Katie Knowles has revealed she's undergone a hysterectomy after 'surviving' years of 'pain'.
The lingerie business owner, 35 - who is newly married to television presenter Nick Knowles, 62 - shared the news in an Instagram caption on Friday as she posted snaps in her hospital gown.
The candid post saw the mother-of-two open up about living through almost unbearable pain which left her 'vomiting, curled up in bed and missing out on life'.
A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure which removes a woman's womb and may also involve the removal of other organs, such as the ovaries.
Katie's caption read: '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.
'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 tied the knot with DIY SOS presenter Nick just last month - also spoke about not being able to recognise herself due to the pain her diagnoses brought her.
Post-operation, the 35-year-old candidly admitted she feels 'less like a woman', but said she took the decision to undergo the surgery in order to 'take her life back'.
Katie wrote: '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 and Nick, 27 years her senior, exchanged vows last month during a lavish six-figure wedding at Braxted Park in Essex.
The couple were thought to have spared no expense on the ceremony, which was attended by a host of celebrity guests including Nick's Strictly Come Dancing co-stars.
Nick cut a sharp figure on the big day in a pink blazer, while the new Mrs Knowles slipped in an eye-catching white and blue floral number.
The newly weds have however been the subject of cruel trolling during their relationship, with critics mocking their age difference and financial setup.
Katie, began dating her spouse in 2021, hit back at those dubbing her a 'gold digger', revealing they don't get to her as much as they used to because she and Nick know it's not true.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, she said of their age gap: ''I think at the start, it was probably more irritating, especially for my family. But now those comments kind of just pass over me because we both know it's not true.
Katie stressed: 'Nick works hard, he has what he has. I work hard, I have what I have and then we buy each other stuff.'
Katie continued: 'We're both really comfortable with where we are with that and you will always get it because there's an age gap.
'I know plenty of people who are together and the same age where someone's using the other one for money and they're not happy.
'So as long as I know it's not true and he knows it's not true, I think that's, that's pretty much all that matters.'
Nick has an estimated £7.5 million net worth but Katie has built up an impressive lingerie brand, having launched Boa Boa in 2022.
She has proved to be her own best advert for the brand, modelling the skimpy looks to her 102,000 Instagram followers.
