Bindi Irwin has shared a heartbreaking health update and opened up about a moment that "broke [her] heart."
The 26-year-old conservationist, who revealed her diagnosis last year, expressed her gratitude for the outpouring of support from women who related to her experience.
Earlier this year, Bindi appeared on an episode of the A Life of Greatness podcast with Sarah Grynberg, where she shared that she battled serious but hidden health problems for over ten years.
"The only people that knew that I was incredibly unwell [...] my husband, my mom and my brother, and behind closed doors I was struggling to do anything and everything," she said -- referring to her husband Chandler Powell, 28, her mother Terri Irwin, 60, and her brother Robert Irwin, 21.
Bindi and Chandler share a three-year-old daughter, Grace. Bindi is also the daughter of the beloved late conservationist and presenter Steve Irwin.
She revealed how the pain she was experiencing impacted her daily life and plans with others. "It resulted in a lot of canceled plans, people must have thought I was just incredibly flaky because I was getting so sick from this disease that I would try to get up and I would just throw up, I was in so much pain all the time. Every day the fatigue and the battle," she said.
Bindi has previously revealed how she is battling endometriosis - a condition the World Health Organization defines as “a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. It can cause severe pain in the pelvis."
WHO adds that the condition affects roughly 10% (190 million) of reproductive age women and girls around the world.
She explained that endometriosis affects many people but remains underdiscussed. "I went for 10 years undiagnosed because doctors really didn't know enough, they diagnosed me with a million other things, like IBS, or hormones or 'It's just part of being a woman.' The symptoms continued to snowball and it took me such a long time to find help and it’s a story that so many women and girls know all too well."
Before finally receiving her diagnosis, Bindi said she underwent extensive testing. "I had every scan you could imagine" — including CT scans, MRI scans, ultrasounds, and blood tests — and was even "tested for every tropical disease." Still, doctors told her, "there's nothing wrong with you" even as her symptoms worsened.
Speaking previously to The Courier Mail, Bindi reflected on how her chronic pain was often misunderstood.
"Everyone thought I was becoming this flaky person because I would bow out of commitments at the last minute because I was in so much pain," she said.
In August 2023, Bindi revealed the uphill battle she faced to receive a proper diagnosis, as many medical professionals initially dismissed her symptoms.
Once diagnosed, she found herself overwhelmed by the sheer number of women who reached out with similar stories.
"In some ways the response to telling my story was devastating because so many women came forward," she said.
"It broke my heart. Some of their stories were identical to mine, some had taken even longer to get a diagnosis, and there was a plethora of women’s health issues shared with me, and with each other."
Despite the difficulty, Bindi found comfort in the connections forged through shared experiences. "It was women supporting other women, and that part of it was beautiful," she added.
Bindi has been vocal about how challenging it was to have her pain taken seriously. In an earlier interview with PEOPLE magazine, she described the years of uncertainty and invalidation she endured before receiving her diagnosis.
"I was tested for everything. Every tropical disease, Lyme disease, cancer, you name it. I had every blood test and scan imaginable," she said.
Doctors often dismissed her pain as minor or psychological, suggesting it was "all in her head." Bindi said she even began to question herself after countless failed attempts to find answers.
"You wind up in this strange space of self-doubt, fear, and insecurity," she shared.
The turning point came when her condition worsened dramatically, culminating in an episode where she collapsed in a fetal position.
Endometriosis is a painful condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. Symptoms can include abdominal, pelvic, and lower back pain, as well as painful menstruation, bloating, and nausea.
After years of misdiagnosis, Bindi finally found a doctor who took her concerns seriously. Last year, she underwent a life-changing surgery that removed 37 lesions and a "chocolate cyst" from her ovary.
The procedure was performed at the Seckin Endometriosis Center in New York City. "I feel like I have a second chance at life," Bindi said. "It's not like a light switch, but every week I feel like I'm able to do a little bit more."
In May 2023, Bindi reassured her fans that she was recovering well and expressed her gratitude for the medical care she received.