Latest news with #stomachpain
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Kate Lawler, 45, reveals battle with secret health condition that left her 'in the worst pain of her life' before being rushed to hospital in Greece
Kate Lawler has revealed her battle with a secret health condition that left in 'the worst pain of her life.' The Big Brother star, 45, has shared in a new interview how she battled debilitating stomach pain, and was eventually rushed to hospital in Greece, before being reassured by doctors that 'everything was fine.' Kate told The Sun On Sunday that it took rounds of tests and several misdiagnoses back in the UK before doctors finally discovered she had pelvic congestion syndrome, a little-known condition caused by hidden varicose veins around the ovaries and womb. She revealed: 'It was a sharp, stabbing pain that would last from 10 seconds to several hours. 'Then we were on holiday in 2018 and I thought I had a serious hernia or something was wrong with me, to the point that I went to hospital. 'But doctors thought I was just going mad. They just said, 'You're fine,' and left it at that. I was made to believe it was simply caused by my hormones, or ovulation.' Kate, who shares daughter Noa, four, with husband Martin Bojtos, added that she visited her GP twice, and was instead told it could be a hernia or endometriosis, and even a visit to a private gynaecologist failed to provide answers. She went onto reveal that it was during a chance conversation at a routine appointment for her varicose veins in August 2022 that she discovered she had PCS. The condition is most common in women aged 20 to 45 who have given birth more than once, as well as those with varicose veins, a family history of them, or polycystic ovary syndrome. Patients can experience dull or heavy pain in their pelvis, and it can feel worse at worse at the end of the day, before or during your period, or during or after sex. While many Brits have never heard of PCS, it affects around 1.5million people in the UK, and Kate said that a visit to The Whiteley Clinic helped her get tested for the condition. The reality star added that varicose veins have run in her family, and they and PCS are 'often interlinked.' Treatment for PCS is typically pelvic vein embolisation - a procedure which involves placing tiny coils inside the damaged veins under X-ray guidance, and Kate said the procedure has changed her life. The star said the procedure was 'uncomfortable but not painful,' and called for doctors to have more awareness of PCS. WHAT IS PELVIC CONGESTION SYNDROME? Pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) leads to chronic pain in the pelvis, which is thought to be caused by problems with the veins in that area. Such vein problems may cause blood to build up, making them enlarge and change shape, like varicose veins. Pregnancy and childbirth may trigger PCS, however, its exact cause is unclear. PCS' patients' pain may be worse during sex, after standing for a long time and when walking. Other symptoms may include discomfort during periods, a sudden need to urinate and enlarged veins on the buttocks, genitals or thighs. Treatment may involve drugs to relieve pain or block ovarian function. Surgery can removed damaged veins. A hysterectomy may also be required. It comes after Kate revealed she has 'broken the law' as she ended up locked in a dispute with her neighbour. The Big Brother winner took to Instagram to share that she had got herself into 'trouble' with her neighbour after painting the back of their shed. Kate revealed that her gardener had painted it because because she didn't like the colour of it, but her neighbour was furious she had done so without permission and the TV personality later discovered it was in fact illegal, and considered trespassing. She quickly took to social media to explain her predicament and sparked a nationwide debate as some agreed with her that they wouldn't care, while others were horrified that she had painted someone else's property. 'Why do I always get myself in these situations?' Kate wrote. 'I'm in trouble with my neighbour for painting the back of their shed a different colour. Won't be doing it again as in hindsight I know I should have asked first, but I didn't think it would be a big deal given that they can't see it? 'It has made me wonder though… Would you be annoyed if you discovered the back of your shed (which you couldn't see) had been painted by the neighbour whose garden backed on to yours? 'Have you had a similar fall out with your neighbour? Basically, am I an a***hole and should I buy them flowers and a box of milk tray to apologise?' The next day Kate again took to social media to reveal she had since discovered it was illegal. 'I've just found out I've broken the law,' she began. 'Um... I found out that me painting someone's shed is actually illegal. I can't believe I didn't know this. Genuinely I did not know that me leaning over the end of my garden, sorry not me my gardener, that him leaning over the end of our garden and into somebody's else's garden and painting the back of their shed is trespassing. 'Um... so I'm sorry if that offends you and I'm sorry to my neighbour because I didn't know that what I was doing was illegal and I also, genuinely, I just didn't think someone would mind me painting the back of their shed which they couldn't see and I know that a lot of you would. 'And that's what's so interesting about this debate because it has sparked a nationwide debate.' She continued; 'Half the people in the comments of my last video wouldn't care either. I genuinely wouldn't care if somebody paint. In fact if you want to paint the back of my shed go for it, it just wouldn't bother me. 'We're all different, we're all human beings, none of us are the same. Some of you would care, some of you wouldn't. That was the question I was asking more. I'm not asking if what I did was wrong. I know what I've done was wrong, I know it was illegal, now, I didn't know it at the time otherwise I wouldn't have done it but I'll never do it again. 'So don't be like me. Don't paint the back of somebody's shed without asking first because it is illegal, it is trespassing. And what a debate! It is quite fascinating. Anyway... I'll leave it there.' Kate also captioned her video: 'WARNING! Do not lean into your neighbours garden and paint the back of their shed / fence or anything as it's actually illegal. It's considered trespassing or vandalism, which I genuinely didn't realise I at the time. 'So like I suggested in my previous video, I'm going to buy them a sorry present and apologise. Sorry if I offended you in my actions too. 'Just remember what Albert Einstein once said…. The man who never made any mistakes never made anything x.'
