When I was 15 years of age, I was diagnosed with chronic endometriosis, a term few people recognized 20 years ago. “Endo” meant enduring a minimum of two weeks of intense periods every month, going through countless tampons and pads, and experiencing excruciating pain that often left me curled up on the floor in the fetal position. I was the only student allowed to leave school whenever the pain hit because the nurse knew she couldn’t help me. I’d walk out, catch a train home, and find solace in my bed alone, holding my aching pelvis. Nobody knew what I was going through. Already a bit of a nerd struggling to fit in at school, this wasn’t something I was eager to share. I assumed everyone else was also silently suffering, but later realized my struggle was uniquely intense.
At 16, I was told I might never have children, only to receive conflicting information later that actually i would be fine to birth children. My first laparoscopy at 17 offered no relief as the gynecologist, fearing damage to my ovaries, left some of the endo. But my determined mum found the best gynecologist in Australia. I vividly remember describing my pain to him: “It feels like two people with metal poles are smashing into my stomach and lower back at high speed.” That was on a good day. Endo also made sex painful, so while my friends were exploring relationships, I found it hard to connect deeply so I moved from a short term boyfriend to the next. Talking about sex was taboo then, so it’s only now, in hindsight, that I understand my situation without judgment. Today, 1 in 10 females suffer from endometriosis.
My second laparoscopy was successful, and just before my final high school exams, I underwent surgery again. Despite the pain, I excelled, landing in the top 2% of the country and earning full scholarships in mechanical and electrical engineering. Post-surgery, I had a Mirena IUD implanted, which kept the physical pain at bay for the next 15 years. I no longer bled or cramped, which seemed like a win back then. Today, I’m not so sure.
In conventional terms, the next 10 years with the IUD were a success. My career thrived as I led teams of engineers and designers, lived in multiple countries, became fluent in foreign languages, and won international awards. My first company built a globally celebrated health and fitness app for kids. I've always been an inventor and this project landed me on national news programs, stages across the USA, China and Australia in board rooms with NIKE execs, Apple and leaders of billion dollar portfolios. Yet, something felt off.
After building and subsequently closing this company, I faced burnout and depression. This unexpected turn led me to meditation and bodywork. A local bodyworker, Bruce Scott, taught me to listen to my body and trust it. He helped me let go of external expectations and ask myself what I truly wanted. I started exploring my body, embracing sunbathing, acro yoga, meditation and deep breathing. For the first time ever, someone taught me to go inward for answers, not outward.
I was 34, hadn’t had a baby or bought a home so figured it was time to lean into those activities (because that’s what society says you should, right?) I was advised to freeze my eggs, leading to more medical expenses. While others saved for houses, my body became my investment. I think it's crazy that women have to pay a minimum of $15,000 to freeze their eggs - not to mention the rolling monthly subscription fee of $60 to keep them frozen. My heart goes out to any woman who has been through this process of daily self-injections and hormone alterations.
As I delved deeper into self-discovery, I became fascinated by a female lifestyle movement called "cycle syncing"—aligning your lifestyle, including diet, exercise, and even sleep, with the 4 different phases of your menstrual cycle. Even though I hadn’t menstruated in over 15 years, I started noticing an internal rhythm. Incredibly, I could predict my ovulation date with uncanny accuracy, confirmed later by a blood test. Sitting in the doctor’s office, I couldn't believe I'd pinpointed my ovulation before her tests. That moment was a revelation. If I could tune into my body like this without a bleed period, I realised any woman could learn to do the same - but why haven't we been taught?
In 2022, I planned to settle down in Sydney but couldn't find the right home. Then came an offer to move to London and lead the product development of a new and innovative mindfulness company. I'd already lived in Australia, Denmark and the USA. What was another country? I took the leap. London was a challenging transition. Initially, everything felt wrong: the cold, the darkness, the absence of familiar faces. "London will break you before it makes you".
