Lifestyle Health Kayla Itsines Is Going Through a 'Tough' Recovery After Her Second Endometriosis Surgery The fitness influencer said it took “years of living with that pain” before she learned that she has endometriosis and went through surgery By Julie Mazziotta Julie Mazziotta Twitter Julie Mazziotta is the Sports Editor at PEOPLE, covering everything from the NFL to tennis to Simone Biles and Tom Brady. She was previously an Associate Editor for the Health vertical for six years, and prior to joining PEOPLE worked at Health Magazine. When not covering professional athletes, Julie spends her time as a (very) amateur athlete, training for marathons, long bike trips and hikes. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 5, 2021 01:09 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Kayla Itsines is on the "very slow" road to recovery after undergoing a second surgery to address her endometriosis. The fitness influencer, 29, shared on Thursday that she had the surgery on Feb. 19 after living with endometriosis, a painful condition where the uterine lining incorrectly grows outside of the uterus, "for most of my life." Itsines said that she went through years of pain before she was able to get her endometriosis diagnosed. "For me I didn't know if what I was feeling during my periods each month was abnormal," she wrote on Instagram. "It took me years of living with that pain before deciding it wasn't right and going to see a doctor to get the surgical treatment I needed and a confirmed diagnosis." 11 Celebrities Who Are Spreading the Word About the Pain of Endometriosis The mom to 22-month-old Arna Leia Pierce, her daughter with ex-fiancé Toby Pierce, said that she needed a second surgery for her endometriosis after "suffering the worst pain I've ever felt." "Since my surgery, some days have been really tough especially when you have a lively daughter on your hands (as you can see in my video) but I'm so grateful to have my family close by to help me," she said. "I've been doing everything I can to make sure my body heals, such as light walking on the treadmill. But I'm staying positive and hoping that the procedure helps me to continue managing my symptoms." RELATED VIDEO: Olivia Culpo Says 'Every Month Is Different' As She Navigates Her Endometriosis 'Journey' Itsines said she decided to share her experience with endometriosis to "help remove the social stigma and increase awareness" of the very common, but often undiagnosed, condition. "Endometriosis can take a long time to get diagnosed for lots of women as it's sadly brushed off as 'just your time of the month,' " she said. "This is the reason I'm talking to you all about my experience and to try and encourage you to take action if you have very painful periods. One in 10 of us have it so you aren't abnormal or a special case and you won't be alone if you do get diagnosed like I did. 💪" Endometriosis: What to Know About the Painful Condition "So check in with your doctor, family or friends if something doesn't feel right, remember no one knows your body better than you do," she added.