'I felt desperately alone': Bindi Irwin opens up about endometriosis struggle

“People told me to have a cup of tea and lie down, they said I was just hormonal. But the pain was inescapable. I felt so alone,” Bindi Irwin reveals in a new interview.

Pilar Grace

2 min read

August 24, 2023 - 1:32PM

'Inescapable': Bindi Irwin opens up about her battle with chronic disease

Lifestyle

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Fans of Bindi Irwin will be familiar with her endometriosis battle.

The 25-year-old has been candid on Instagram, sharing stories of pain and recovery, but this is the first time she’s shared her diagnosis, a journey that took a decade.

“It’s so hard because you feel like it’s inescapable,” she said in an interview in the latest issue of PEOPLE Magazine.

“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 are no answers.”

Bindi said she underwent tests for “everything under the sun”: tropical diseases, Lyme disease, cancer. “I had every blood test and scan imaginable,” she revealed.

And then in August 2022, a bout of excruciating pain landed her in hospital.

Doctors performed a laparoscopy, a keyhole surgery to examine the organs in the pelvis and abdomen.

“I was so scared that they wouldn’t find anything because we had run out of everything else to test for,” she said.

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Bindi Irwin discussed her endometriosis struggles in the new PEOPLE Magazine. Photo: Instagram

Bindi Irwin describes moment tests reveal endometriosis

The test revealed the cause of Bindi’s decade-long agony: 37 lesions and cysts on her ovaries.

Bindi called the discovery and subsequent surgery a “second chance at life”.

“I feel brand new. It’s not like a light switch, but every week I feel like I’m able to do a little bit more,” she said.

“Now I wake up in the morning, and I don’t have to take anti-nausea medicine or have my heat pack.

“Being able to go for a walk with my daughter and not feeling like I have to throw up in the bushes is just wild to me.”

Bindi Irwin says her endometriosis diagnosis and treatment have given her a new lease on life. Photo: Instagram

Bindi Irwin announces PEOPLE interview on Instagram

Bindi took to Instagram stories on Thursday to announce the interview to her 5.2 million followers, and to reach out to anyone suffering a similar battle.

“I have read thousands and thousands of comments from you, the lovely individuals following me here,” she wrote.

“You have shared your pain while battling with endometriosis-related health problems.

“My heart breaks for every person who is living in agony from this disease. I’m sharing my story in the new issue of PEOPLE Magazine and I hope that maybe by reading about my journey you’ll find reassurance that you’re not alone.

“Sometimes this disease feels impossible to overcome and I’m so sorry if you haven’t been able to get the medical help you need… You are so strong and loved and worthy of real, genuine help.”