Bindi Irwin Opens Up About Painful Experience Leading To Endometriosis Diagnosis

Bindi Irwin has shed more light on her endometriosis diagnosis months after she first broke the news to her fans.

The star of "Crikey! It's The Irwins" shared her experience of enduring private suffering for over a decade, as doctors initially disregarded her debilitating symptoms. Throughout those years, she grappled with severe fatigue, pain, and nausea as her attempts to seek help from specialists and undergo numerous tests and scans resulted in her concerns being repeatedly dismissed.

During an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Bindi candidly addressed the years she spent dealing with endometriosis without knowing what it was. Kicking off the moving conversation, the 25-year-old stated:

"I was tested for everything. Every tropical disease, Lyme disease, cancer, you name it. I had every blood test and scan imaginable. It's so hard because you feel like it's inescapable. 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."

Losing hope, she acknowledged that her desperation for assistance became necessary when an intense bout of pain in August 2022 left her incapacitated on the ground in a fetal position. This frightening experience compelled her to opt for a laparoscopy — a minimally invasive procedure aimed at diagnosing and treating intra-abdominal conditions.

"I was so scared that they wouldn't find anything because we had run out of everything else to test for. After years of doctors and various people telling you there's nothing, you really start to believe it. You wind up in this strange space of self-doubt, fear and insecurity. That's hard to overcome," she recounted to the publication.

The procedure ultimately confirmed that Bindi was dealing with endometriosis, a reproductive disorder characterized by uterine tissue growing outside the uterus, causing cramps and chronic pain.

Within the laparoscopy, a total of 37 lesions and a cyst on her ovary were identified, leading to surgery to remove the cyst. Thanks to that, the conservationist is "able to do a little bit more" every week, as she expressed: 

"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. I feel like I have a second chance at life. I feel brand new."

In case you missed it, Bindi had initially broken the news of her endometriosis diagnosis with an image that featured her in a white and blue hospital gown alongside a lengthy caption where she admitted that she spent "a long time wondering" if she should publicly talk about her struggles with the disorder.

Barely 24 hours after the update, members of her family took to social media to share supportive comments, starting with her husband, Chandler Powell. Per The Blast, the father-of-one had dropped a sweet image of him and his wife on Instagram writing in the caption:

"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."

Following suit, Bindi's younger brother, Robert Clarence, uploaded a selfie of him and her, while gushing about how proud he was of her. The 19-year-old added that his happiness was in her having her "life back," before claiming that her "story of resilience" was "a beacon for women around the world who are suffering – and it's a wake-up call for men too."

Additionally, their mother, Terri, quoted the X version of the television personality's announcement, expressing pride that her daughter "stayed the course and never gave up."

The 58-year-old then shared her hope that "women everywhere" would have the courage to advocate for their health & healing" before reiterating Robert's praise that her daughter was "a beacon of light" for everybody.