Bay Area doctor aims to raise awareness of endometriosis, help women get earlier diagnosis

Spreading Endometriosis awareness

FOX 13's Allie Corey shares the story of a woman who was diagnosed with Endometriosis, which affects one in ten women of reproductive age.

TAMPA, Fla. - One in ten women of reproductive age have Endometriosis. It’s a chronic inflammatory disease that causes severe pain during menstruation, and it’s also referred to as the mysterious disease of women, because, sadly, not enough doctors know about it to diagnose it.

In fact, it takes an average of 8-10 years before a woman gets a proper diagnosis and treatment.

READ: New Port Richey father battles kidney disease while searching for donor

Local perspective:

Ashley Maddox, 34, was one of those women who suffered for years before getting the help she needed. Her life was put on hold about two years ago when the excruciating pelvic pain around the time of her period prevented her from doing the things she loved.

"Really about two to three years ago is when the pain got horribly bad, debilitating," explained Maddox. "I had rectal bleeding, I had digestive issues, pain, fatigue. I knew something wasn't right, I’ve got to figure out what was going on."

She and her husband, Aubrey, went to a handful of doctors, each time leaving with no answers to the unbearable pain she was experiencing.

Pictured: Ashley Maddox with her husband, Aubrey.

Follow FOX 13 on YouTube

"It was frustrating, I felt like there was no hope," Maddox said. "At one point, I went through four to five physicians before I finally got somebody that could help me. Before it was just some tests, medication, at one point they were wanting me to see a psychologist, because they thought it was in my head and I said ‘no, this is real.’"

"This is something that a lot of doctors don't know about. It requires special training," her husband Aubrey said.

Big picture view:

Endometriosis is a chronic disease in which the abnormal growth of cells, similar to the cells that line the uterus, grow outside the uterus. These cells embed into other organs, causing a wide range of symptoms, many of which send women to the ER. A PBS documentary released in 2023 called "Below The Belt" highlights why Endometriosis is often ignored, leaving women left to suffer in silence.

It wasn't until Maddox saw an infertility doctor that she was recommended to an endometriosis specialist.

MORE: Bay Area widow honors husband who died of brain cancer, Moffitt patients with inspirational rock garden

Dig deeper:

Dr. Emad Mikhail is the medical director of gynecology at TGH-USF Health and handles about 250 cases of Endo per year. Mikhail has traveled the world teaching other hospital systems about their findings with endometriosis to raise awareness and get earlier diagnosis' for patients.

Pictured: Dr. Emad Mikhail.

"We established new techniques in interoperative mapping of endometriosis by robotic integrative ultrasound. We were first to publish that technique in the world and presented in many countries," Mikhail explained.

Because of these efforts, TGH-USF Health has been recognized as a center of excellence for endometriosis care. He’s passionate about making sure women know their symptoms are real and if one doctor pushes your concerns aside, he says you should find another.

"Sometimes they get dismissed by their doctor, saying ‘this is normal,’ ‘this is part of being a woman to suffer severely every month.’ This is not the case. So, patients need to advocate for themselves," explained Mikhail.

What they're saying:

After listening to Maddox describe her symptoms, he knew it was what she had. An MRI and ultrasound confirmed her endometriosis was stage 4.

READ: UF researchers using artificial intelligence to detect Parkinson's disease more accurately

"It acts like cancer in how it spreads and how it invades and how it takes years to get diagnosed," Mikhail said.

Mikhail performed two surgeries on Maddox to remove her fallopian tubes, appendix, part of her colon and cysts that formed around her ovaries.

Pictured: Ashley Maddox in the hospital.

"My first surgery was 6\six hours, and I was a week in the hospital, so it was pretty intense," explained Maddox.

It was a painfully long journey to discover what was the why behind her symptoms, but Maddox’s mission now is to raise awareness.

"If I can help advocate and just raise awareness for other women to get diagnosis and early prevention, I’m ready. I’m walking proof that if you don’t give up and keep advocating for yourself, there is light at the end of the tunnel," explained Maddox.

MORE: Doctors urge getting checked as colon cancer rises in the U.S.

Mikhail was able to spare Maddox's reproductive organs and she and her husband are now starting their IVF journey. Despite infertility being a main symptom of endometriosis, Mikhail said about 60% of his patients can get pregnant after treatment.

Endometriosis has about a 30% risk of recurrence, which is why patients have multiple follow-ups after surgery. Other treatment for less severe cases of endo include medications, diet, physical therapy and pain management.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered through interviews with an endometriosis patient and Dr. Emad Mikhail, the medical director of gynecology at TGH-USF Health.

WATCH FOX 13 NEWS:

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: