|
|
  |
Endometriosis Association Now Offers Milwaukee - The Endometriosis Association is pleased to offer for sale selected high-quality supplements that women with endometriosis have found helpful in achieving better health. This is the first time the Association has offered supplements for sale. The five supplements the Association is selling are a multiple vitamin and mineral formula, a multi-species probiotic, magnesium citrate, a buffered vitamin C (with a bioflavonoid), and an antioxidant and detoxifying amino acid compound—all available at www.EndometriosisAssn.org. Because endometriosis is a hormonal and immune system disease, supporting the immune system using nutritional approaches can be very beneficial to women with endometriosis. In the Endometriosis Association’s survey of 2,293 women who used alternative approaches to treating their endometriosis, more than 50% said that vitamins and minerals helped them. Some women with endometriosis and their healthcare providers have found the supplements the Endometriosis Association is offering to be particularly helpful. The Association is offering these supplements as a service to its members (who receive a discount on the manufacturer’s suggested retail price), and as a way to raise funds for the Association, which receives the net proceeds from sales. Non-members may also purchase these supplements through the Endometriosis Association. The Endometriosis Association selected the lab that produces these supplements based on its reputation for producing the highest-quality clinical-strength nutritional supplements, and because of its focus on hypoallergenicity, product purity, and rigorous quality control. Previously, these supplements could only be obtained primarily through healthcare providers. Further detailed information, including a list of all ingredients for each supplement, is provided on the Association website at www.EndometriosisAssn.org or by calling 414-355-2200. The Endometriosis Association recommends that people review this information carefully with their healthcare providers before ordering as supplements may not be returned for refund. The Endometriosis Association is an international nonprofit self-help organization of women and girls with endometriosis and their families, physicians, scientists, and others interested in this hormonal and immune-system disease. More than 89 million girls and women worldwide are affected by endometriosis. The Endometriosis Association was founded 30 years ago in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1980. The association provides support for those affected by endometriosis, and education about the disease. It also maintains the world’s largest research databases on endometriosis and conducts and supports related research around the world, including the Association’s flagship research program at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee.For more information about the Endometriosis Association supplements go to: http://EndometriosisAssn.org/ea_supplements.html . For more information about endometriosis, contact the Endometriosis Association at (414) 355-2200 or endo@EndometriosisAssn.org or 8585 N. 76th Place, Milwaukee, WI 53223 (USA).
Thursday, January 21, 2010 New Product Available For The The Endometriosis Association, in conjunction with Claire Ellen Products, is happy to announce the release of ProSirona, a new product that targets endometriosis and fibromyalgia pain. Because Association members have used other formulations of this product for seven years and have frequently found it effective, we are excited to make ProSirona more widely available through our website. Here are some key facts about ProSirona:
We believe that ProSirona is an innovative product and an important development in the treatment of endo and fibro pain because it is applied topically and presents an alternative to pain-relief drugs, including narcotics, which are administered orally. Both over-the-counter pain relievers and narcotics can have severe side effects, including GI bleeding and ulcers, even when taken according to the directions of a medical professional. In addition to having potentially serious side effects, orally administered pain relievers of all kinds can interact negatively with other medications and present the possibility of accidental overdose. These concerns are especially relevant to women with endometriosis since they are more prone to allergies, sensitivities, and reactions to many things, including drugs. Hearing about such experiences motivated our desire to find an effective alternative to the pain relievers many women with endometriosis and fibromyalgia rely on. ProSirona represents an important breakthrough in the treatment of endo and fibro pain, and has the potential to change the lives of those who have been dependent on other types of analgesics for the relief of chronic pain. Visit our website, www.EndometriosisAssn.org, and click on the button that says “In pain? Take back your day!” to learn more about this exciting new product. EA Makes News: January 13 2010Link to the original article on the TMJ4 website: TMJ4 Website Women's Health CrisisBy Maureen MackOne in ten women is suffering in silence from a disease most people have never heard of.It's called endometriosis. It's painful, and hard to diagnose. The one positive thing we can say about it... is that the biggest support group for the disease is right here in Milwaukee. Mary Lou Ballweg knew something was wrong. She had horrible cramps and pain, and was bedridden. Finally, she discovered she had endometriosis. "It was not taken seriously, and I wish I could say now, 30 years later that society, physicians and women and