Love Island star Erin Barnett undergoes total hysterectomy aged 27
Former Love Island Australia contestant Erin Barnett has undergone a total hysterectomy aged 27.
The reality star-turned-influencer, who has had 17 surgeries in the last 13 years because of severe endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), shared on Instagram she was in hospital for the procedure, which finally took place on Wednesday after years of her advocating for it.
Barnett will no longer be able to have children naturally – a “con” that she said was outweighed by no longer enduring what she’s previously described as “living with 1000 per cent pain every day”.
“TODAY I HAD MY HYSTERECTOMY … Surgery went really well!” she wrote.
“We did have some trouble getting my pain under control in recovery, but we got there in the end. I’ve wanted this for years & im (sic) so overwhelmed with emotions now it’s happened. I’m so glad I never gave up advocating for myself and my body.
“And please remember, we are all amazing with or without kids. Having children does not define you. Do whatever makes you happy and healthy.”
Asked in a Q&A on her Stories how she was “coping after having a hysterectomy and not being able to have a kid naturally”, Barnett said she’s known since she was a teenager that conceiving a baby wouldn’t be easy.
“I think my main focus after a hysterectomy is coping with the post operative pain. I’ll only answer this 1 question regarding kids,” she wrote.
“I’ve said it time and time again. Since I was 14/15 years old I’ve had issues with my reproductive organs! I grew up knowing I’d struggle to have children. As time went on and I had numerous surgeries I was told I would have to do IVF. 4 years ago I looked into freezing my eggs.
“I was then told I am a high risk patient for IVF due to my PCOS & how quickly I grow cysts & how fast they rupture and cause internal bleeding which turns into emergency surgery. The cons outweighed the pros for me.
“Therefore I came to accept the fact that in this lifetime I won’t be a mother. It's obvious that this is the path I was given and I don’t see the need to push for something that is clearly not meant for me.”
Endometriosis is a chronic condition that causes tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (endometrium) to grow outside of the organ. The tissue, which has been found on every major organ of the body, often spreads to the bowel and fallopian tubes, causing extreme pain, heavy bleeding, and in many cases, infertility. There is no known cure.
Despite an estimated one in nine people with uteruses in Australia suffering from the issue, it remains incredibly misunderstood and it’s notoriously difficult to get a diagnosis. Research by Endometriosis Australia found it takes an average of 6.5 years to diagnose. Women often recall being laughed out of hospitals, denied treatment or told nothing can be done.
PCOS, meanwhile, is caused by an imbalance of reproductive hormones that creates problems in the ovaries, potentially leading to cysts or infertility.
Barnett was diagnosed with both conditions aged 15, when doctors removed a three-litre cyst from one of her ovaries.
Barnett told 9Honey last February she was fighting doctors over their refusal to allow her to undergo a total hysterectomy, which includes the removal of the cervix, to end her years of pain.
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“It’s not a cure but I would probably be 90 per cent pain-free and today I’m living with about 1000 per cent pain every day,” she told the publication.
“Sure, I would go into menopause and there are increased risks of having a stroke or heart attack in my 60s. But [not having a hysterectomy] means I have to live in pain and have constant surgeries for another 30 years. I accept the risks and yet they still won't do it.”
When she was approved for the surgery earlier this year, she said she felt like she was “being reborn because I’m going to have my life back”.
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