Global Courant
Bindi Irwin is embracing “a second chance at life” after her treatment for endometriosis earlier this year.
“My life now looks completely different than it did before I had my surgery,” Irwin told Fox News Digital. “During the ten years that I was really battling endo(metriosis) without even knowing it, I got progressively worse every week and eventually, before my surgery, I could barely get out of bed.”
Irwin, who described the pain she experienced as a “stabbing feeling” and “very scary,” revealed in March that she had endured the painful condition for a decade and struggled for a proper diagnosis.
On her social media post announcing the news, the 25-year-old shared that she had 37 lesions and had a chocolate cyst removed from her body, noting that her doctor’s first words during recovery were: “How Have you lived with so much pain?'”
BINDI IRWIN REVEALS SHE UNDERGOED SURGERY FOR ENDOMETRIOSIS AFTER 10 YEARS OF SUFFERING ‘UNOVERCABLE’ PAIN
Bindi Irwin told Fox News Digital that her “life now looks completely different than it did before endometriosis surgery. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
“And now, on the other side of the operation, I mean, I go for walks at the zoo with my family every day. I get to go to our management meetings and check on our animals and do the film work that I love and I play with my daughter . And it’s just so amazing. I feel like I see the world in a new way now. I can really do things again.”
“It feels like a second chance at life,” she added.
Endometriosis, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a condition “in which cells that resemble the lining of the uterus, or endometrium, grow outside the uterus.” The condition is not only seriously painful for those who suffer from it, but can also affect fertility.
Chocolate cysts, technically known as endometriomas, are cystic lesions found in the ovaries, filled with dark brown endometrial fluid, according to the National Institutes of Health. The organization notes: “The presence of endometriomas indicates a more severe stage of endometriosis.”
Bindi Irwin says endometriosis surgery has given her ‘a second chance at life’. (John Wolfsohn/Getty Images)
BINDI IRWIN MARRIED CHANDLER POWELL IN PRIVATE CEREMONY WITHOUT GUESTS DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
The ‘Dancing with the Stars’ alum felt the condition even affected her relationship with her husband, Chandler Powell, with whom she shares two-year-old daughter Grace.
“I said to Chandler the other day… ‘Have you always been this funny?’ And he said, ‘I think you’ve just been in too much pain.’ I said, ‘I feel like I just got a new husband because you’re really nice and funny.'”
“I tried so hard to mask my pain and be there and be present for my family,” she continued. “And it takes such a toll when you try not to just collapse and hide it.”
Bindi Irwin said her endometriosis affected her relationship with her husband, Chandler Powell. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
Irwin is happy to share her battle with the condition because “it really is a scary and lonely disease. And there isn’t enough information about endometriosis.”
“And I hope that if we keep talking about it, change can be made so that women don’t feel so alone and women can get the medical help they so desperately deserve,” she added.
Now that the pain is behind her, Irwin can focus on her family and being a mother to Grace.
BINDI IRWIN’S BABY GRACE WARRIOR MEETS SOME ANIMALS AT AUSTRALIA ZOO
A key element of this is the opportunity to play, something Irwin is keen to promote as part of a new initiative with The Lego Group and their ‘Play is Your Superpower’ campaign.
Irwin joined other stars, including ‘Queer Eye’s’ Tan France, ‘Encanto’s’ Stephanie Beatriz, ‘Glee’s’ Jane Lynch and Naomi Watanabe, in an effort to prioritize playtime and promote its importance in children’s development to emphasize.
In a press release for the campaign, Irwin shared a touching memory of playtime with her father, the late Steve Irwin, best known as “The Crocodile Hunter.”
Steve Irwin with Bindi at age 4. Steve died in 2006 after a fatal encounter with a stingray. (Graeme Parkes/Newspix/Getty Images)
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“As a child, I connected to my love of animals and our natural world through play. I created my own imaginary worlds where I could let loose with any kind of animal. I wanted to connect with each species and learn more about them,” Irwin said in the statement.
