Bindi Irwin struggled to get her health condition diagnosed

Steve Irwin's 25-year-old daughter Bindi Irwin had endometriosis, and in a candid new interview has revealed how the debilitating condition made her feel completely alone.

Endometriosis is notoriously misdiagnosed, with those with the condition struggling to be acknowledged, an experience Bindi is familiar with.

“I was tested for everything,” Irwin told PEOPLE.  “Every tropical disease, Lyme disease, cancer, you name it. I had every blood test and scan imaginable.” 

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is the name given to the condition where cells similar to the ones in the lining of the womb are found elsewhere in the body. 

Each month these cells react in the same way to those in the womb, building up and then breaking down and bleeding. 

However unlike the cells in the womb that leave the body as a period, this blood has no way to escape. The chronic and debilitating condition can affect people of a childbearing age, and may lead to infertility, fatigue and bowel or bladder problems.

What are the symptoms of endometriosis?

Symptoms can vary in intensity from one woman to another, and the level of pain experienced does not always correspond to the severity of the condition. Classic symptoms include –

• Painful, heavy or irregular periods
• Pain during or after sex
• Infertility
• Painful bowel movements
• Fatigue

Others may notice symptoms of irritable bowel, irregular bleeding and 'spotting' or bleeding between periods.

How do you treat endometriosis?

While there is currently no cure for endometriosis, many people find relief from their symptoms through hormone treatment or pain relief. Others undergo surgery to remove the endometriosis and release scar tissue. Many people with the conditions also find their symptoms improve with complementary therapies such as acupuncture, homeopathy and reflexology, while a change of diet has also been found to have positive benefits including reducing or cutting out intake of red meat, wheat and dairy products.

“It’s so hard because you feel like it’s inescapable,” she continued. “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.”

A horrendous attack of endometriosis in 2022 saw Bindi curled up on the floor in pain, convincing her to book a laparoscopy, a procedure designed to diagnose intra-abdominal diseases. 

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“I was so scared that they wouldn’t find anything because we had run out of everything else to test for,” she recalls. “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.”

The procedure revealed Bindi's endometriosis when doctors found 37 lesions and a cyst on her ovary, which she had removed via surgery, and it has changed her life.

Though she still experiences pain, it is far less severe, with Bindi explaining: “I feel like I have a second chance at life,” she says. “I feel brand new.”

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“It’s not like a light switch, but every week I feel like I’m able to do a little bit more,” she said of her recovery.

“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.” 

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