Kerry Katona recent health problems have been caused by endometriosis.
Kerry Katona
The former Atomic Kitten singer was hospitalised last month with severe abdominal pain and although she "initially thought it was a bad case of kidney stones" that condition was ruled out.
But following a series of tests the indications are that the "awful pain" in Kerry's back is being caused by endometriosis - a condition where tissue that lines the womb is found outside of it causing chronic pelvic pain and can result in infertility.
Writing in her New! magazine column, Kerry said: "You may have seen me out and about looking very uncomfortable - it's because I'm still in such awful pain with my back. I can barely stand up straight. I'm sick of crying about it, but it's really restricting me.
"I'm going to a clinic later this month to see a gynae specialist, but early indications suggest it's endometriosis, which can take years to diagnose."
The 39-year-old reality TV star - who has five children, Molly, 18, and Lilly-Sue, 16, from her relationship with her first husband Brian McFadden, Heidi, 12, and Max, 11, with second spouse Mark Croft and Dylan-Jorge, five, with her late third husband George Kay - also revealed that her pain is having an impact on her mental health, because it is preventing her from doing housework.
She said: "The pain is stopping me from doing housework, and when the housework starts building up it affects my mental health."
Kerry - who is dating personal trainer Ryan Mahoney - also revealed that her pain has made her "nervous" about her upcoming pantomime performance in 'Sleeping Beauty'.
She added: "All in all, I'm having a really rough time - I'm nervous about my panto starting next month, but if it comes to it, I'll just have to grit my teeth and get on with it."
Tagged in Atomic Kitten Kerry Katona