Monday, March 11, 2024

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month

Are you doubling over in pain during your period? Do you have cramps you just can’t seem to shake throughout the month? For 1 in 10 women, these killer cramps are a symptom of endometriosis. Although endometriosis affects 190 million women worldwide, many go undiagnosed. March is Endometriosis Awareness Month and the perfect time to educate about this painful, chronic disease. Here’s what you need to know to find out if endometriosis might be affecting you.

What is Endometriosis?

"Endometrial cells are what make up the lining of the uterine cavity," Women's Care of Wisconsin's Dr. Therese Yarroch explains. "In women with endometriosis these cells are found outside of the uterus, where they cause inflammation. Sometimes referred to as 'endometrial implants,' they can be found on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, bowels and anywhere else in the pelvic region. This inflammation can result in pain and significant scarring to the surrounding tissue."

What Causes Endometriosis?

"We do have evidence that there is an increased risk of endometriosis in women with heavy menstrual bleeding and longer or more frequent menstrual cycles," Yarroch says. "Doctors also know that estrogen plays a role and women who have a close female relative with endometriosis are 5-7 times more likely to have it themselves."

Spotting the Symptoms

"Although it’s a common misconception that endometriosis only occurs in women over the age of 20, the truth is that the disease can develop as soon as a girl gets her first period and can span the rest of a woman’s reproductive years," Yarroch says. "The most common symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain. While this pain usually coincides with menstruation, some women can experience this symptom throughout their entire cycle.”

Other symptoms to look out for include:

  • Pain during or after sex
  • Severe cramps that do not go away with NSAIDs or that impede the activities of your everyday life
  • A heavy menstrual flow
  • Periods that last longer than 7 days
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Urinary and bowel disorders
  • Difficulty getting pregnant

Not every woman will experience all of these symptoms, but approximately 30%-40% of women who have endometriosis will experience issues with fertility.

Getting a Diagnosis

The only way to know for sure if you have endometriosis is through a surgical procedure called laparoscopy. Laparoscopy uses a small telescope that is inserted into the abdomen through a very small incision. It brings light into the abdomen so the doctor can see inside.

Treating the Symptoms

There are a wide range of treatment options for endometriosis and your doctor may suggest a less invasive methods before ordering a biopsy. Some of the most common treatments include:

  • The use of NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve). NSAIDs can help relieve or lessen the pain caused by endometriosis by stopping the release of prostaglandins, one of the main chemicals responsible for painful periods. While NSAIDs can help manage the pain-related symptoms of endometriosis for some women, it’s not effective in every case.
  • Birth control methods such as the pill, the patch and the ring are often helpful to treat the pain associated with endometriosis because they reduce heavy bleeding. This method works best for women who only have severe pain during their period and not during the rest of their cycle.
  • Progestins are recommended for women who do not get pain relief from or who cannot take hormonal birth control that contains estrogen (such as smokers). This synthetic form of the natural hormone progesterone is available by prescription as a pill or an injection.
  • GnRH therapy uses medicines that work by causing temporary menopause. The treatment actually causes the ovaries to stop producing estrogen, which causes the endometriosis implants to shrink.

For some women, surgery may be the best treatment method. While there isn’t a cure for endometriosis yet, it is possible to remove some of the scar tissue and lesions with surgery.

If you have endometriosis, surgery could be an option if you:

  • Have severe pain
  • Have tried medications, but still have pain
  • Have a growth or mass in the pelvic area that needs to be examined
  • Are having trouble getting pregnant and endometriosis might be the cause

"It is important to note that there are other conditions that can cause many of the same symptoms as endometriosis," Yarroch says. "An OB/GYN can help determine if endometriosis is the appropriate diagnosis."

So What Now?

"Endometriosis can have a significant impact on a woman's life. Fortunately, there are treatment options available to manage pain and minimize recurrence," Dr. Yarroch says.

