Guide | Understanding Endometriosis: Padma Lakshmi's Story
As the Emmy-nominated host of Bravo's Top Chef, Padma Lakshmi regularly tastes foods ranging from goat-cheese dumplings to five-tier wedding cakes. Her co-hosts, chef Tom Colicchio and food expert Gail Simmons, taste the dishes too, but not nearly as much as Lakshmi.
“Tom and Gail appear only for the main challenges,” said Lakshmi, 48, who is also a producer of the series, now in its 16th season. “I am there for every quickfire challenge, so I eat twice as much as they do.”
Although that may sound like a major job benefit, it is challenging for Lakshmi. She has endometriosis, a painful gynecologic condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, including on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and other organs.
“When you have endometriosis, you do not want to eat too much because everything is inflamed,” she explained.
About 1 in 10 women in the United States has endometriosis, a common cause of infertility. During each menstrual cycle, the tissue builds up, breaks down, and bleeds, causing severe menstrual cramps, chronic lower-back and pelvic pain, pain during sex, bleeding, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and nausea.
During the early seasons of Top Chef, before receiving treatment, Lakshmi needed a toolkit to get through each day. “We used to plug in my heating pad under the judges' table. When I had to stand, I would sit whenever the camera turned away, and my assistant followed me with a small wooden box. After the first few seasons, I had a dressing room so I could lie on a couch,” she said. “Without the help I needed, I do not know whether I could have continued Top Chef for 12 years.”
Unfortunately, help did not come quickly or easily.
1. Widespread Pain
Lakshmi's cramps began at age 13 and worsened over time. “Every month, headaches, cramps, severe menstrual pain, nausea, numbness, back pain, digestive issues, mood swings, swelling, and bloating left me bedridden. When I say swelling, I mean my cup size increased by one size every month,” she said.
For years, she wondered why she could not handle these problems like other women. She thought perhaps she was exaggerating, losing her mind, or simply too weak.
“I did not want to have sex, so it affected my romantic relationships. I was embarrassed to call in sick, so I did not accept modeling jobs during my period,” she said. “It kept me from living a normal life.”
“Endometriosis is more than painful periods and possible infertility,” said Dr. Ken Sinervo, medical director of the Center for Endometriosis Care in Atlanta. “It can significantly and negatively affect every part of a person's life, from education and career to relationships.”
Lakshmi tried birth-control pills for her cramps with little benefit. Her gynecologists prescribed pain medication, but it caused nausea and headaches. For 23 years, no doctor, including the physician who removed an ovarian cyst, suggested that she see a specialist to identify a medical cause.
This is surprisingly common. Although an estimated 176 million women worldwide have endometriosis, doctors often normalize or dismiss symptoms, leading to long diagnostic delays, Sinervo said.
One day in 2006, Lakshmi was rushed to the hospital with severe pain. Doctors performed surgery to remove what they believed was scar tissue; it was actually endometrial tissue obstructing her small intestine. Although they said she might recover, her symptoms returned one month later.
Finally, a doctor referred her to a specialist. After decades of pain, Lakshmi learned that she had endometriosis. “Dr. [Tamer] Seckin was the first person to truly name the disease,” she said. “He did not think I was crazy. He listened to me.”
2. A Call to Action
When Lakshmi considered the years she had suffered, her relief turned to anger. Why had she not been diagnosed earlier? Why did her doctors not recognize that her pain was abnormal? Why did no one discuss the condition?
She realized that endometriosis was largely absent from public discussion and that her public profile gave her a unique opportunity to act. In 2009, she and her surgeon, Seckin, founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EndoFound), which advocates for patients, raises public awareness, and funds research.
As co-founder, she speaks publicly and extensively about endometriosis. She gives talks at schools, private companies, and universities such as MIT, where she is now a visiting scholar working with research scientists to understand interactions among diet, nutrition, and health.
“Padma has consistently been a force of nature inspiring our team of scientists to study endometriosis,” said Dr. Linda Griffith, director of MIT's Center for Gynepathology Research, adding that Lakshmi's regular visits since 2009 have inspired many MIT students.