“My dad built me a tree house and it was my favorite place in the world to play. That’s where I could be a wild child! Surrounded by wildlife, next to the creek, that’s where I felt most connected to nature and with my father,” she continued. “That connection has meant everything to me and has continued into my adult years. My world now revolves around conservation, encouraging others to care for our earth and understand that we are all connected.”
Bindi Irwin partnered with The Lego Group and their “Play is Your Superpower” campaign to encourage playtime for children and families. (Lego)
BINDI IRWIN REVEALS WHY SHE KEPT HER FATHER’S LAST NAME AFTER MARRIING
“I’m so excited to be part of this wonderful initiative. Encouraging everyone to prioritize playing is something that I truly admire and am so inspired by,” Irwin told Fox News Digital.
“It’s something that I’m so passionate about because right now I feel like I’m in the world, we’re all very busy and our lives seem to be getting busier and busier with everything that’s happening. And I feel like to play at that exact time, your family and your kids can sometimes get a little lost along the way. And I hope this is a reminder to everyone to reprioritize play, to prioritize that really meaningful time together when you puts away your devices and they are just 100% present and filled with joy, because as I watch it here at Australia Zoo, when families have fun together they create memories that will last a lifetime.
She added, “And in our own family, you know, my best memories growing up as a kid were when my parents, my brother, we were all just playing together, those are my very best memories.”
Irwin has found that these fond memories have also influenced her own parenting journey.
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“I love my parents so much because they gave me all these parenting tips just by being great parents,” she said. “So now I’m taking advantage of all the things they taught me as a kid now that I’m older.”
Bindi Irwin with her mother, Terri, father, Steve and brother Robert in 2005. (Newspix/Getty Images)
As someone who was raised by two nature lovers, Irwin has found that some of the lessons from the animal world have spilled over into her own experience as a parent.
“I would say that having our daughter, because we spent so many years caring for wildlife, it actually went a lot easier than I expected because we kind of leaned on our animal knowledge when caring for orphaned animals like (kangaroo) joeys and koala joeys,” Irwin said.
Just like human babies, “They need to be fed 24 hours a day and have to be made sure they’re at the right temperature. And so I found I fell into the rhythm quite easily because of the knowledge of the animals, which was very helpful.”
Irwin also gave advice to her mother, Terri, as she recently joined the world of social media.
TERRI IRWIN ‘PROUD’ OF BINDI, ROBERT PERFORMS WINES FATHER STEVE’S ANIMALS
“Every time you see her post, you don’t see me standing next to her, helping to show her how to post. So every post you see from mom, Bindi is standing next to her saying, ‘Press now on this button, now tag ‘here.’ She’s got the hang of it. And I think she’ll be flying free with Instagram in no time,” Irwin said with a laugh.
Irwin, who describes her mother as a “wildlife warrior” and calls her a “real Sarah Connor” from the “Terminator” films, encourages her mother to post regularly.
“She is such a naturally uplifting and positive person who is so inspiring. So I always remind her to share her positivity and her story with the world because I think we all need a little more positivity in our lives .”
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Positivity is a primary focus for Irwin, and nothing brings her more joy than being with her family.
Earlier this week, she shared a sweet photo of her and Grace, as well as one of her, Grace and Chandler, with the simple caption, “Mine. Whole. World.’
Working with her daughter, Irwin said she is experiencing the world in new ways and loving every minute of it.
“As a parent, I didn’t expect to look at a snail for an hour or a flower for 45 minutes. And you know, if you look at that snail for an hour, you suddenly think, ‘Wow, this is actually a really cool snail!’ And I would never have done this if I hadn’t had a child. And I think it’s really wonderful to take a moment and look through your child’s eyes: there really is magic to be found and seen in the world “, she said. .
She continued, “And I think our daughter has honestly taught us so much just by being her beautiful self and existing. She reminds us of what is important in life. And I think that’s very special.’
