Last week, the wildlife conservationist revealed her diagnosis.
Bindi Irwin is on the other side of her health journey. On Tuesday, the Crickey! It's the Irwins star shared an update with her fans after revealing her endometriosis diagnosis.
"Healing ✨ I have spent the week reading your kind words and stories of strength through your own experiences with endometriosis," she wrote next to a picture of her smelling roses. "Thank you with all my heart for sharing. I can finally see a new me on the journey towards better health. I can’t wait to be able to focus all my energy on our family and the conservation work we are so passionate about. Sending my love and light your way."
According to the Mayo Clinic, endometriosis is a condition in which cells similar to the lining of the uterus, or endometrium, grow outside the uterus, often causing severe pain and menstrual irregularities.
Bindi's update came a week after she revealed that she had to undergo a procedure following her diagnosis. The wildlife conservationist shared a picture from a hospital bed and revealed that she had been struggling with the illness for a decade.
Bindi, who is the mother of 2-year-old Grace, wrote that she had spoken to doctors who brushed her pain off, until she finally met with one who listened and offered her treatment. As a result, Bindi said she went through surgery so she could have a better quality of 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," she wrote in part.
"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," she added.
Bindi ended her note with gratitude toward her daughter and family, and encouraging other women to advocate for themselves.
"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," she wrote. "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."
Bindi's husband, Chandler Powell, also took to social media to praise his wife's strength.
"You are my inspiration to be as strong as I can be in every aspect of life. Seeing how you pushed through the pain to take care of our family and continue our conservation work while being absolutely riddled with endometriosis is something that will inspire me forever," he wrote next to a picture of him and Bindi.
"The greatest gift of all is knowing that you’re out the other side of surgery totally free of endometriosis. I cannot wait to embark on this new chapter of life with you," he added. "Read about the journey on @bindisueirwin’s post."
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