Ricki-Lee Coulter opens up about 'unbearable' battle with endometriosis

She got candid in a tell-all post

• In this article

• Aussie singer Ricki-Lee Coulter reveals shocking battle with endometriosis

• Details of the surgery and recovery she underwent

• The stars flocking to Coulter’s side amidst her battle

Singer Ricki-Lee Coulter has undergone surgery after a health condition she’s endured for the last 10 years became progressively worse.

In a candid Instagram post shared on Wednesday evening, the beloved musician revealed the pain from endometriosis has gotten so bad over the years, that she had no other option but to undergo a laparoscopy followed by excision surgery this week.

“For over a decade I’ve been dealing with chronic pain that has progressively gotten worse,” she began in a lengthy message accompanied by images of her on a hospital bed.

“Over the years I have seen so many doctors and specialists, and 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 continued.

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

The World Health Organisation defines endometriosis as a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, in areas like the ovaries and fallopian tubes causing severe pelvic pain.

And because the condition typically takes many years to diagnose, Coulter and other women living with the condition must advocate for themselves and “keep pushing for answers”.

“I met with a new GP at the start of the year, who referred me to a new specialist, and we went through all the measures that have been taken to try and get to the bottom of this pain – and the only option left was surgery,” the singer explained.

“So this week I had a laparoscopy and excision surgery – and they removed all the endometriosis they found, and I can only hope that is the end of the pain.”

Coulter says she is now back home and recovering with the help of her husband of eight years, Richard Harrison.

As she works on getting better, Coulter has been inundated with messages of love and well-wishes from her famous friends.

“Why are you the most beautiful angel girl still with no makeup in hospital. sending healing energy babe,” commented Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger.

Jackie “O” Henderson wrote: “Sending you so much love. Been where you are now and it gets so much better honey,” while fellow radio personality Dave Hughes said: “Good luck with it you absolute icon.”

While model Megan Gale and Sunrise host Natalie Barr sent their love via red heart emojis, former Gogglebox Australia star Angie Kent told Coulter she wasn’t alone in her battle with this “invisible illness”.

“Sending you lots of love! You’re not alone in this. It’s a marathon not a sprint unfortunately,” Kent commented. “But there’s an amazing chronic invisible illness sista-hood out here! I hope you have a good support system with the recovery including an amazing women’s health prac x.”

Last month, news.com.au pushed for better care for the one million Australians suffering from endometriosis with the launch of our About Bloody Time campaign.

Among those Aussies who are living with the painful condition is former Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins, who spoke to news.com.au about one terrifying moment endo hit just as she was about to perform on stage with the children’s group.

“It’s like my body knew that if I’m doing a show, it’ll be OK. You could have a disaster, and that’s OK. But this was the one time that I was definitely (not),” Watkins told us.

“Horizontal in the dressing room, complete, just so much pain. I remember looking at the clock, and the show was at 10 AM and I think it was 9.55 AM, and I couldn’t get myself off the floor.”

Ultimately, Watkins did what she had done countless times before that. She got on with the show, just 10 minutes behind schedule.

“I guess I was so used to just pushing through. And then the show happened, and it was fine. As soon as the show is at the end, you’re like, ‘OK, I need to sit down.’ But that was really bad. I remember that being terrible at that time,” she said.