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

OB Emergency Dept/Hospitalist Program Debuts

Last month, ThedaCare announced the opening of their new Obstetrical Emergency Department (OB-ED) and Hospitalist Program. Providing specialized care to expectant mothers, babies and families, the new program is part of the update to the Theda Clark Peters Family Birth Center through the $100M investment to modernize the Neenah campus. The addition of these hospital-based women’s services can help ThedaCare continue to provide comprehensive, safe care for expectant mothers and babies in Northeast and Central Wisconsin.

The OB-ED, staffed by board-certified and board-eligible specialists, operates around the clock and provides care for pregnant women facing obstetrical challenges.

“Through this program, a trained physician will evaluate every patient, and our goal is that expectant mothers can leave the hospital with peace of mind, focusing on the health and well-being of their family,” said Dr. Eric Eberts, Department Chair of the ThedaCare OB-ED and Hospitalist Program. “Having an OB-ED and Hospitalist Program can redefine the standard of women’s care in the hospital setting to help continue safe patient care.”

The creation of an OB-ED and Hospitalist Program is an important milestone in ThedaCare’s history. For 115 years, ThedaCare has provided care for the people in Northeast and Central Wisconsin, an opportunity made possible more than a century ago when Theda Clark Peters directed a significant portion of her estate to be used to build a hospital in Neenah so that people in the community would have local access to medical care.

Through the program, women who are more than 16 weeks pregnant now bypass the emergency department and go directly to an obstetrical triage area located in the Family Birth Center at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah. This program will supplement the care of a woman’s OB provider; her doctor will continue to provide care in the facility. The program ensures a highly specialized doctor to be available to evaluate a woman immediately, without waiting for the patient’s doctor to arrive onsite, or providing a consultation over-the-phone. 

Eberts noted that the program aims to provide support for ThedaCare’s other hospitals, including those in rural communities via telehealth consultations.

“The OB-ED and hospitalist program can help ensure that expectant mothers continue to receive timely, specialized care for themselves and their babies,” Eberts said. 

Learn more via NBC 26’s exclusive report, which includes Dr.Eberts’ special connection to Theda Clark Peters.


Meet Pa Kou Thao, Nurse Practitioner

You don’t question an epiphany. Such a revelatory moment can only be absorbed, followed.

Nonetheless, Pa Kou Thao did question the timing of hers.

“I was a year from graduating with my business degree when I got to be part of my nephew’s birth,” said the newest provider at Women’s Care of Wisconsin. “Two weeks before the semester started and I was like, “Yeah, I don’t think this is what I want to do.”

Thao immediately threw her business classes into a minor, switched to a nursing major, and started fresh.

It was a decision she knew she had to make. She never wavered, although a thought did cross her mind every now and then.

“There were times when I said to myself, ‘I could be getting my master’s right now.”

Thao pursued her calling, earned her nursing degree and became a labor and delivery nurse. Later, she would continue her studies and achieve her certification as a Family Practice Nurse Practitioner with a focus on women’s health.

You wouldn’t know it by looking at her, but she’s 17 years into her healthcare gig. With that kind of experience, no surprise there wasn’t a nanosecond of hesitation when asked about her philosophy of patient care.

“Everybody who walks through the door to see me is like a family member, right?” said Thao. “I'm going to treat you like you are my family, because that's how I would want somebody to treat any family member of mine if the roles were reversed.”

Not that she wouldn’t have had great success in the business world and made her mark there, but Thao relishes the impact she can make as a healthcare provider.

“My work is so fulfilling,” said Thao. “I love being able to develop long lasting relationships with my patients, people who come to see me year after year because we have that bond of trust.”

Thao is a highly positive force—easygoing, personable, empathetic. It’s easy to see why her patients love to see her.

Well, she had a bit of a different spin on that one.

“Almost every patient that comes in is like, ‘I hate these yearly exams!’ And I always tell them nobody enjoys them! But it’s so great they come in—it’s so important to take care of yourself and make sure you're keeping yourself healthy.”

A provider who effortlessly turns a first visit into a fast friendship, Thao loves connecting with her patients and using her expertise to make a difference in their lives.

Clearly the path of someone who followed her heart.