Padma Lakshmi is an American author, actress, model and television host.

Padma had two ovarian cysts removed when she was 30 years old, but her doctor failed to inform her that she had endometriosis. In 2005, she was rushed to the hospital with severe abdominal cramps. She says "It turned out that some endometrial tissue had wrapped itself around my small intestine like a tourniquet. The gastroenterological surgeon who called this tissue 'scar tissue' said that he snipped it off and that I would be fine. Again, I was far from fine, and all of the symptoms I had came raging back with my next period."

At the age of 36, Padma was diagnosed with endometriosis which she had lived with the symptoms of since early adolescence. "I was told by my mother that this was just our lot in life, because I'm sure that's what she was told by her mother. So I expected the pain, I saw my mother go through it in fact, month in month out."

Padma co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America.

She gave birth to her daughter, Krishna, in 2010.


Image courtesy of https://bzfd.it/2Td3n9z