The late TV personality, Steve Irwin‘s daughter, Bindi Irwin, 24, took to Instagram on Tuesday to reveal her latest surgical operation to raise awareness of endometriosis. Not only did she have to undergo surgery, but she had a total of 37 lesions removed in the process. “I decided to undergo surgery for endometriosis. Going in for surgery was scary but I knew I couldn’t live like I was. Every part of my life was getting torn apart because of the pain,” she captioned the hospital bed photo. “To cut a long story short, they found 37 lesions, some very deep & difficult to remove, & a chocolate cyst.”
In addition, Bindi shared that she has struggled with “insurmountable fatigue, pain & nausea” for over a decade. “For 10yrs I’ve struggled with insurmountable fatigue, pain & nausea. Trying to remain a positive person & hide the pain has been a very long road. These last 10yrs have included many tests, doctors visits, scans, etc,” she continued. “Validation for years of pain is indescribable. My family & friends who have been on this journey with me for 10+ yrs – THANK YOU, for encouraging me to find answers when I thought I’d never climb out.”
Later in the caption, the 24-year-old beauty expressed her gratitude for her medical team and reassured her followers that she is in recovery. “Thank you to the doctors & nurses who believed my pain. I’m on the road to recovery & the gratitude I feel is overwhelming,” she added. Bindi also clarified to her friends why she has seemingly been M.I.A. and noted she has been spending time with her family, including her daughter Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, 1. “To those questioning the cancelled plans, unanswered messages & absence – I had been pouring every ounce of the energy I had left into our daughter & family,” the proud mom wrote.
After Steve and Terri Irwin‘s daughter shared the emotional post, many of her 5.1 million followers took to the comments to wish her well and send her all the good vibes. “You are the strongest, toughest person I know. I love you and I’m so excited for this new chapter of life,” her husband, Chandler Powell, 26, wrote, while a fan added, “My mom and i are glad you got the proper care you need. Thanks for sharing your story.” Later, a few of her celebrity pals, including comedian Amy Schumer and Derek Hough added their well wishes as well. “Thank you for sharing!”, the Trainwreck star wrote, while the pro dancer added, “Love you Bindles ! You are truly a warrior in every sense of the word.”
Just one day prior, Bindi took to Instagram to share a family photo with her mom, 58, Chandler, her daughter, and her brother, Robert Irwin, 19. “Khaki crew. Wildlife Warriors,” she captioned the adorable photo. As previously mentioned, she’s the daughter of the late TV personality and animal lover who starred on The Crocodile Hunter until his death in 2006. He and Terri were married from 1992 until his tragic passing. The beloved couple welcomed two kids.
These days, Bindi and her husband run The Crocodile Hunter Lodge, a hotel inspired by her father’s love for wildlife. In addition, she also supports her mom and father’s foundation, Wildlife Warriors, which was founded in 2002. Both Bindi and Chandler also work at the Australia Zoo, as she took after her parents footsteps in wanting to look after wildlife animals. “There’s nothing sweeter in life than getting animals treated at the #AustraliaZooWildlifeHospital and released back into the wild,” she wrote on Feb. 24.