Bindi Irwin shares painful health update - after she was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery: 'It's time to have open discussions'
The Wildlife Warrior, 27, shared a heartbreaking post to Instagram on Thursday, and revealed she had two surgeries to treat her ruptured appendix and endometriosis.
She said she was 'finally' healing after '13 years of fighting for answers', which culminated in the removal of 51 lesions, a chocolate cyst and her appendix.
Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, causing painful cysts to grow.
A chocolate cyst is a type of ovarian cyst which is caused by endometriosis. It is filled with dark, thick, old blood-like fluid which resembles melted chocolate.
'13 years of fighting for answers. 51 endometriosis lesions, a chocolate cyst, and my appendix were all removed across two surgeries with @seckinmd,' Bindi wrote.
'My hernia from giving birth that was unzipping—was taken care of. I can FINALLY say that I'm feeling better. Genuinely healing.
'I can function in everyday life without wanting to throw up or pass out from the pain. Slowly, slowly gaining my strength back.'
Bindi went on to say she has been feeling a 'gravity' of emotions as she starts to 'recognise' who she is once more.
'I felt utterly ashamed as a teenager and young adult being told that my pain was just part of being a woman. I felt lesser. I felt hurt. I felt weak. That is not OK,' she said.
'Young girls and women shouldn't feel alone with pain in the driver's seat of their lives. We need to take away the stigma of talking about women's health.
'It's time to have open discussions and make change on a global scale.'
Bindi shared a radiant selfie alongside the determined and hopeful message.
She smiled as she stood against the backdrop of a sun shining down on her, and tagged New York City-based Dr Amanda Chu and her Seckin Endometriosis Center.
Bindi also tagged the Endometriosis Foundation of America, a charity organisation founded by the Seckin Endometriosis Center.
It comes after Bindi was rushed to hospital in May, just hours after touching down in Las Vegas for a gala honouring her late father Steve Irwin.
She suffered a ruptured appendix and was raced into surgery, missing the prestigious event she was due to attend alongside brother Robert Irwin and mother Terri Irwin.
Robert told People magazine at the time Bindi was recovering and her mother was at her bedside.
'She's going to be okay, but surgery—out of all the things we were ready for, that was not one of them,' Robert explained.
Terri also missed the event while accompanying her daughter to hospital and staying by her side through surgery.
Robert explained Bindi had been suffering some pain in the lead-up to the gala but had tried to soldier on.
'She came to Las Vegas and was ready to put on a brave face. She said, "I'm just going to tough it out."
'But the surgeon told her, "Your appendix is going. It's got to come out,"' he recalled.
In a later Instagram post, Bindi revealed the shock health emergency ended up being a blessing in disguise.
While her appendix was removed, doctors discovered another 14 lesions from her endometriosis. These were successfully removed as well.
She also had a large hernia repaired, which had developed after giving birth to her daughter Grace in 2021.
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