Home and Away star Sarah Roberts undergoes surgery for endometriosis

Home and Away star Sarah Roberts has undergone major surgery to remove  endometriosis from her uterus, bowel and both of her ovaries. 

On Friday, the actress, 38, shared a photo of herself in hospital and revealed her post-surgery wounds.   

Sarah, who is married to co-star James Stewart, said she was relieved she was finally diagnosed with ‘stage two endometriosis’ after suffering years of pain. 

Endometriosis is a painful condition where the tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside this layer. 

According to IVF Australia, endometriosis can affect a women’s chances of falling pregnant.

Home and Away star Sarah Roberts has undergone major surgery to remove endometriosis from her uterus, bowel and both of her ovaries 

Other debilitating symptoms include extreme fatigue and painful bowel movements.  

The soap star admitted her condition took a toll on her marriage of three years.

‘If you woke up today with another opportunity to add another page to the story of your life, then you owe it to yourself to create the most beautiful story you can imagine,’ she wrote in her lengthy post on Instagram. 

‘You owe it to yourself to find answers – even if it takes 5 years and 4 months of unanswered questions from medical professionals, a lack of fertility, the testing of relationships, grief and an attempt at a sparkling smile to hide the cocktail of confusing emotions throughout it all.’ 

She went on to thank her mother for her support throughout her battle with the condition and said she was relived when she finally got a diagnosis. 

The soap star admitted her condition took a toll on her marriage of three years to co-star James Stewart

The soap star admitted her condition took a toll on her marriage of three years to co-star James Stewart  

Sarah said she was relieved she was finally diagnosed with 'stage two endometriosis' after suffering years of pain

Sarah said she was relieved she was finally diagnosed with ‘stage two endometriosis’ after suffering years of pain

‘Let your fingers flicker across the keyboard with the moment you woke up in hospital after your laparoscopy and laughed SO HARD when the obstetrician finally told you that you had Stage 2 Endometriosis on your uterus, bowels and both ovaries that your scars nearly burst open with relief on the unwritten pages of your future,’ she wrote. 

‘You weren’t ”crazy”. 

She then encouraged fellow endometriosis sufferers to share their stories in a bid to help others and raise awareness. 

‘Let’s talk about it, write about it, read about it, because there is power in the sharing of our experiences to help others and I am so grateful for the women who shared their experiences with me and pushed me to search for answers while I was flailing around in the dark,’ she said.

Sarah and James became engaged in November 2018 and tied the knot at Luttrellstown Castle, on the outskirts of Dublin, in July 2019. In 2020, Sarah told Stellar magazine she had suffered two miscarriages since getting married

Sarah and James became engaged in November 2018 and tied the knot at Luttrellstown Castle, on the outskirts of Dublin, in July 2019. In 2020, Sarah told Stellar magazine she had suffered two miscarriages since getting married

‘We can be messy and afraid but hopeful and brave in a community of warriors, support, consideration and acknowledgement around us. Looking to the light.’ 

Sarah and James became engaged in November 2018 and tied the knot at Luttrellstown Castle, on the outskirts of Dublin, in July 2019.

Stewart, who plays Justin Morgan on Home and Away, shares daughter Scout, 10, with his ex-fiancée Jessica Marais.

In 2020, Sarah told Stellar magazine she had suffered two miscarriages since getting married.

Speaking to Now To Love in October, Sarah shot down persistent rumours she and James had split. 

‘We’re happy,’ she told the publication.

Sarah told the publication James, 46, was romantic as ever, even picking her up from the airport with a bouquet of flowers following her recent trip to Italy. 

It comes after Bindi Irwin spoke for the first time on Wednesday about her decade-long struggle with endometriosis.

Stewart, who plays Justin Morgan on Home and Away, shares daughter Scout, 10, with his ex-fiancée Jessica Marais

Stewart, who plays Justin Morgan on Home and Away, shares daughter Scout, 10, with his ex-fiancée Jessica Marais

It comes after Bindi Irwin spoke for the first time on Wednesday about her decade-long struggle with endometriosis

It comes after Bindi Irwin spoke for the first time on Wednesday about her decade-long struggle with endometriosis

She revealed she had undergone major surgery for endometriosis in the United States. 

The Crikey! It’s the Irwins star said she had spent ten years ‘torn apart [by] the pain’ and knew she had to have surgery because she ‘couldn’t live like I was’.

She explained how the surgeon from the Seckin Endometriosis Center in New York City had removed a total of thirty-seven lesions and a ‘chocolate cyst’ – a term for a cyst filled with menstrual blood.

She also wanted to draw attention to the fact doctors often do not take the condition seriously enough, noting how one physician had once told her the pain was just a normal part of being a woman. 

‘Things may look fine on the outside looking in through the window of someone’s life; however, that is not always the case,’ Bindi said.

Bindi also warned against asking women about their family plans, because you never know if they are struggling with a condition like endometriosis, which can affect fertility.

What is Endometriosis? 

Endometriosis is present when the tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus (womb) grows outside this layer and causes pain and/or infertility.

There are a wide variety of symptoms – pain can affect areas ranging from the abdomen and lower back to the pelvis and vagina.

Other symptoms include painful sexual intercourse, abnormal menstruation, nausea, bloating, and pain with bowel movements.

The only way that the diagnosis of endometriosis can be made is to undergo a laparoscopy and have a tissue sample taken.

There is no cure, but treatments such as hormones and excision surgery are available.

Source: Endometriosis Australia

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