The Australian wildlife activist Bindi Irwin is opening out about the health problems she’s been having.

The 24-year-old posted on Instagram on Tuesday, March 7 that she had been diagnosed with endometriosis, a disorder in which cells identical to the lining of the uterus develop outside of the uterus.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition affects the pelvic tissue and can enclose the ovaries and fallopian tubes, perhaps harming the gut and bladder as well.

“Dear Friends, I battled for a long time wondering if I should share this journey with you in such a public space. It came down to the responsibility I feel to share my story for other women who need help,” Irwin wrote alongside a photo of her laying in a hospital bed with an IV in her arm.

For the past decade, Irwin has been dealing with pain, as she shared her story. She says she only found out what was wrong after “several tests, physicians’ visits, scans, etc.” and that some doctors had initially ignored her symptoms.

“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. I decided to undergo surgery for endometriosis,” she wrote, adding that the doctors found thirty-seven lesions and an ovarian cyst.

Finally, Irwin expressed her appreciation to the people who had supported her and “encouraged me to find solutions when I feared I’d never climb out.” She added her gratitude to the medical staff for validating her experience of agony.

Irwin also explained that she couldn’t go out because she was “pouring every ounce of energy I had left” into taking care of her 1-year-old daughter, Grace Warrior, whom she shares with her husband, Chandler Powell.

“Things may look fine on the outside looking in through the window of someone’s life, however, that is not always the case. Please be gentle & pause before asking me (or any woman) when we’ll be having more children,” she wrote.

“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. 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. www.endofound.org,” she concluded.

We appreciate Irwin’s willingness to share, and we hope for the best for her as she gets better.

Please SHARE this article with Family and Friends and wish her a speedy recovery!