She also encourages policymakers to include endometriosis awareness in state sex-education programs and medical schools to teach all doctors, not only gynecologists, about the condition.
3. Life Goes On
In 2009, knowing that about half of women with endometriosis experience fertility problems, Lakshmi decided to freeze her eggs. Soon afterward, however, she became pregnant unexpectedly. In 2010, she gave birth to a healthy daughter, Krishna, now 9. “She is in third grade and just won her class student council election,” Lakshmi said.
They live in New York City and enjoy cooking, roller-skating, and spending time with Krishna's father, Adam Dell. Lakshmi said they are “dating again, but not getting married or doing anything else.” The couple had previously separated.
Her endometriosis symptoms persist. “I still get migraines and menstrual pain, but they are much less severe,” she said. She uses acupuncture and heat therapy for lower-back pain. “If you stop me at any airport and look in my bag, there will always be an electric heating pad,” she said. While filming Top Chef, she drinks tea for cramps and keeps heat patches hidden inside her jeans or under leggings.
Lakshmi eats a healthy diet, which comes naturally to her. “Obviously, if you watch the show, you know I have to eat all kinds of food,” she said, “but I grew up as a lacto-vegetarian.” She eats many lentils and beans and avoids wheat, sugar, alcohol, and fried foods. At home with Krishna, their meals are 50% fruit and vegetables, 25% starch, and 25% lean protein.
Exercise depends on her symptoms. When uncomfortable, she avoids activities such as Pilates because they worsen her pain. On her worst days, exercise is very difficult. “But I do spend a lot of time at the gym,” she said. “I think that has something to do with vanity and the occupational hazard of having to eat so much.”
When Lakshmi critiques a chef's technique or a dish on Top Chef, she may not seem like someone willing to share intimate details about her body. She appears calm and composed.
“I would rather not stand in a room discussing my private parts,” she said, acknowledging that it was difficult at first. “But I had to speak up. I just want young women to know they are not alone. Endometriosis isolates you. It is like a prison. I feel as though I finally unlocked and kicked away the chains that had invisibly bound my ankles for years.”
Guide | Understanding Endometriosis: Padma Lakshmi's Story
Guide | Understanding Endometriosis: Padma Lakshmi's Story
As the Emmy-nominated host of Bravo's Top Chef, Padma Lakshmi regularly tastes foods ranging from goat-cheese dumplings to five-tier wedding cakes. Her co-hosts, chef Tom Colicchio and food expert Gail Simmons, taste the dishes too, but not nearly as much as Lakshmi.
“Tom and Gail appear only for the main challenges,” said Lakshmi, 48, who is also a producer of the series, now in its 16th season. “I am there for every quickfire challenge, so I eat twice as much as they do.”
Although that may sound like a major job benefit, it is challenging for Lakshmi. She has endometriosis, a painful gynecologic condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, including on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and other organs.
“When you have endometriosis, you do not want to eat too much because everything is inflamed,” she explained.
About 1 in 10 women in the United States has endometriosis, a common cause of infertility. During each menstrual cycle, the tissue builds up, breaks down, and bleeds, causing severe menstrual cramps, chronic lower-back and pelvic pain, pain during sex, bleeding, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and nausea.
During the early seasons of Top Chef, before receiving treatment, Lakshmi needed a toolkit to get through each day. “We used to plug in my heating pad under the judges' table. When I had to stand, I would sit whenever the camera turned away, and my assistant followed me with a small wooden box. After the first few seasons, I had a dressing room so I could lie on a couch,” she said. “Without the help I needed, I do not know whether I could have continued Top Chef for 12 years.”
Unfortunately, help did not come quickly or easily.
1. Widespread Pain
Lakshmi's cramps began at age 13 and worsened over time. “Every month, headaches, cramps, severe menstrual pain, nausea, numbness, back pain, digestive issues, mood swings, swelling, and bloating left me bedridden. When I say swelling, I mean my cup size increased by one size every month,” she said.
For years, she wondered why she could not handle these problems like other women. She thought perhaps she was exaggerating, losing her mind, or simply too weak.
“I did not want to have sex, so it affected my romantic relationships. I was embarrassed to call in sick, so I did not accept modeling jobs during my period,” she said. “It kept me from living a normal life.”
