Bindi Irwin, the Australia Zoo animal warrior, has recently undergone surgery after a decade of struggling with “insurmountable fatigue, pain, & nausea.”
In a post on International Women’s Day, Irwin revealed that she had been dealing with endometriosis, a painful disorder that affects one in nine females.
Endometriosis is a condition where the tissue that typically lines the uterus grows in other parts of the body.
The rogue tissue can grow on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the tissue lining the pelvis, causing organs to stick together, which is an extremely painful experience.
Irwin revealed that she had been struggling with the condition for ten years and had tried to hide her pain and remain positive. However, after meeting Doug the Pug, whose human mum, Leslie Mosier, is a well-known endometriosis advocate, Irwin decided to undergo surgery for the condition.
During the surgery, doctors found 37 lesions that her endometriosis had caused and a cyst.
Specialists were surprised at how Irwin had been able to live with the amount of pain she suffered as a result. “Validation for years of pain is indescribable,” Irwin said. She also called on people to be more considerate and not ask women when they will be having more children, as endometriosis can make it difficult to conceive.
Irwin’s message to the millions of women struggling with endometriosis is to keep searching for answers and not to be discouraged by the stigma around the condition.
“Let this be your validation that your pain is real and you deserve help,” she said. Her story serves as a reminder that endometriosis can be a debilitating condition, and women who suffer from it need support and understanding from their loved ones and the wider community.
Her brother Robert, also shared his support by posting a photo with Bindi and wrote the heartfelt caption:
‘Bindi, I’m so proud of you. It’s been a long battle through a decade of pain, but you are finally on the road to recovery. I’m so happy you can have your life back. Endometriosis is a horrible, crippling disease and too many women endure this in silence, or are never even diagnosed. Bindi, your story of resilience is a beacon for women around the world who are suffering – and it’s a wake up call for men too. It’s *everyone’s* responsibility to be allies for womens health and help spread awareness.
You never know who’s suffering in silence, let’s make this a topic that we all freely talk about.
To read Bindi’s story and surgery journey in her own words head over to her page @bindisueirwin.’
Powerful 👏🏼
