William Croyle is a former writer with the Cincinnati Enquirer. He is the author of 11 books, including co-author with Tamer Seckin, MD, of The Doctor Will See You Now: Recognizing and Treating Endometriosis and EndoMEtriosis: A Guide for Girls.
Sierra Demas spent most of 2024 locked in her apartment, isolated from the world. No job. No school. No gatherings with family or friends. Endometriosis had a physical and mental grip on her that was inescapable. “It was very hard. I…
Most women with endometriosis, beginning with their first menstrual periods as young girls, suffer for years without knowing the source of their ravaging pain and other symptoms. During their desperate pursuit for answers, doctors repeatedly…
This summer, 30-year-old Erin Swisher will have a high-risk hysterectomy that will also include removing endometriosis and adenomyosis. She’s been through six surgeries, doesn’t know if this one will be the last, and admits she’s…
I underwent excision surgery three weeks ago, and I wish I could say I finally have all the answers I’ve been looking for, but I only have one: I have endometriosis. And for now, that will have to do. After all, that alone was like finding…
Jennifer Fox has been battling endometriosis symptoms since her first period in eighth grade nearly three decades ago. From having to pull off a running trail as a teenager and curl up in a fetal position until the pelvic pain subsided so she…
Throughout her teen years and into her mid-20s, Sabrina Sarro had significant menstrual pain the first two days of her period each month, though it wasn’t debilitating or concerning enough to seek treatment aside from over-the-counter…
Though just 23 years old, Rachel Ratelle already knows firsthand how life-changing endometriosis can be. That’s why she’s taken it upon herself to host a fundraiser in her hometown of San Diego this month to raise money for EndoFound.…
Nikki Bolden’s endometriosis symptoms began more than a decade ago with her first period at age 12. “I had a feeling something wasn’t right,” she said. “It was the start of a long journey of going to different…
As a teenager in the late 1990s, Stacy Webster had horrible stomach aches. For that, doctors correctly diagnosed her with irritable bowel syndrome. At the same time, starting with her first menstrual cycle, Stacy had severe cramps and painful…
At 38 years old, Melissa Dean has had eight surgeries for endometriosis, including a complete hysterectomy, and she expects she’ll need a ninth. “Endometriosis is a beast,” Dean said. “It behaves like cancer but doesn’t…
Paolo Vercellini, MD, a professor at the University of Milan and gynecologist specializing in endometriosis and adenomyosis management, will receive the Harry Reich Award at EndoFound’s 16th annual Medical Conference and Patient Day.…
Dr. Ceana Nezhat, a world-renowned specialist in endometriosis and minimally invasive surgery, will receive the Harry Reich Award at EndoFound’s 16th annual Medical Conference and Patient Day. The conference will be on Friday and Saturday,…
About five years ago, Natalie A. Solomon paused amid her decades of traumatic health issues and asked the question so many in her situation have asked: God, what do you want from me? The answer may lie in her own words on her website: Helping…
Alide Flores Urich Sass began having excruciating periods at 15. She often couldn’t move and spent days at a time in bed. It hurt to go to the bathroom. Her sole comforts were large doses of ibuprofen and a plastic bag of hot water pressed…
The beginning of Madeline Settles’ journey with endometriosis was similar to what other women with the disease have experienced. “As a teenager and in college, I knew I had extremely painful periods, but I was really naïve…
Emma Gonzales and her husband met with an IVF specialist a year ago to try to conceive their first child. This past February, that dream ended. With endometriosis ravaging her body, Gonzales had to have a complete hysterectomy. “It’s…
Several college students and campus organizations contacted EndoFound this year about bringing endometriosis educational and fundraising events to their schools. EndoFound has responded by creating the ENPOWR College Ambassador Program, which…
Nearly 650 individuals watched the National Institutes of Health’s online endometriosis roundtable “Beyond the Lesion: Charting New Paths” live on Aug. 19. This 90-minute discussion with top experts is one of several the NIH…
Amy Annelle may not be a household name, but millions have heard her voice, and millions more can relate to her story. Annelle’s cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “Buckskin Stallion Blues” was prominently featured in the 2017…
The National Institutes of Health has put $3 million in cash up for grabs in the RADx Tech ACT ENDO Challenge. RADx—Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics—is an NIH initiative designed to “speed innovation in the development,…
EndoFound’s Team EndoStrong set a goal of raising $200,000 in last year’s TCS New York City Marathon. They raised $240,000. “And I want to blow that number out of the water this year,” said Clare Murphy, in her…
A kickoff event for EndoRise, a new initiative designed to “improve awareness and health outcomes in Connecticut while driving research breakthroughs that will impact women across the nation and beyond,” was held on June 6 at The…
At EndoFound’s annual Blossom Ball on May 3, Christine Metz, PhD, and Peter Gregersen, MD, were honored with the 2nd Annual Women’s Reproductive Health and Endometriosis Industry Award. The professors at the Feinstein Institutes’ Institute…
After reviewing a record 61 grant applications, EndoFound’s Scientific Advisory Board has chosen its 2024 winners. Grants have been awarded to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California; Morehouse…
None of the five doctors Hallie Fischer had seen over seven years offered her relief for her debilitating endometriosis symptoms. Before visiting her sixth doctor last fall, Fischer sent her all of her medical records and asked her to read…
