'I was curled up in agony for 20 years': Salman Rushdie's ex-wife Padma Lakshmi on her excruciating medical mystery and how it led to her 'miracle' baby

Recovering: Padma Lakshmi was diagnosed with endometrosis aged 36

It happened like clockwork, every month, for decades.



The pain would leave Padma Lakshmi ‘balled up in bed’ for days at a time.



There were cramps, bloating, nausea and shock-like sensations running along the length of her legs.

And once the agony had abated, she suffered crushing fatigue and mood swings that affected every area of her life.



Despite these debilitating symptoms, the model-turned-TV-chef came to believe it was just part of life, as doctors dismissed her ‘women’s problems’.



Embarrassed that people would think she was exaggerating, she admitted: ‘I thought I was just being a wimp.’

The 42-year-old, once married to celebrated author Salman Rushdie, says today: ‘I was told that some women get menstrual cramps badly and some don’t and it was normal for me because my mother had them. I saw her suffer the way I came to suffer.’

Padma’s ordeal began when she reached adolescence and she needed hospital treatment on more than one occasion.



But it wasn’t until the age of 36, following a visit to accident and emergency with heavy bleeding outside of her normal cycle, that she was finally given a diagnosis: endometriosis.

The condition, in which cells that normally line the womb grow outside it (usually in the abdomen), is thought to affect two million British women.



Padma’s case was so advanced by the time it was spotted that specialists told her she would be unlikely ever to have children – even with the help of IVF.

So it was a shock, to say the least, when she discovered that she was pregnant after a brief relationship with Adam Dell, brother of computer firm founder Michael, in 2010. Even her doctor described the conception as ‘nothing short of a medical miracle’.

Today, Padma is a fiercely proud and protective mother to Krishna, who celebrates her third birthday next week.

‘It ended up happening accidentally,’ she says, hoping her story will inspire others facing infertility caused by endometriosis. ‘I’d spent most of my life trying not to get pregnant and it was only after stopping taking birth control – because I was told that I couldn’t conceive – that it happened at all.’

Teasingly, Padma says she would like more children, although she admits her age and history make it unlikely.



‘I’ve always wanted to be a mother, but I never knew it would be so much fun and I’d enjoy it so immensely. My daughter is such great company. I would love to have another child or two.’

Old love: Padma was married to author Sir Salman Rushdie for three years

It is thought up to ten per cent of women suffer some form of endometriosis, yet, like Padma, many are simply told they have severe menstrual cramps. She says: ‘Ever since my teens, I was bedridden for two or three days each month and had to take prescription painkillers. I missed school, I missed work, I missed family functions.

‘If I had been diagnosed at 15, 20, or even 30, my life would have been different. That would have been four or five days every month that I wouldn’t have been incapacitated, that I wouldn’t have been tired, that I wouldn’t have been nauseous and cranky.’

Padma, who co-founded The Endometriosis Foundation of America (EFA) to encourage women to look out for the symptoms of the illness, continues: ‘I was galvanised by what I went through. Chronic pain is a terrible thing. It impedes your ability to make rational decisions. It alters your ability to handle other stresses in life.

‘Endometriosis affects every aspect of a woman’s life. It is woven into the very fabric of her life and it develops as her womanhood develops through her adolescence and early years.



'It becomes part and parcel of a woman’s opinion of her own body, of her femininity, the relationship she has with herself and her sexuality. It affects her intimate relationships, her platonic relationships and her business relationships.’

Padma had surgery in 2001 to remove two ovarian cysts and was rushed to hospital when she was 34, suffering pain and bleeding that she now knows was endometriosis-related. But at the time the condition still wasn’t diagnosed.

‘I tried everything to help, from teas to evening primrose oil, from over-the-counter pain medication to acupuncture. The pain was debilitating, but more than that it was incredibly frustrating that no one was able to tell me what was wrong,’ she adds.

‘It never feels good to have someone tell you that you’re crazy, or you’re making things up. It hurt me physically but also emotionally to live with this pain. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t just take an over-the-counter painkiller and feel better like everyone else.’

Padma's miracle: A pregnant Padma in 2009, left, and with her newborn daughter Krishna Thea Lakshmi-Dell



Finally when she started spontaneously bleeding in the middle of her cycle, her GP suggested she see Dr Tamer Seckin, the specialist with whom Padma was to co-found the EFA in 2009.



‘He was the first person to look at me and not belittle my pain, but actually understand that it was real,’ recalls Padma. ‘He knew right away that it was endometriosis, but diagnosis can only be confirmed during keyhole surgery.

‘Dr Seckin asked me, if he found something during an exploratory procedure that should not be there, did I want him to remove it right there and then. I said yes.’

That first surgery lasted four-and-a-half hours.



‘I had stents in my kidneys, stitches on four organs, and I was in the hospital for five days. Afterwards, I was bedridden basically from late November until the beginning of February,’ she says.

Although Padma felt much better when she finally recovered, the following year she had to have another operation to remove more tissue. In total, she had five separate procedures, resulting in her losing her right fallopian tube and part of her left ovary.

Dr Seckin says that one in five sufferers will need more than one operation.

‘Unfortunately, scans and X-rays don’t show up tissue related to endometriosis. The only way it can be seen is through laparoscopic surgery. The tissue can be hidden in the curves of the pelvis or around the organs. Even an amount the size of dust can cause significant pain.’

With her reproductive organs diminished, Padma says: ‘They told me it would be difficult to have kids and if I wanted to be a mother I should get started or consider freezing my eggs.

