Bindi Irwin has opened up about her endometriosis journey, revealing that she's undergone life-changing surgery after suffering 'indescribable pain' for over a decade.
The Australian TV personality and conservationist took to Instagram on Wednesday to share her experience of the condition in the hope that it'll be heard by 'other women who need help.'
Endometriosis, which affects approximately 10% (190 million) of reproductive-age women and girls worldwide, occurs when tissues similar to the lining of the womb grow in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. The disease can have a devastating impact on the sufferer's quality of life, leaving many females battling debilitating pain, disrupted menstruation, and fertility issues.
Bindi, who is best known as the daughter of the late Australian conservationist Steve Irwin, said that her endometriosis has left her struggling with "insurmountable fatigue, pain, and nausea" for the past 10 years.
"Trying to remain a positive person & hide the pain has been a very long road," the 24-year-old added, revealing that the last decade has been marked by "many tests, doctors visits, scans."
Bindi says she "gave up entirely" and tried to "function through the pain" after being told that it was something you "deal with as a woman" by a doctor. It was only when her close friend, Leslie Mosier, encouraged her to continue to seek answers that she embarked on the path of "regaining my life." The mother of one elected to undergo surgery after the physical anguish began to take its toll on her well-being - a 'scary' decision but one she knew she needed to make.
"Every part of my life was getting torn apart because of the pain," Bindi continued. "To cut a long story short, they found 37 lesions, some very deep & difficult to remove, & a chocolate cyst."
Bindi flew to New York City for the operation, which was overseen by Dr. Tamer Seckin at the Seckin Endometriosis Center in Manhattan. After the procedure was over, the renowned gynecologist asked his Australian patient, "How did you live with this much pain?"
"Validation for years of pain is indescribable," Bindi recalled, before thanking the family, friends, doctors, and nurses who have supported her over the past ten years.
"I’m on the road to recovery & the gratitude I feel is overwhelming. To those questioning the canceled plans, unanswered messages & absence - I had been pouring every ounce of the energy I had left into our daughter & family."
Bindi has a two-year-old daughter named Grace Warrior with her American husband Chandler Powell, whom she married in March 2020 after seven years of dating. The sweet family lives together in Queensland, where they have a base on-site at Australia Zoo nearby Bindi's mother, Terri Irwin, and younger brother, Robert.
