Bindi Irwin just revealed that she has been suffering in silence over the last decade.
The Crikey! It’s The Irwins star shared on Instagram this Tuesday that she has been diagnosed with endometriosis. This reproductive condition involves the growth of uterine tissue outside of the uterus, which often leads to chronic pain and cramping.
The image of the 24-year-old shows her in a hospital bed and gown. The caption revealed that Irwin was unsure whether to discuss her ongoing health struggles with the public. Ultimately, she felt it would help other women, so she decided to open up about her condition.
“For 10yrs I’ve struggled with insurmountable fatigue, pain & nausea. Trying to remain a positive person & hide the pain has been a very long road. These last 10yrs have included many tests, doctors visits, scans, etc,” Irwin’s caption reads. “A doctor told me it was simply something you deal with as a woman & I gave up entirely, trying to function through the pain. I didn’t find answers until a friend @lesliemosier helped set me on a path of regaining my life. I decided to undergo surgery for endometriosis.”
“Going in for surgery was scary but I knew I couldn’t live like I was. Every part of my life was getting torn apart because of the pain,” she wrote. “To cut a long story short, they found 37 lesions, some very deep & difficult to remove, & a chocolate cyst. @seckinmd’s first words to me when I was in recovery were, ‘How did you live with this much pain?’ Validation for years of pain is indescribable.”
Then, Irwin expressed gratitude to her friends and family who had supported her throughout the last decade in her search for answers. She also commended the medical professionals, including doctors and nurses, who believed in her pain after years of suffering.
“I’m on the road to recovery & the gratitude I feel is overwhelming,” she continued. “To those questioning the cancelled plans, unanswered messages & absence – I had been pouring every ounce of the energy I had left into our daughter & family.”
“Things may look fine on the outside looking in through the window of someone’s life, however, that is not always the case. Please be gentle & pause before asking me (or any woman) when we’ll be having more children. After all that my body has gone through, I feel tremendously grateful that we have our gorgeous daughter. She feels like our family’s miracle,” Irwin said of her toddler daughter Grace Warrior, whom she shares with husband Chandler Powell.
“I’m aware of millions of women struggling with a similar story,” she wrote in conclusion. “There’s stigma around this awful disease. I’m sharing my story for anyone who reads this & is quietly dealing with pain & no answers. Let this be your validation that your pain is real & you deserve help. Keep searching for answers. www.endofound.org.”
Powell offered his support in a separate post on his Instagram account after Iriwn made the announcement.
“You are my inspiration to be as strong as I can be in every aspect of life. Seeing how you pushed through the pain to take care of our family and continue our conservation work while being absolutely riddled with endometriosis is something that will inspire me forever,” he captioned a photo of the couple. “The greatest gift of all is knowing that you’re out the other side of surgery totally free of endometriosis. I cannot wait to embark on this new chapter of life with you.”
RELATED: Chrissy Teigen Admits Endometriosis Surgery Was Rough But Is Infinitely Better Than Pain
“Thank you. For everything. I love you and Grace with all my heart,” Irwin commented on Powell’s post.
We are so proud of Irwin for coming forward to talk about her struggle with endometriosis. According to the Office on Women’s Health, at least 11% of women, or more than 6.5 million women in the United States, have endometriosis.