'An incredible advocate': Bindi Irwin hailed as she opens up about 'painful' decade-long battle with endometriosis
QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA: Bindi Irwin speaks openly about her endometriosis struggles. The 'Crikey! It's The Irwins' star, 24, posted an Instagram video on Friday, May 7, in which she responded to queries from fans about her struggles with endometriosis, a condition where uterine tissue develops outside of the uterus and causes cramping and chronic pain.
Irwin stated in the video that she first began "noticing" endo signs when she was 14 years old, and she would frequently experience "extreme fatigue, nausea, and pain." Irwin first disclosed her illness in March. Years of searching for answers, she claimed, had resulted in blood tests, CT scans, and MRI ultrasounds that failed to detect her problem. Irwin and her husband, Chandler Powell, share a daughter, Grace Warrior, who is one year old.
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'Just part of being a woman'
Irwin claimed in the Instagram video that she finally gave up looking for solutions after one doctor claimed that her pain was "just part of being a woman." The pain did not get more "intense" until several years later when she gave birth to her daughter Grace. "After having beautiful Grace, my pain levels were out of this world," she remembered.
She recalled numerous occasions when Grace had needed her and that she had seen her crawling to her bed at night. "I can remember being with Grace and just laying on the floor in agony because I would have stabbing pain in my side and I literally could not get up. Or I would throw up, or I was scared I would pass out," Irwin continued.
"I was so scared because I was worried if I was alone with Grace, something would happen to me, and she would be on her own," she further added. She claimed that in August 2022, while on their yearly crocodile research trip, she had the epiphany that she needed to take action. Irwin recalled being in excruciating pain as she attempted to carry Grace up a "tiny hill" while carrying Grace in her arms.
She added, "The pain hit me out of nowhere. I had to hand Grace to Mom and just curl up in the fetal position on the ground because the stabbing pain in my side was insurmountable." She claimed that she didn't understand she had endometriosis until her friend, Leslie, told her journey with endometriosis and their symptoms matched.
Irwin claimed that she made the decision to undergo surgery during the Christmas season in December so that her family and the family of her husband, Powell, could be present to care for Grace while she healed. She claimed that on her ovary, doctors discovered 37 tumors as well as a chocolate cyst, which she ultimately had surgically removed.
Irwin acknowledged her mother and brother in the caption of the video and expressed gratitude for "being there with me every step of the way," adding that it was "because of them" that she had been given a "second chance at life." She also praised the Australia Zoo/Wildlife Warriors team for their "support" while she was abroad and her husband's parents for taking care of Grace when she underwent surgery.
Finally, she thanked her followers for their curiosity and inquiries about her journey. "Thank YOU for your incredible questions about my endometriosis journey, I hope this video may shed some light on my story to help you or someone you know battling with this disease," she wrote as she concluded the post.
'You are the strongest person I know'
Fans took to the comment section of the Instagram video and started praising Irwin for her courage to share the story of her struggles. One fan shared their story and wrote, "Thank you for sharing your story Bindi! I got diagnosed last year in my first pregnancy when they found the chocolate cyst on my ovary.... The “it hurts to be a woman” is just not good enough!" A second fan wrote, "Woman presents with excruciating debilitating pain that is affecting her day to day life and day to day tasks in her life and health care professional says ‘this is part of being a woman’ 😳." Irwin's husband also commented on his wife's story, "You are the strongest person I know❤️" Australian television personality Robert Irwin also exclaimed, "So proud of you sharing your story Bindi, a message the world needs to hear 🙌🏼" Someone else commented, "A testament to so many women living with invisible diseases and are just told it's in our heads. Thank you for sharing with the world. ❤️" Artist Leslie Mosier commented, "You are an incredible advocate and your story is going to help so many!!! I am so proud of you sister 💗"
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