Nick Knowles’ wife Katie has revealed her ‘body feels completely foreign’ as she shared a health update on Instagram on Wednesday after undergoing a 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’.
Now, weeks later Katie revealed she still ‘feels like absolute s***’ and has ‘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.
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.
Nick Knowles’ wife Katie has revealed her ‘body feels completely foreign’ as she shared a health update on Instagram on Wednesday after undergoing a 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’
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.’
Katie explained how she recently got dressed up to appear on ITV’s Lorraine and attended the Global Champions Arabians Tour with husband Nick, but has been ‘struggling’.
Now, weeks later Katie revealed she still ‘feels like absolute s***’ and has ‘gained a stone in six weeks’ during her recovery from the hysterectomy
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; pictured with husband Nick
She wrote: ‘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’
Katie explained how she recently got dressed up to appear on ITV’s Lorraine and attended the Global Champions Arabians Tour with husband Nick, but has been ‘struggling’
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***.
‘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 is 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 last month on social media as she posed 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’.
Fans took to the comments to praise Katie for sharing the reality of the procedure as many also related to how she is feeling
Katie shared the news last month on social media as she posed for a picture in hospital showing off her wounds
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 earlier this year – 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, who is 27 years her spouse’s junior, hit back at trolls dubbing her a gold-digger in an exclusive interview with MailOnline
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.
