Nick Knowles’ ‘terrified’ wife Katie was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery this weekend after suffering ‘crippling pain’ following her hysterectomy.
The lingerie business owner, 35 – who is newly married to television presenter Nick, 62 – underwent the procedure in July this year after ‘surviving’ years of pain due to PCOS and endometriosis.
But this weekend she suffered a major set back in her recovery 12 weeks after the surgery as she ended up in A&E.
She explained how where her cervix had been sewn up had ruptured leaving her in pain, bleeding and nearly passing out as she admitted it was the ‘most terrifying day I’ve ever had’.
After her successful surgery to stitch her back together she said she felt ‘sore, bruised and exhausted’ and was ‘gutted’ that her recovery had to start all over again.
Katie explained in a lengthy caption: ‘The bit where they took my cervix and sealed it up ruptured which basically meant my insides went rogue, with crippling abdominal pains, difficulty breathing, incredibly painful gas, blood like Moses parting the Red Sea, fluid, and even my bowel where it definitely didn’t belong.
Nick Knowles’ ‘terrified’ wife Katie was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery this weekend after suffering ‘crippling pain’ following her hysterectomy
The lingerie business owner, 35 – who is newly married to television presenter Nick , 62 – underwent the procedure in July this year after ‘surviving’ years of ‘pain’ due to PCOS and endometriosis
‘Saturday when it happened I was in so much pain I couldn’t move or walk and just cried on my own on the kitchen from 2-5.30am. I nearly passed out from the pain.
‘Bar the exhaustion and menopause bit, the recovery was finally going well. I was pretty much back to normal – although I started working the day after my hysterectomy, so that clearly didn’t help.
‘I was rushed in for emergency surgery. I thought it would be lots of waiting round, but they did blood tests, a CT scan, and had me up & ready for surgery in under 10 hours
‘There was talk of my bowel having been perforated, having to have open surgery & another lumbar puncture. I had every situation running through my mind and it was terrifying. They had 3 plans for surgery, and two of them were huge. A team of 6 surgeons and 2 anaesthetists looked after me, and made me feel slightly more at ease, during what was the most painful & terrifying day I’ve ever had.
‘Thankfully the surgeons managed to get me back into theatre, fix everything and stitch me back together.
‘I’m very sore, bruised & exhausted, & so gutted that my recovery journey starts all over again now. But thankful it’s fixed, because the pain on Saturday night was excruciating!’
It comes after back in August Katie revealed her ‘body felt completely foreign’ as she shared a health update on Instagram after undergoing the hysterectomy.
Weeks after the surgery Katie revealed she still ‘felt like absolute s***’ and had ‘gained a stone in six weeks’ during her recovery from the hysterectomy.
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.
But this weekend she suffered a major set back in her recovery 12 weeks after the surgery as she ended up in A&E
She explained how where her cervix had been sewn up had ruptured leaving her in pain, bleeding and nearly passing out as she admitted it was the ‘most terrifying day I’ve ever had’
She told fans they are not alone in their recovery as she is also experiencing ‘brain fog, constant hot flushes, back pain, exhaustion, anxiety, anger’ and many more.
Opening up in a candid post, Katie confirmed to fans that she has ‘not bounced back fast’ though it may seem it and she is still struggling each day.
She said: ‘I keep getting messages saying, ‘Wow, you’re out already, you look amazing, you’ve bounced back so fast.’ But honestly? It’s absolute Instagram propaganda.
‘The truth is, I don’t recognise myself at all the moment. My body feels completely foreign.
‘I’ve gained a stone in six weeks, I’m constantly bloated, my boobs are bigger and sore, my face looks puffy, my skin and hair are dry. Every time I see my reflection, it feels like a stranger staring back, and I hate it.’
She continued: ‘On top of that, I can’t even exercise to help myself feel better. My consultant has told me I have another month of no baths or gym because of the pain and bleeding.
‘That’s four more weeks of being stuck in this body I don’t feel comfortable in, with no outlet, no way to feel like me again. It’s like I’m trapped, waiting for permission to move forward.
‘The symptoms are relentless: the brain fog, forgetting names mid-sentence, going to the wrong cinema, snapping at people I love because I’m just so up and down.
‘The CONSTANT hot flushes, the 2, 3 & 4 a.m. wake-ups, waking up drenched in sweat, terrible back pain, exhaustion that sits in my bones. And mentally… I’m low, anxious, & angry.’
She said: ‘Yes, I can throw on a dress and lipstick and smile for a picture, but it’s smoke and mirrors. Behind it, I feel like absolute s***.
It comes after back in August Katie revealed her ‘body felt completely foreign’ as she shared a health update on Instagram after undergoing the hysterectomy
‘I’m sharing this because I don’t want anyone scrolling through their feed thinking they’re failing because they’re not ‘bouncing back’ like I seem to be. I’m not. I’m bleeding, sore, puffy, heavier, grumpy, anxious and lost in a body I don’t know or like.
‘If you’re struggling too, whether it’s with recovery, hormones, or just getting through the day, you’re not alone. Instagram will show you the highlight reel. But for reals? It’s mostly fake news.’
Fans took to the comments to praise Katie for sharing the reality of the procedure as many also related to how she was feeling.
They wrote: ‘I totally feel you…. Your words resonated. Take time to heal, physically emotionally and mentally’;
‘It’s a big op to recover from mentally and physically. As you know I’m a few weeks ahead of you in my recovery, but it’s not been easy. I got to 6 weeks and did start to feel a bit more like myself. Totally agree, Not being able to exercise is so hard though. You’re doing amazing’;
‘Thank you for sharing , I am 4 weeks post op and frustrated at my slow progress but your post has made me realise all I am experiencing is normal. Really helps’;
‘Yep this was me……. I had to get up and about after 5 days to do the school run but I was not ok, it was like an out of body experience, the hot flushes were the hardest and emotionally I was drained dealing with the ‘New me’ do not rush the recovery like I had to, take your time’;
‘One day at a time, the end result will hopefully be worth all the pain and discomfort you’ve endured for years’.
Katie shared the news of her hysterectomy on social media in July as she snapped a picture 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’.
Katie’s caption at the time 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.
Katie shared the news of her hysterectomy on social media in July
‘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 earlier this year – also spoke about not being able to recognise herself due to the pain her diagnoses brought her.
