Bindi Irwin has shared new details of her endometriosis battle, revealing she tried to put on a happy facade while dealing with the painful health condition.
“I was in so much pain and fighting an invisible battle daily,” the wildlife warrior, 26, told Australia’s 9honey Celebrity on Friday, September 20. “I spent so much of my time trying to keep a happy exterior while I was struggling to stay afloat.”
Behind the scenes, Irwin was grappling with pain, nausea and fatigue as well as countless tests and appointments to determine the cause – ultimately discovered to be endometriosis.
According to the Mayo Clinic, endometriosis “is an often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus — the endometrium — grows outside your uterus.”
This was an experience made worse for Irwin due to the fact that no one could figure out a diagnosis for more than a decade.
“At one point in my journey I was told that it was all in my head by a doctor,” she admitted to the outlet. “I started to truly believe it.”
The Dancing With The Stars season 21 winner publicly shared details of her endometriosis in March 2023 when she revealed via Instagram that she had undergone surgery for the condition.
In the post Irwin shared a selfie taken from a hospital bed and opened up about why she was having surgery.
“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,” Irwin wrote. “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.
She added: “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.”
In the 9honey interview, Irwin credited her mother Terri – who was married to the late Steve Irwin – as being her savior throughout the ordeal.
“She was there every step of the way for me, right down to helping me to the bathroom when I could barely walk after surgery,” she said.
Bindi, who shares 3-year-old daughter Grace with husband Chandler Powell, added, “I don’t know what I would do without my incredible mama … I hope I am able to be even half the incredible mama to Grace that my mom is to me.”
