1 hour ago
5
Ulrika Jonsson has revealed she is recovering from a procedure to remove her varicose veins.
The TV star, 58, took to Instagram on Friday to share snaps from the hospital in her gown and said the treatment was 'painful, uncomfortable and not the sexiest thing in the world'.
She told in her post how since she had been struggling with the bleeding and feeling suffocated by her surgical socks but that it had been 'successful'.
Ulrika then explained that she had to take it easy and rest for the next eight days following the procedure which is the third time she has had it done.
She penned in her post: 'Under strict instruction from my occasional therapist who told me I needed to get out of my comfort zone, I decided on a day out to get my varicose veins done.
'I'm somewhat of a veteran in this field - this was the third (and final) time. Last visit was 21yrs ago. Nowadays they not only hook the swines out but 'microwave' and 'foam' the blighters.
Ulrika Jonsson has revealed that she is recovering from a procedure to remove her varicose veins
The TV star, 58, took to Instagram on Friday to share snaps from the hospital in her gown and said the treatment was 'painful, uncomfortable and not the sexiest thing in the world'
'It was complex but successful and aside from my legs being suffocated by surgical stockings and bleeding like vertical colanders, having someone make me a cheese and ham toastie, was a bit of a treat.
'It's painful, uncomfortable and not the sexiest thing in the world but grateful for my amazing Consultant, Mr Northeast.
'(Back in Oct I had a pioneering treatment to try to stem the flow of blood to the legs by going in through my jugular vein - while I was awake - and passing a wire down to the pelvic area to embolise the veins that are feeding the legs. Had this done 21yrs ago first time, too. Bonkers).
'So that's me for the next 8 days, strapped in blood soaked stockings and trying my hardest to sit on my fat ar5e and take it easy. Fat chance. Send healing vibes and baked goods.'
Varicose vein removal involves closing or removing damaged veins, with popular methods including minimally invasive techniques like radiofrequency/laser ablation, which uses heat to seal veins, and sclerotherapy, involving foam injections to collapse them.
For more severe cases, traditional surgery (ligation and stripping) removes the vein entirely through small cuts, while phlebectomy removes surface veins through tiny incisions.
The best treatment depends on vein size and symptoms. Ulrika did not specify which exact treatment she had.
She told in her post how she had been struggling with the bleeding and feeling suffocated by her surgical socks but that it had been 'successful'
Ulrika then explained that she had to take it easy and rest for the next eight days following the procedure which is the third time she has had it done
She penned in her post: 'Under strict instruction from my occasional therapist who told me I needed to get out of my comfort zone, I decided on a day out to get my varicose veins done...'
She added: 'I'm somewhat of a veteran in this field - this was the third (and final) time. Last visit was 21yrs ago. Nowadays they not only hook the swines out but 'microwave' and 'foam' the blighters'
She praised the ham and cheese toastie which she had after the procedure
The procedure comes after last month Ulrika revealed the harrowing phone call she got when her drinking spiralled out of control
The procedure comes after last month Ulrika revealed the harrowing phone call she got when her drinking spiralled out of control.
Speaking in an emotional chat she recalled a tough conversation she had with her best friend at the peak of her alcohol struggles.
She said that although the conversation was 'so shaming' it was the moment that she knew something needed to change.
Joining Spencer Matthews on his podcast UNTAPPED, she began: 'It was awful. My best friend phoned me on a Saturday morning.
'She said, 'I need to speak to you because I spoke to you at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon and I could understand a f***ing word you said. You have a problem and I can't help you.'
'I was crying my eyes out because there was no way of avoiding it. She said, 'This is coming from a place of love, but you need help.''
Ulrika continued: 'I still didn't stop drinking, I had to drink on that conversation because that was so shaming. It was awful.
'I knew that she knew that I had a problem too. And I was said, 'I can't do this anymore.''
The TV presenter credits the shocking admission from June 2024 for saving her life and rescuing her from the depths of addiction.
Ulrika previously opened up about her journey to sobriety in a powerful open letter, revealing that she has now been alcohol-free for over a year and it has transformed her life in ways she never imagined.
She wrote in The Sun: 'It was a hangover day, much like any other, really. I sat on the sofa with my liver and brain pickled in equal measure, wrapped up in the blanket of shame, and something made me reach out for help.'
The star, described herself as a 'binge drinker who drank to black out,' and detailed how her addiction crept in slowly.
Although she didn't drink daily, lose her job, children, or end up in prison or get arrested, the toll it took was significant.
Ulrika admitted to drinking for the wrong reasons - to numb her 'crippling anxiety, to escape, to disappear and extinguish my self-loathing'.
English (US) ·