Olivia Culpo was going through the worst pain of her life, but no one knew what was wrong.
In a cover story for Shape, the 28-year-old opens about her “agony” before finally being diagnosed with endometriosis, a painful condition that causes the uterine lining to grow outside of the uterus.
She says: “It was a really frustrating experience, which is one reason I’m so passionate about talking about it. Before her diagnosis “about a year and a half ago,” she was struggling to function.
Culpo explains: “I knew there was something wrong before that. I had gone to a number of doctors in agony — crying, shaking. When you’re living with chronic pain, you don’t know if you want to throw up or just curl into a ball and cry.”
It took about six months, but she found the right doctor. The former Miss Universe says: “Good thing, because my condition was advanced, and she needed to check my eggs immediately to make sure my fertility was intact.”
Now, she’s trying to find natural treatments for endiometriosis. She says: “Right now, I’m trying to figure out new ways to heal holistically through what I’m eating and the rest that I’m giving myself. I’m also exploring acupuncture, massages, Chinese herbal medicine, and maybe cutting out caffeine. I’m going to actively try to help people who live with this and not just talk about my experience.”