“Endometriosis is more than painful periods and possible infertility,” said Dr. Ken Sinervo, medical director of the Center for Endometriosis Care in Atlanta. “It can significantly and negatively affect every part of a person's life, from education and career to relationships.”
Lakshmi tried birth-control pills for her cramps with little benefit. Her gynecologists prescribed pain medication, but it caused nausea and headaches. For 23 years, no doctor, including the physician who removed an ovarian cyst, suggested that she see a specialist to identify a medical cause.
This is surprisingly common. Although an estimated 176 million women worldwide have endometriosis, doctors often normalize or dismiss symptoms, leading to long diagnostic delays, Sinervo said.
One day in 2006, Lakshmi was rushed to the hospital with severe pain. Doctors performed surgery to remove what they believed was scar tissue; it was actually endometrial tissue obstructing her small intestine. Although they said she might recover, her symptoms returned one month later.
Finally, a doctor referred her to a specialist. After decades of pain, Lakshmi learned that she had endometriosis. “Dr. [Tamer] Seckin was the first person to truly name the disease,” she said. “He did not think I was crazy. He listened to me.”
2. A Call to Action
When Lakshmi considered the years she had suffered, her relief turned to anger. Why had she not been diagnosed earlier? Why did her doctors not recognize that her pain was abnormal? Why did no one discuss the condition?
She realized that endometriosis was largely absent from public discussion and that her public profile gave her a unique opportunity to act. In 2009, she and her surgeon, Seckin, founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EndoFound), which advocates for patients, raises public awareness, and funds research.
As co-founder, she speaks publicly and extensively about endometriosis. She gives talks at schools, private companies, and universities such as MIT, where she is now a visiting scholar working with research scientists to understand interactions among diet, nutrition, and health.
“Padma has consistently been a force of nature inspiring our team of scientists to study endometriosis,” said Dr. Linda Griffith, director of MIT's Center for Gynepathology Research, adding that Lakshmi's regular visits since 2009 have inspired many MIT students.
She also encourages policymakers to include endometriosis awareness in state sex-education programs and medical schools to teach all doctors, not only gynecologists, about the condition.
3. Life Goes On
In 2009, knowing that about half of women with endometriosis experience fertility problems, Lakshmi decided to freeze her eggs. Soon afterward, however, she became pregnant unexpectedly. In 2010, she gave birth to a healthy daughter, Krishna, now 9. “She is in third grade and just won her class student council election,” Lakshmi said.
They live in New York City and enjoy cooking, roller-skating, and spending time with Krishna's father, Adam Dell. Lakshmi said they are “dating again, but not getting married or doing anything else.” The couple had previously separated.
Her endometriosis symptoms persist. “I still get migraines and menstrual pain, but they are much less severe,” she said. She uses acupuncture and heat therapy for lower-back pain. “If you stop me at any airport and look in my bag, there will always be an electric heating pad,” she said. While filming Top Chef, she drinks tea for cramps and keeps heat patches hidden inside her jeans or under leggings.
Lakshmi eats a healthy diet, which comes naturally to her. “Obviously, if you watch the show, you know I have to eat all kinds of food,” she said, “but I grew up as a lacto-vegetarian.” She eats many lentils and beans and avoids wheat, sugar, alcohol, and fried foods. At home with Krishna, their meals are 50% fruit and vegetables, 25% starch, and 25% lean protein.
Exercise depends on her symptoms. When uncomfortable, she avoids activities such as Pilates because they worsen her pain. On her worst days, exercise is very difficult. “But I do spend a lot of time at the gym,” she said. “I think that has something to do with vanity and the occupational hazard of having to eat so much.”
When Lakshmi critiques a chef's technique or a dish on Top Chef, she may not seem like someone willing to share intimate details about her body. She appears calm and composed.
“I would rather not stand in a room discussing my private parts,” she said, acknowledging that it was difficult at first. “But I had to speak up. I just want young women to know they are not alone. Endometriosis isolates you. It is like a prison. I feel as though I finally unlocked and kicked away the chains that had invisibly bound my ankles for years.”
Source:
Collected online