Bindi Irwin this morning shocked fans when she shared with her 5.1 million Instagram fans that she’s been living the past 10 years with crippling endometriosis and that she felt it was time to let her agonising story be known.
Bindi Irwin breaks her silence
After keeping quiet on the subject of her health battle since she was just a tender teenager, the 24-year-old has decided to bravely share her endometriosis journey. The Wildlife Warrior posted on Instagram a photo of herself from her hospital bed looking tired but relieved, along with the caption:
Dear Friends,
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 feel to share my story for other women who need help.
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.
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 my pain. I’m on the road to recovery & the gratitude I feel is overwhelming. 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.
I’m aware of millions of women struggling with a similar story. 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
A flurry of well-wishes from family and fans
Bindi’s two biggest fans are her brother Robert Irwin and of course, her husband of nearly three years, Chandler Powell. They were quick to leave supportive comments for Bindi on her post, highlighting how strong and brave she has been – and continues to be.
Robert wrote:
Love you Bindi ❤️ You are amazing. Not only for your strength battling through this physical and mental turmoil, but also for having the bravery to share your journey with the world to help other women who are suffering. You’re me hero, Bindi! 🙌
And Chandler who no doubt is excited for Bindi to have a new life, free of pain wrote:
You are the strongest, toughest person I know. I love you and I’m so excited for this new chapter of life❤️
We never would have guessed Australia’s favourite daughter, Bindi was fighting the endometriosis fight, and living in so much pain day to day. We have no doubt that her story this morning will help many, many others also suffering from the condition.
Bindi describes Grace as her ‘miracle baby’
It was recently reported that 2-year-old Grace was a miracle baby for her and her husband Chandler. Bindi urged her followers to think carefully before asking women ‘when they’ll be having more children’ because you never know if they are experiencing fertility issues, and also said that she feels lucky to have had Grace.
This is exactly why we should never speculate about pregnancy, ask about a rounded tummy or say it’s about time for a sibling. It’s rude and intrusive, none of our business and none of us have ANY idea what’s going on behind closed doors. Health issues or not, it’s no one’s business.
We wish Bindi a speedy recovery and thank her for sharing her story, and her truth when it would be so easy to keep it private. Bindi joins celebrity Amy Schumer who also shared her endometriosis battle back in 2021 when she had a hysterectomy at age 41.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a disorder in which tissue similar to the lining of your uterus grows outside of your uterine cavity. It can grow onto your ovaries, bowel and tissues lining your pelvis.
The hormonal changes of your menstrual cycle affect the misplaced tissue, causing the area to become inflamed and painful. The tissue grows, thickens, and breaks down over time, becoming trapped in your pelvis as it has nowhere to go.
According to Endometriosis Australia, 1 in 9 women suffer from endometriosis. But what is it exactly? Endometriosis is a common disease where tissue similar to the lining of the womb/uterus grows outside in other parts of the body.
Two types of problems can occur when endometriosis is present – pain and infertility.
Those who suffer from endometriosis will often have a lot of trouble becoming pregnant. But also in stark comparison, it is also possible to have endometriosis and not have either of those problems.
More than 830,000 (or just over 11%) of Australian women suffer from endometriosis at some point in their life. More often than not, the disease starts in the teenage years.
What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
Symptoms are variable and it’s that variance that so often contributes to the average six-and-a-half-year delay in diagnosis.
- Fatigue
- Pain that stops you on and around your period
- Pain on or around ovulation
- Pain during or after sex
- Pain with bowel movements
- Pain when you urinate
- Pain in your pelvic region, lower back or legs
- Having trouble holding on to a full bladder or frequent urination
- Heavy bleeding or irregular bleeding
For more information on symptoms, treatments, seeking a diagnosis, support groups and research, jump on over to Endometriosis Australia, it’s an amazing resource!
