Bindi Irwin revealed she has undergone endometriosis surgery after suffering from "insurmountable pain" for the last decade.
The 24-year-old daughter of Steve Irwin has been open about her experience of suffering from endometriosis.
And now, the TV star underwent surgery, which found 37 lesions and a cyst, after years of pain, fatigue and nausea.
Bindi, who is married to Chandler Powell, took to her Instagram page to share a photo of herself smiling from her hospital bed and revealed she felt "responsible" to share her story "for other women who need help".
"For 10yrs I’ve struggled with insurmountable fatigue, pain & nausea," she said.
"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.
"A doctor told me it was simply something you deal with as a woman & I gave up entirely, trying to function through the pain. I didn’t find answers until a friend @lesliemosier helped set me on a path of regaining my life."
She added that going into surgery was "scary" but it was something she wanted to do as she "couldn't live like I was".
"Every part of my life was getting torn apart because of the pain," Bindi added. "To cut a long story short, they found 37 lesions, some very deep & difficult to remove, & a chocolate cyst.
" @seckinmd ’s first words to me when I was in recovery were, “How did you live with this much pain?” 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."
Bindi went on to thank the doctors and medical staff who "believed her pain" and said she's now recovering.
"Things may look fine on the outside looking in through the window of someone’s life, however, that is not always the case," Bindi said. "Please be gentle & pause before asking me (or any woman) when we’ll be having more children.
"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."
The star concluded: "I’m aware of millions of women struggling with a similar story. There’s stigma around this awful disease. I’m sharing my story for anyone who reads this & is quietly dealing with pain & no answers. Let this be your validation that your pain is real & you deserve help. Keep searching for answers."
According to the NHS, endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
* Follow Mirror Celebs on Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
