Lingerie entrepreneur Katie Knowles revealed she underwent a hysterectomy after enduring years of 'unbearable pain'.
The businesswoman, 35, who is married to DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles, shared the news on Friday on Instagram, alongside several pictures from hospital wearing her patient gown.
The mother-of-two said she took the decision after decades of living with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis and adenomyosis.
Katie said: "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.
"Years of misdiagnosis & being fobbed off. Told to take painkillers. That it was “normal.” It wasn’t. 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."
Katie, who married TV host Nick, 62, in a lavish ceremony in Essex last month, said she was sure she didn't want more children when going for the op and that her two girls "are everything".
She said she underwent procedure to "take her life back" but added it did make her feel "less like a woman".
She added: "It feels like something in me has changed, apart form being sans uterus. Right now, I’m in lots of pain. I'm 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.
"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."
Katie began dating Nick in 2021 and they married in a six-figure ceremony at Braxted Park last month, attended by celebrity guests including Nick's Strictly Come Dancing co-stars.
The entrepreneur launched her lingerie brand Boa Boa in 2022 and regularly shares her brand’s new outfits on Instagram, where she has amassed over 100,000 followers.