The Sun
13 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
It was worst pain of my life, says Kate Lawler after hospital dash on holiday in Greece uncovered health trauma
FOR five years, Kate Lawler battled debilitating stomach pain. But doctors repeatedly told the TV personality, 45, 'everything is fine', so she assumed it was nothing to worry about. 5 5 It wasn't until she was rushed to hospital while on holiday in Greece that she began to suspect something serious might be wrong. But even then, it took numerous scans back home in the UK and several misdiagnoses for her to discover the truth. Kate, who won Big Brother in 2002, tells Sun on Sunday Health: 'My symptoms started in December 2017. 'The abdominal pain was worse than any pain I've ever had. 'It was crippling - sometimes too unbearable to even get out of bed - and it felt even worse during menstruation and sexual intercourse. 'It was a sharp, stabbing pain that would last from 10 seconds to several hours. 'Then we were on holiday in 2018 and I thought I had a serious hernia or something was wrong with me, to the point that I went to hospital. 'But doctors thought I was just going mad. They just said, 'You're fine,' and left it at that. 'I was made to believe it was simply caused by my hormones, or ovulation.' The mum-of-one, from London, visited her GP twice and was told it might be a hernia, and she believed it could also be endometriosis, but she wasn't offered a referral. The 5 causes of pain in the pelvis all women should know Desperate for answers, she visited a private gynaecologist in November 2021. 'She did internal scans and all the tests and said, 'Absolutely everything is fine',' Kate says. 'All she could tell me was that everything was clear, which was a relief. 'But also, when you're told everything looks normal but you're still experiencing intense pain, you then start to think, 'Am I making this up in my head?' 'I didn't want to be a burden and keep going to the doctors, but I was so desperate to get it sorted. 'In the end I literally felt like I was going to have to live with the pain forever.' It was only during a chance conversation at a routine appointment for her varicose veins in August 2022 that she discovered she had pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) - a little-known condition caused by hidden varicose veins around the ovaries and womb. It's most common in women aged 20 to 45 who have given birth more than once, as well as those with varicose veins, a family history of them, or polycystic ovary syndrome. Most patients experience dull, achy or heavy pain in their pelvis. It may feel worse at the end of the day, before or during your period, during or after sex, and when you stand or sit for long periods. Some people also need to use the toilet more urgently, or have pain when they pee. Most Brits have never heard of PCS, but it affects around 1.5million people in the UK. 'We're a very veiny family' Kate, who has appeared on Hole in the Wall, Celebrity Total Wipeout and Love Island, says: 'It was only when I went to see Professor Mark Whiteley at The Whiteley Clinic that I heard about PCS. 'I was getting the varicose veins on my legs treated and he started talking about PCS and I said, 'Sorry, what are you talking about? Because I can relate to all the symptoms you're saying.' 'I felt like that was exactly what I had. 'I had never linked my varicose veins to my pelvis but he offered to test me. 'My mum's got varicose veins, my grandparents had them, and my dad's got them all over his leg. We're a very veiny family. 'Eventually your varicose veins and your legs can cause pain and discomfort and you can end up having ulcers, which my grandma had. 'Varicose veins and PCS are often interlinked. And once I'd had the test, it transpired that I had both.' 5 The most common treatment for PCS is pelvic vein embolisation - a walk-in-walk-out procedure which involves placing tiny coils, thinner than human hair, inside the damaged veins under X-ray guidance. Kate says the procedure in November 2022 was 'uncomfortable but not painful' - and it has changed her life. 'Suffer in silence' 'I was holding a stress squeezer and cursed a few times, but once it was over it was amazing,' she says. 'I realised, 'God, I was in a lot of pain before'. I would wake up and immediately be in pain, and no amount of painkillers would get rid of it. 'I just learnt to live with it - though I didn't want to be on painkillers my whole life. 'I can't explain how much I've improved and how I no longer feel crippled by this pain that would strike at any time.' Like thousands of others, Kate is frustrated by the lack of awareness around the condition. She says: 'So many women go to the NHS or private doctors and they're just not given enough training when it comes to women's health, and that includes things like menopause, perimenopause and PCS. 'They get trained in a bit of everything, but unfortunately it's not enough. 'What Prof Whiteley is doing is incredible, and we just need to get the word out there. 'I want women to be able to find out exactly what's wrong with them if they're experiencing the same things I did, because most are misdiagnosed. 'I've spoken to many different people who have suffered from it, and most of them will go into hospital, have loads of scans, and then just be sent home. 'One woman was actually told to have a hysterectomy unnecessarily. The gynaecologist didn't know what was causing the pelvic pain so he thought, 'Oh, I'll take out your uterus.'' She adds: 'Women's health is so underfunded and doctors need to be more informed. 'There needs to be more money and awareness so that when a woman goes to the GP in pain, it's not brushed aside.' Despite the challenges, Kate is urging women not to be shy about asking for help or thinking they're making a fuss. 'No woman should suffer in silence,' she says. Dr Sophie Strong, consultant gynaecologist at The Whiteley Clinic, adds: 'A lot of the women we see will have been suffering from pelvic pain for many years but their conditions will remain undiagnosed. 'Our new Pelvic Pain Clinic is a place for women who have been told there's no hope and there's nothing that can be done for them. We can make a real difference.'
