Sky Sports presenter Anna Woolhouse has opened up following surgery on her endometriosis with the 41-year-old claiming the condition “isn’t known or spoken about nearly enough”. She will be out of action for several weeks as the recovers from the procedure.
Woolhouse has fronted Sky Sports‘ coverage of boxing for years, anchoring some of the biggest fight nights and also sitting down with several of the sport’s biggest names. She’s also fronted darts coverage but her immediate priority will be on recovering from her diagnosis.
The presenter had first been diagnosed in 2017 after numerous visits to the doctors. The condition impacts 10 percent of women, but the journey to discovering it can be difficult with Woolhouse keen to shine a light on the difficulties.
She wrote on social media: “The comeback is always greater than the setback. It’s been quite the ride the past seven days. Last week I had my second laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis in seven years, it was done by the surgeon controlling a robot which blows my mind (avoid slide two if you’re squeamish!).
“It ended up being a slightly chunkier op than I’d bargained for but all OK in the end. March was endometriosis awareness month, I know I’m a couple of days late, but it’s important to still shine a light on condition that still isn’t known or spoken about nearly enough.
“It is a condition that affects 1 in 10 women and for so many even getting a diagnosis is a long, emotional and painful process and can be incredibly debilitating to live with.
“I was first diagnosed back in 2017 after years of endless GP appointments. I had my first surgery in 2018 and for a couple of years my symptoms did improve, but alas it came back and in recent years has resulted in some heartbreaking blows and ultimately meant having another surgery, really hoping this will be it.”
The NHS state that endometriosis is where cells similar to those in the lining of the womb grow in other parts of the body. It can also cause severe pain in the pelvis and make it harder to get pregnant, claims the World Health Organisation. Woolhouse did post pictures of her recovering, even having some time to watch the TV show Married at First Sight (MAFS). She also went on to thank hospital staff for their help with the procedure.
She said: “Thank you to the brilliant staff @cromwellhospital for looking after me & thank god for MAFS on my iPad (don’t judge!) Sending love to anyone who has endometriosis or if you are on the long path to a diagnosis don’t give up.”
Outside of work Woolhouse is a huge fitness enthusiast, often sharing workout content with more than 188,000 followers on Instagram. She’s also been vocal about the positive impact it has had on her lifestyle.
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