A decade of pain: Ricki-Lee Coulter opens up about health battle

An Aussie singer and television personality has opened up about her long and painful health battle.

Australian singer, radio host, and television personality Ricki-Lee Coulter has opened up about her long and painful battle with endometriosis, culminating in surgical treatment earlier this week.

In a deeply personal Instagram post in April, Coulter, 38, revealed the years of “unbearable” pain that led to her recent surgery.

“For over a decade I’ve been dealing with chronic pain that has progressively gotten worse,” Coulter shared in her post.

Despite consulting “so many doctors” and specialists, no formal diagnosis was made until after Coulter met with a new general practitioner at the beginning of the year, who then referred her to a specialist.

“(I) have been down so many different paths to try and figure out what was going on and for so long I thought the pain was just something I had to deal with,” she wrote.

“But the past couple of years, it has become almost unbearable, and is something I’ve been dealing with every single day.”

The decision was made to undergo a laparoscopy and excision surgery, a common procedure for endometriosis treatment, which finally offered Coulter a glimmer of hope for relief.

“I can only hope that is the end of the pain,” she said.

Ricki-Lee Coulter has shared her shock endometriosis diagnosis. Photo: Instagram.

The singer underwent a laparoscopy and excision surgery to remove the endometriosis. Photo: Instagram.

The condition, characterised by tissue similar to the lining of the uterus growing outside it, can cause severe pain, infertility, and other symptoms, significantly impacting quality of life.

By sharing her journey, Coulter has joined the ranks of influential women who have opened up about their endometriosis journey, including Bindi Irwin, Emily Seebohm, Emma Watkins and even former Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Now at home recovering, Coulter expressed her gratitude for the care and support from her husband, Richard Harrison.

“I’m now at home recovering and feeling good. Rich is taking very good care of me,” she said.