Padma Lakshmi recalls her anger after late endometriosis diagnosis: ‘I lost a week of my life every month’

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Padma Lakshmi admitted she was angry after receiving her endometriosis diagnosis at the late age of 35.

The “Top Chef” host said was “pissed” after realizing she could have been saved from years of pain if only her doctor had recognized her symptoms sooner.

“At first, I was relieved,” the now-49-year-old told Women’s Health on Tuesday. “It wasn’t until a year after the surgery that I started getting really pissed. Like, ‘Wait a minute. I lost a week of my life every month of every year since I was 13 because of this s---, and I could have had this operation at 20 rather than 36?’”

“I’m shocked that a health professional didn’t say, ‘This is weird. Your cramps are above and beyond what they should be,’” added Lakshmi.

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According to the outlet, Lakshmi’s operation involved removing the invasive tissue that was caused by the disease. She has since been sharing her story in hopes it will help other women get the answers they need for a better quality of life.

Lakshmi told the outlet she’s added Pilates to her workout routine, which she said has made her body stronger.

“I started going to Pilates a few years ago because my chiropractor recommended it for my back,” she explained. “Pilates changed my body. It made me strong in places I didn’t know I needed to be. I have a butt now that I didn’t have during my modeling career!”

Back in 2018, Lakshmi told People magazine the illness would leave her “bedridden” every time she had her period.

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Padma Lakshmi (2018 Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty)

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“I got my period when I was 13 and didn’t get diagnosed until I was 36,” she told the outlet at the time. “That’s 23 years, 12 months a year, 12 weeks from, you know, that I was missing at volleyball practice, the school dance, midterm exams, helping my mom cook the family meal. All these things that’s part and parcel of being a teenage kid.”

“I’m getting older, and so my hormones are calming down, so I don’t suffer as much as I used to,” she also told the outlet just last year. “So my endometriosis doesn’t affect me as much as it did before when I was in my 30s or in my 20s.”