For the last ten years of her adult life, the 24-year-old TV personality, Bindi Irwin, has been struggling with intense pain. The daughter of the great Steve Irwin was even told by one of her doctors that the pain was likely something she was going to have to deal with for the rest of her life because “it was simply something you deal with as a woman.”
While Bindi Irwin would endure a painful period just like many other women around the world, her symptoms were a lot worse than most. She did not have normal period cramps but was dealing with “insurmountable fatigue, pain, and nausea.”
Things took a turn for Bindi Irwin back on March 7, 2023 – less than a month ago at the time of this writing – when Irwin decided to reveal the secret details of her health. She decided to come forward with her health crisis story because she wants to help “other women who need help.”
In an honest social media post, Bindi Irwin revealed that she had been diagnosed with a painful condition known as endometriosis. The definition put forward by Johns Hopkins Medicine claims that endometriosis affects about one in ten women between the ages of fifteen and forty-four. In addition, nearly one in every two women who suffer from endometriosis experience debilitating instances of infertility, preventing them from having the families they always wanted to have.
Bindi revealed her health diagnosis on Instagram. She shared a picture of herself lying in a hospital bed along with a lengthy caption to let people know that she was recently diagnosed and that other women need to check themselves for the condition if they feel like they might be dealing with it.
“I battled for a long time, wondering if I should share this journey with you in such a public space. It came down to the responsibility I felt to share my story with other women who needed help.
“For ten years, 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, doctor visits, scans, etc.
“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. 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. My family & friends who have been on this journey with me for 10+ yrs – THANK YOU for encouraging me to find answers when I thought I’d never climb out. Thank you to the doctors & nurses who believed in my pain. 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.
“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.
“I’m aware of millions of women struggling with a similar story. There’s a 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.”