Padma Lakshmi Shared A Relatable Meme About Endometriosis Pain

Entrepreneur Padma Lakshmi, has made her stamp on the food world in a myriad of ways. She's not only hosted the Emmy Award winning show "Top Chef" for over a decade, she's also written multiple cookbooks that her fans adore. Another thing that Lakshmi's supporters like about the former model is how open and honest she is about struggles she faces, like having endometriosis. The cooking star was diagnosed in 2006 with the painful disorder, after suffering from the condition for years, according to WebMD.

Endometriosis occurs when tissue that typically lines the inside of your uterus, instead grows outside of it in your fallopian tubes, ovaries, or other organs (via Mayo Clinic). Lakshmi was recently having a tough time with the condition and posted a meme to Instagram that read, "When you're minding your own business, but the Endo pain suddenly hits you," which was followed by a picture of a person falling down. Her followers were quick to weigh in with their own personal struggles of dealing with the disorder.

One of Lakshmi's followers on Instagram thanked the famous chef for talking so openly about endometriosis. "It's a never ending battle," they wrote. "I'm sorry for your pain going through this and thank you for bringing awareness to endometriosis. I've suffered for 25 years with it." Others said how accurate the meme was and wished pain-free days for anyone that has had to live with it. Another user added, "Oh, I feel this so much. I'm sorry you do too."

Unfortunately, this debilitating disorder is not uncommon, as it impacts one in 10 American women (via WebMD). Since many people don't know about endometriosis and aren't diagnosed right away, Lakshmi partnered with her surgeon in 2009 to create the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EndoFound). The organization helps to raise awareness, fund research, and she gives lectures on the subject. Though the culinary star admits it hasn't always been so easy to talk about something so private.

"I just want young women to know they're not alone," Lakshmi explained. "When you have endometriosis, you're shut out. It's like a prison. I feel like I've finally unlocked and kicked away the chain that's been invisibly wrapped around my ankle for all these decades."