Celebrities have become more open about sharing their various health struggles, and the latest to do so is conservationist Bindi Irwin. She posted a photo from a hospital bed after a recent surgery and revealed that she’s been dealing with painful endometriosis for 10 years. Doctors removed 37 lesions. Bindi shared her story alongside International Women’s Day and Endometriosis Awareness Month.

The Australian conservationist Bindi Irwin revealed Wednesday she has undergone surgery for endometriosis after a decade-long battle with the condition that affects the uterus.

“For 10 years I’ve struggled with insurmountable fatigue, pain and nausea,” Irwin shared in posts on social media alongside an image of her in a hospital bed.

“A doctor told me it was simply something you deal with as a woman and I gave up entirely, trying to function through the pain.”

Irwin’s posts coincided with both International Women’s Day and Endometriosis Awareness Month.

Endometriosis is “a condition in which the tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside the uterus,” according to the United States’ National Institutes of Health.

Symptoms can include pelvic pain, heavy bleeding during periods and fertility issues.

Irwin, 24, said doctors had found 37 lesions, some of which were “very deep and difficult to remove,” but she was now “on the road to recovery.”

“I’m sharing my story for anyone who reads this and is quietly dealing with pain and no answers. Let this be your validation that your pain is real and you deserve help,” she added.

She gave birth to a daughter, Grace, in March 2021.

“Please be gentle and pause before asking me (or any woman) when we’ll be having more children,” Irwin wrote in her post Wednesday. “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.”

[From CNN.com]

Several celebrities like Amy Schumer, Halsey, and Lena Dunham have talked about struggling with endometriosis before. And Bindi said she shared her story to help others who might be struggling as well, to show them that they’re not alone. It’s good that Bindi was able to get the surgery and hopefully it helps her find some relief. She is young, 24, and endometriosis most commonly affects women in their 30s and 40s. The number of lesions found, coupled with her age sounds like she must have had pretty bad symptoms and hopefully she recovers quickly. Hopefully Bindi sharing her story helps others who may be struggling and she’s able to rest and recover for herself and her family as well.