Bindi Irwin spent years dealing with excruciating, daily pain from undiagnosed endometriosis, but her concerns were brushed off for years before she finally found out the true cause.
In a new interview with People, the 25-year-old daughter of beloved conservationist Steve Irwin detailed the fatigue, pain, and nausea she experienced for years and the battery of tests she underwent trying to resolve the issue.
“It’s so hard because you feel like it’s inescapable,” she told People. “You don’t know what’s wrong with you, and then when people tell you ‘It’s all in your head’ or ‘you’re hormonal’ or ‘just have a cup of tea, lay down,’ you end up feeling so desperately alone because there’s no answers.”
Earlier this year, Irwin revealed that it wasn’t until she became a mother that she was galvanized to finally “figure out what was wrong,” while going into detail about her history with endometriosis, or endo.
In the May Instagram video, Irwin explained that began experiencing symptoms of the painful reproductive condition at just 14 years old.
“Suddenly no matter where we went or what we were doing, I would just be falling asleep wherever we were,” she told her 5.4 million followers.
Irwin underwent “every blood test you can possibly imagine for tropical diseases,” multiple scans, and ultrasounds. But endo doesn’t always show up on scans, so her case, like many others, flew under the radar despite her agony and exhaustion. Needless to say, Irwin became discouraged.
“We tried and tried and tried for years and years and years. And finally, a doctor said to me, ‘This is just part of being a woman,’” she recalled. “And that’s when I gave up, and I stopped looking for answers.”
In the People interview, Irwin revealed just how much the years without a diagnosis affected her. “After years of doctors and various people telling you there’s nothing, you really start to believe it,” she explained. “You wind up in this strange space of self-doubt, fear and insecurity. That’s hard to overcome.”
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In August 2022, Irwin finally decided to undergo a laparoscopy, an exploratory abdominal surgery used to diagnose and treat intra-abdominal diseases like endo, according to Cleveland Clinic. As Irwin explained in the video, the final push to get the surgery stemmed from her firstborn daughter, Grace, whom she’d welcomed with her husband, Chandler Powell, in 2021.
“It wasn’t until after I had my beautiful daughter Grace that I picked back up again and [tried] to figure out what was wrong with me,” she said. “I decided I needed to figure out what was happening to me because I was carrying Grace up this tiny hill, and suddenly the pain hit me out of nowhere. I had to hand Grace to my mom and just curl up in the fetal position on the ground because the stabbing pain in my sight was insurmountable.“
Irwin had previously been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but after talking with a friend, she realized endometriosis would explain all of her symptoms. She underwent exploratory surgery to diagnose the condition.
Lo and behold, she received a diagnosis, which allowed her to finally address her debilitating pain once and for all.
What Is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining — called endometrial tissue — grows outside the uterus. According to Mayo Clinic, it can cause severe period pain, pain during sex, bloating, nausea, and fertility issues. It is sometimes mistaken for IBS, as was the case for Irwin.
The condition is incurable, but there are options to ease symptoms. Some patients opt for surgery to remove excess endometrial tissue, which can alleviate endo-related pain. Others may choose to take hormone therapy or pain-relieving medication.
Sadly, Irwin’s struggle to get diagnosed is not unique. Endometriosis affects an estimated 10 percent of people with uteruses of reproductive age globally, according to the World Health Organization, yet it often goes misdiagnosed or dismissed entirely. Like most health issues that primarily affect women, endo is historically understudied. Not to mention, it is often diagnosed via laparoscopy, which can be prohibitively expensive for people who are uninsured or underinsured.
But thanks to endo advocates like Irwin and other celebrities who have endometriosis, more people are learning about this condition.
Bindi Irwin Opens Up About Endometriosis Diagnosis
Irwin first opened up about getting diagnosed with endometriosis in March. In an emotional Instagram post, she revealed that she’d undergone a successful surgery to remove the tissue that was causing her pain.
“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,” she wrote. “To cut a long story short, they found 37 lesions, some very deep & difficult to remove, & a chocolate cyst.”
For Irwin, getting diagnosed with endo was life-changing in and of itself. “Validation for years of pain is indescribable,” she said.
In the People interview, Irwin elaborated on how her life has changed since the surgery. “It’s not like a light switch, but every week I feel like I’m able to do a little bit more,” she explained. That includes not needing to take anti-nausea medication first thing in the morning, and going on a walk with her daughter without “feeling like I have to throw up in the bushes.”
“I feel like I have a second chance at life,” Irwin said. Ultimately, she hopes her experience can inspire others to fight for answers to their own medical questions. “At the core of it all, you really need someone to be able to say, ‘It’s not in your head, and do not give up on yourself.'”
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