The Endometriosis CARE Act was reintroduced across from the House steps outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday morning at a 15-minute press conference. EndoFound’s scientific and medical director, Dr. Dan Martin, was one of the speakers. …
Hannah Staddon was 24 when she had her first fainting episode from endometriosis in 2017. Making the situation more dire was the lack of medical treatment immediately accessible. She was isolated in the Atlantic Ocean, working as a chef on…
Dr. Philippe Koninckx has received several awards in an illustrious medical career spanning nearly 50 years, including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Distinguished Surgeon Award for endoscopic surgery and endometriosis…
Dr. Jörg Keckstein’s career in gynecology stretches into six decades, and over the last 40 years, he’s become a premier worldwide endometriosis specialist. At EndoFound’s Blossom Ball on May 3 in New York City, he was…
On March 7, 2023, Australian television personality and conservationist Bindi Irwin shared on Instagram that she’d been diagnosed with endometriosis and had surgery four days earlier. It was the first time Irwin had spoken publicly about…
EndoFound’s 15th Annual International Medical Conference will be in New York City this Thursday and Friday, May 2 and 3. Nearly three dozen speakers will discuss all aspects of endometriosis around the theme “Elevating Sampson’s…
Nearly three dozen speakers will present at EndoFound’s 15th Annual International Medical Conference, from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. on May 2 and 3, at the Jay Conference Center, 109 W. 39th Street in New York City. Planned and implemented in…
My name is Milcah Macatiag. My friends and colleagues call me Mylks. I’m a critical care nurse in Northern California with three decades of experience in healthcare. My professional journey has led me through several pivotal roles at…
Padma Lakshmi, co-founder of EndoFound, shared her endometriosis story on April 3 at the 45th annual Simmons Leadership Conference, hosted by Simmons University at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston. According to…
The first line in President Joe Biden’s executive order that advances women’s health research and innovation is what those suffering from endometriosis have been clamoring for from elected officials for decades: “My Administration…
Over the last decade, this writer has helped hundreds of women with endometriosis tell their stories to give them a voice, spread awareness about the disease, and provide readers who may have symptoms but no answers with someone they can relate…
For more than 20 years, Dan Lerner has been chasing the answer to the question, What does happiness have to do with achieving excellence and success? He shares his findings daily with everyone from Fortune 500 executives to military personnel…
Dr. Dan Martin, EndoFound’s scientific and medical director, will attend the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 42nd annual Congressional Leadership Conference from March 3-5 in Washington, D.C. Dr. Martin’s attendance…
Lauren Kornegay’s late mother left her daughter with profound words of wisdom. “She always said, ‘If there’s a void, you fill it, and if you want something done, you do it yourself,’” Kornegay said. “That’s…
Sophia Tarasenko had never heard of endometriosis until she read an article about it in Science News magazine 16 months ago. Since then, she’s conducted scientific research on it, has made it the topic of her entry in a regional science…
Ciji Castro has three young daughters. She’s also suffered through seven miscarriages due to endometriosis, which took two decades to diagnose. On March 2 and 3 in New York City, she will speak at the 15th Annual Endometriosis of America…
How old we are does not necessarily reflect the age of our body’s cells. While we cannot control the former, the latter—impacted by our environments, lifestyles, and experiences—is something we can control to an extent to…
Many endometriosis patients find the strength and resilience during their journey to turn their pain into something positive. Shakira O’Garro has taken that to the extreme, transforming her pain into a career. O’Garro, a licensed…
Katie Burns received a grant from EndoFound in 2017 for $25,000 over two years. She used that as seed money to develop data to apply for larger grants to study how the environmental toxicant phthalate, a chemical found in plastics and personal…
Dana Sellitto suffered from endometriosis symptoms for two decades before finally being diagnosed in June. She had surgery in July, and just 14 weeks later, on Nov. 5, she ran the New York City Marathon, her first full marathon. It took her…
“It was truly an honor when they asked me to be on the cover and share my story,” Culpo said. “I know this magazine reaches a lot of people who are looking for answers to their health issues, and I’ll do whatever it…
Jeanne St. Claire asked the writer of this story almost as many questions about endometriosis as he’d asked her. She also ordered Dr. Tamer Seckin’s first book, The Doctor Will See You Now, during the interview so it would…
Gail Albritton of El Dorado, Arkansas, began feeling significant pain during her periods as a teenager 60 years ago. With endometriosis awareness nearly nonexistent, she continued to suffer from the symptom every month for more than three decades…
When Clare Murphy agreed in the spring to captain EndoFound’s Team EndoStrong for the New York City Marathon on Nov. 5, she didn’t know what to expect in her new role. Today, she struggles to find the words to describe what she’s…
Nobody wants to talk about the most brutal time in their life, including Lindsay Jankovitz. For her, that was in high school nearly 20 years ago when endometriosis began taking over her body. But Jankovitz has bravely been sharing her story…