave a judgmental or flippant comment, I’m asking you to just scroll on.
"There is a real person behind this post."