Overwhelmed by stress, my body collapsed. A terrifying night resulted in multiple severe head injuries. Alone and disoriented, I crawled to my neighbours for help. The ensuing ambulance ride, emergency treatment, and lengthy recovery were a stark reminder of the human body's capacity for both destruction and healing. The following months were a difficult battle against insomnia, anxiety, phobia of being trapped and the effects of multiple concussions. Yet, with unwavering support, I slowly regained my strength. Convinced there was a reason for my survival, I made a radical decision: to listen to my body without chemical interference. I eliminated caffeine, alcohol, took zero painkillers, eliminated processed substances and embraced a purely 100% natural approach to healing. I figured, I was alive. Every day was a gift and I owed it to a bigger mission - a much bigger mission.
At the time, work was flexible and understanding, allowing me to recover at my own pace. As I was leading the build of an innovative mindfulness tech company I had access to a diverse range of world-class holistic health practitioners, shamans and healers. From visualisation to tapping, breathwork, sound healing, binaural beats, 5 point acupuncture, seed cycling and more, my experiments began. I was determined to unlock ancient internal healing processes.
Friends and the expat community in London supported me like family. Despite the challenges, I slowly healed, learning to listen to my body’s needs and inner wisdom. My body "she" was speaking to me, teaching me, and finally i was learning how to listen.
Today, 1.5 years later, i've overcome insomnia, phobia, anxiety, concussions, and endometriosis naturally. I voluntarily opted to have my marina IUD removed (which took some convincing to the doctors) but it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
I have a regular, pain-free, absolutely beautiful period and monthly hormonal cycle. I enjoy a variety of foods, nightlife, and incredible, pain-free sex. I feel truly alive for the first time. At 36 and having left a high-paying career, I’m following my inner guidance, living “the surrender experiment” as celebrated by Michael Singer.
HER4 will empower women with the knowledge and tools to listen to their bodies and heal naturally if they choose. It will shape future understanding of female health through 'bio-alignment.' My journey, devoid of pharmaceutical solutions, exemplifies the power of intuition and natural healing. HER4 explores the alternative route, the new age, the future of holistic health. It is a compliment to the medical systems we have on offer today. I want women to know that they always have a choice.
At 18, my mum gave me "Endometriosis: A Key to Healing and Fertility through Nutrition" by Dian Shepperson Mills and Michael Vernon. At the time, the book was too dense for me, but 20 years later, it’s one of the reasons why I built HER4.
In two decades of doctor visits, no one ever educated me about hormones. If anything, they acted like I didn’t need to understand it. It would be ‘too hard’ for me to understand. My body was seen as broken, requiring quick fix interventions suppressing natural processes. It took me 20 years to begin to understand my body. 20 years to respect my body. 20 years to love my body. 20 years to have the confidence to stand up to standardized medical system and simply say ‘no’.
To say I am now obsessed with 'lifestyle medicine' would be an understatement. Earlier this year i enrolled in an Executive Education Course with Harvard Medicine. On-top of the countless books I have now read, and experiments i've done on my own body, I am up-skilling in an evidence-based understanding of nutrition, lifestyle medicine and behaviour change for sustained human, more specifically, female wellness and vitality. Authenticity is world renowned for being the most attractive and highest form of vibration. Harmonizing with my natural female cycles has been instrumental in discovering my truest, most authentic self.
I then launched the HER4 podcast where every week I interview experts on topics connected to the four phases of the female menstrual cycle. There's a wealth of knowledge waiting to be uncovered about the female body, and I’m passionate about being at the forefront of discovering new patterns and trends. I have a unique history that merges science and spirituality. I can ask questions (and listen) from both sides.
Your female body has been around for six million years, evolving, adapting, and overcoming. Every cell within her carries the wisdom of countless generations, honed through survival and progress. It’s an ancient, intricate organism, capable of extraordinary feats. Unfortunately, modern lifestyles, with their emphasis on efficiency and pharmaceutical interventions, have diluted these natural systems.
Are you ready to unlock the extraordinary potential within you? Let's embark on this journey together to reawaken the power of our female bodies, free from artificial constraints. I invite you to awaken your senses, nourish your soul, and embrace the incredible natural organism that you are. It's not going to be easy and it's not going to happen overnight, but when you commit, the results feel like magic.
I am nature, you are nature and together we can build a new and modern ecosystem of female potential. Are you ready to take that first step? What will your first step be?
I believe in you.
All my love, Katherine x