Joy of motherhood: Padma was shocked when she found out that she was pregnant with 'miracle' daughter Krishna despite her condition

‘When you freeze your eggs, you have to have expensive tests and in the process I was told, by Dr Seckin and by a leading fertility specialist, that I would probably never be able to have children. Even with in-vitro there was only a slim chance.’

Yet, the odds were apparently in her favour. Padma stopped using contraception during the process of freezing her eggs and didn’t start again right away since she was basically told she couldn’t get pregnant – and that’s when she did.



‘When I told my doctor I thought I was pregnant, he had a hard time believing me. After we determined that it was true, I was elated.’

Dr Seckin says that women with endometriosis have an increased chance of having a miscarriage and are ten times more likely to have a complicated pregnancy. Padma says: ‘I was happy and healthy and I had a great, easy pregnancy until the sixth month.’

It was at this stage she developed previa, a common and potentially dangerous complication in which the placenta grows across the lower part of the uterus, possibly leading to fatal post-labour haemorrhage.

Padma started getting early contractions, so she went into hospital for a time before being discharged.



‘My mother then moved in with me because I just couldn’t spend three months in hospital,’ she says. ‘She lived with me for three months before the baby was born and three months after.’

Pregnancy is said to relieve some of the symptoms of endometriosis as it gives a break from the monthly cycle. Padma says: ‘I did feel better after the pregnancy, but three years later I do still get cramps and pain.’



A last alternative against endometriosis reoccurring is a complete hysterectomy, but Padma says she is not ready for that yet. Which brings us back to the subject of her desire for more children.

‘I always thought that Krishna, who is named after my maternal grandfather, was my good karma for starting the EFA. I’m thankful and happy for the one I have.’

She then almost mumbles: ‘But there are all those little eggs sitting out there somewhere . . .’





Padma and Dr Tamer Seckin will host the EFA’s 5th Annual Blossom Ball at Capitale in New York on March 11. Tickets are available at endofound.org.





Laid low by a dust-sized speck of tissue

By Dr Ellie Cannon



It is dreadful that Padma had to suffer so long with the symptoms of endometriosis – but she’s far from alone. In fact, it is estimated that up to ten per cent of women have the condition, but many remain undiagnosed. Of all those with bad period pain, it could be affecting about half of them. Likewise, in women with reduced fertility, a third will probably have some endometriosis – and women will typically suffer symptoms for eight years before they are diagnosed.

'I DO NOT WANT OTHERS TO SUFFER LIKE I DID,' SAY PADMA

The earlier endometriosis is diagnosed, the easier and less invasive it is to manage, says Padma.

‘Knowing what I’ve been through, the moment my daughter reaches puberty I will make sure that I closely watch her symptoms.

‘I would encourage anyone reading this to think about it because the chances are they have a friend, sister or daughter who has endometriosis but they don’t know it.’

Padma adds: ‘I was so upset and angry that I wasn’t diagnosed earlier. I always had the best health insurance and access to the best medical care and I was misdiagnosed. I don’t want the next generation of women to go through what I went through.

‘If you’re in bed for three days every month and have a heavy flow where you have to change your tampon every hour instead of every four or five hours, you should probably go and get it checked out because that’s not normal. Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong.’

Padma also feels that men can take responsibility if they suspect their partner is suffering.

‘The most loving, sexy and masculine thing I think a man can do is say, “I noticed you have really bad cramps and I don’t want to pry, but I love you and I read this article and I was wondering if I can help you find a specialist to check it out and see if that’s what it is.’’ ’

What exactly is endometriosis?

The endometrium is the lining of the womb, and endometriosis is when deposits of this lining are found outside the womb – for example, on the ovary. These deposits – sometimes specks the size of dust – can be found on other organs far from the womb such as the kidneys or lungs. Without wanting to seem alarmist, tissue has even been found growing in the eyes and brain. The major symptom is pain.

Why does this happen?

The most commonly accepted theory suggests that during menstruation, pockets of endometrium travel up the fallopian tubes into the pelvis and are deposited, rather than passing out of the body. These deposits are affected by the female hormones around the time of menstruation. Endometriosis can also cause what are known as adhesions, which stick organs such as the bowel to the womb, further adding to pain.

Who does it affect and why?

Endometriosis occurs in women of reproductive age, and is more common in those with a relative who suffers. It is an oestrogen-driven condition so is more common in women who have had a longer exposure to the hormone – for example, starting periods at a young age makes endometriosis more likely.

So it’s not just bad period pains, then?

The condition is characterised by pelvic pain. Specifically, women get severe prolonged period pain starting in their late 20s. Other typical pain for the condition occurs during intercourse, at the time of ovulation or before a period affecting the lower abdomen. The second important sign of endometriosis is infertility, and often it is when trying to conceive that a woman is first diagnosed. Other less common signs are pain associated with bowel and bladder movements, irregular bleeding and fatigue.

Why are so few women diagnosed?

If a woman’s period pains are relatively mild, neither she nor the doctor would be looking further for a cause. Diagnosis can only be made during a surgical procedure called laparoscopy: a camera is inserted through a small incision into the abdomen so the errant tissue can be seen. Obviously this is not risk-free, so is only suggested when symptoms are severe.

Can endometriosis be cured?

Sadly, no. But the condition can be prevented from interfering with life with the help of painkillers or hormonal treatments. Surgery can sometimes be used to improve symptoms and fertility.

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