Pregnant Padma Lakshmie Offers Hope

What’s not to love about Lakshmie? She’s gorgeous, host of the oh-so-cool “Top Chef,” and she’s willing to be open and honest about her own courageous struggle with endometriosis and infertility. Not that most celebs aren’t honest – of course you got pregnant naturally with twins right after your 43rd birthday. Sure….you know who I’m talking about.

Anyway, endo is some nasty stuff and more common than most people realize. It affects about 10 percent of all women and may be involved in up to half of all cases of infertility. Endometriosis is the condition in which the uterus' lining expands and grows into other areas of the body. The symptoms include: significant pain around the time of menstrual periods that doesn't dissipate once the flow begins; pain that increases during intercourse, urination and/or during defecation; bloating; infertility; and persistent intestinal, pelvic and abdominal pain and discomfort.

Padma, a 39-year-old actress, jewelry designer and cookbook author, underwent
multiple surgeries for endometriosis, and is due to give birth in early in 2010. While the rest of the gossip mongers worry about the who the daddy is, the rest of us can just send warm thoughts for a happy, healthy delivery.

For more information on endometriosis, go to (http://www.endofound.org/) The Nedometriosis Foundation of America.