A hysterectomy was still a shock for Beverley Knight even though she has never wanted children

By Nina Steele 

Even though Beverley Knight has never wanted children, she was still shocked when she had to have a hysterectomy due to uterine fibroids, a condition estimated to be “about 3 times more prevalent in black women” compared to their white counterparts.

For Beverly, one of the drawbacks in addition to the obvious physical discomfort, was that she had to reschedule her tour dates. Of the whole experience, she said: “To be told you need a hysterectomy is a thunderbolt, even at 44. I had never wanted children because I always felt my work was so full on I couldn’t be the mother I wanted to be, but in the back of my mind there was always an option”. When discussing the same issue in another Interview she said: “I’m a proud aunty and godmum, but having children of my own has never been part of the plan”.

After the initial shock, Beverly seems to have made a full recovery and is currently back at work promoting a new album. By being so open about her experience, I hope she manages to touch the lives of some of the women for whom a hysterectomy has brought far more pain.

One such woman contacted me from Nigeria last year. In her mid-30s, she was going through what can only be described as one of the worst times of her life. She too had a hysterectomy due to uterine fibroids. What made her situation worse was that her fiancé left because he could no longer see a future with her. As is typical of African men, he wanted a biological child of his own, and saw no point in staying with her. She tried dating after a while and felt she had to be straight with the men from the outset by telling them about her situation. Sadly, they all made a run for it. And so, as far as she is concerned, there is no life for a woman after a hysterectomy.

As Beverly’s experience shows, there is of course life after a hysterectomy. Yes, it’s true that she never wanted children in the first place, but that’s not the point. The point is, we all have the ability to handle whatever challenges life throws at us. By all means, everyone should give themselves time to feel sorry for themselves when ‘bad’ things happen, particularly when they have the ability to change the course of our lives. But it comes a time when we must find the courage to move on. Choosing to play the victim forever, has never done anyone any good.