Who knew!?

I'm a longggggggggggggg time Top Chef lover. I think I've probably watched each season twice -compliments to Bravo  for replaying each season as many times as they possibly can! So, who knew the entire time I was watch the beautiful Padma Lakshmi on television, judging those talented chefs, that she herself was suffering from Endometriosis? Not me, that's for sure. The Endo Community needs to give Ms. Padma a huge pat on the back. She helped form the Endometriosis Foundation of America [link at bottom of post] this year with other co-founders. The board is very impressive, with a long list of talented and educated doctors. The foundation is based in the center of the universe, aka New York City, and hopes to raise as much awareness as possible. They are even taking this disease to Congress in hope to get more research money! Oh, the thought of Endometriosis actually being taken seriously.... The joy is overwhelming! 

The entire point of all this is  awareness and education. How do we except to be heard if we're not also understood? Our employers are just as important as Congress in the education and understanding of this disease. It's not a joke, by any means, nor is it a "gimmick." Women with breast cancer lose their breasts, women with endometriosis lose their uterus'. And, no, I am not comparing cancer to endo, though I have heard the comparison, and believe me - in the end... it's not that far off. Why does Endometriosis deserve any less recognition than diabetes (which, by the way, runs in my family), or cervical cancer? Endometriosis suffers are fighters. We brave the day one step at a time, often running on no pain killers and numerous over-the-counter medicines that simply take the edge off the pain. Imagine, if you will, getting up in the morning with a knife in your pelvis and having to go about your day as normal as you possibly can. For guys, if you read this, take your testicles (shh, don't laugh) and tape them to the side of your leg. Now, try and walk around your living room normally. Key word: normally. Hard to imagine, huh? Finally, after years of screaming for help... someone is listening.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/195406/page/2

http://news.aol.com/health/article/padma-lakshmi-endometriosis-foundation/435969?icid=main

http://www.endofound.org/index.php