girls themselves would take 'female problems' seriously," she told us frankly. When she was diagnosed 30 years ago, Ballweg had few resources for information, and practically no support. Her solution: Start the Endometriosis Association. "The Endometriosis Association was the result of my own frustrations with a disease we started out not knowing was endometriosis," she said. Immediately, she was flooded with questions and pleas for help. "We were receiving desperate letters from all over the U.S. and Canada, and very shortly from all over the world." So what is endometriosis? And why is it so hard to identify and treat? Endometriosis occurs when the tissue that lines the uterus migrates... to the fallopian tubes, ovaries... bladder... even into the intestines. Regular hormonal changes cause it to bleed and heal, but it doesn't go away. Dr. Grace Janik, a fertility specialist with lots of experience treating endometriosis, told us it is very painful. "Because it's bleeding into your abdominal cavity, any free blood in the abdomen is painful and then it starts creating scars," she said. Dr. Janik says even now, many physicians don't correctly diagnose endometriosis. "From the time women start having symptoms, to them obtaining treatment, is almost a 10 year delay." While women wait, symptoms get worse. Shelley Woodson, a nurse herself, suffered for years. "I knew it was out there, I knew it was painful, didn't know the consequences of it." Shelley discovered the Endometriosis Association and calls the support and information a godsend. Now, she herself volunteers. Since Mary Lou Ballweg founded the association, she's written four books, created CD's and a Web site, and sent out tens of thousands of mailings to women all over the world. But times are tight. "It's hard for us to get grants. It's hard for us to get funding for everything we do." The goals now: Education. Ballweg believes doctors, the rest of the medical community, and women and girls need to be educated about endometriosis and how to get help.
MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 29, 2009
Professional Dimensions announces the recipients of the Recipients of Professional Dimensions’ 2010 Sacagawea Awards are Mary Lou Ballweg, President and Executive Director of the Endometriosis Association, and Jacquelyn Fredrick, President and Chief Executive Officer of the BloodCenter of Wisconsin. Both will be honored at the annual dinner on Wednesday, March 10, 2010, at the Midwest Airlines Center. The Professional Dimensions award is named for Sacagawea, the only woman on the Lewis & Clark expedition. A woman of many dimensions, Sacagawea was a trailblazer who distinguished herself throughout her life by her leadership, intelligence, foresight, common sense and adaptability. The 2010 honorees exemplify these qualities. Mary Lou Ballweg, Co-Founder, President and Executive Director of the Endometriosis Association (EA), the first organization in the world created for those with endometriosis. A global non-profit association, EA has a network of chapters, groups, sponsors, and women with endometriosis in 66 countries. Ballweg founded the organization in 1980 after being diagnosed with endometriosis and experiencing frustration with medical professionals who lacked awareness and held dismissive attitudes toward the disease. Although it began as a self-help organization to provide information and support to Milwaukee women, EA has grown to support research, educate the medical community, produce books and journal articles and facilitate international conferences on the subject. Endometriosis affects an estimated 89 million girls and women in the world today – 6.3 million in the U.S. It is a puzzling hormonal and immunological disease that strikes those as young as 8 and those well past childbearing years. Endometriosis is not only one of the leading causes of infertility, it often causes debilitating pain, atopic diseases and is associated with an increased risk of autoimmune diseases, cancer and other physical complications. Ballweg began her career in communications, having served as the Managing Editor of Investor, Wisconsin’s Business Magazine and then launching her own film and communications company prior to being diagnosed with endometriosis. In the thirty years since she founded the organization, Ballweg has created research partnerships with the Medical College of Wisconsin, Dartmouth Medical College, the National Institutes of Health and Vanderbilt Medical School. She has published four books, overseen the production of three educational videotapes (including an award-winning teen video), developed and executed two million-dollar-plus educational awareness campaigns, and written numerous journal articles, chapters for medical texts and newsletters. Despite having no formal medical training, she is featured in the International Who’s Who in Medicine as the person most singly responsible for calling attention to endometriosis. Ballweg was raised in the Milwaukee and Madison areas. She has a B.A. from UW-Madison and has a long list of academic and professional accomplishments, including having been instrumental in raising over $25 million for research in EA’s first 25 years. Ballweg’s partner is Jim Dorr and she has a daughter, Aquene Freechild. Jacquelyn Fredrick, President and CEO of the BloodCenter of Wisconsin (BCW), a world-renowned, non-profit healthcare organization with a $100 million operating budget and over 800 employees. Fredrick is the first female and first non-physician to run the BloodCenter in its 60+ year history. Fredrick began her career at BCW six years out of college as a supervisor of the laboratories. She became a vice president at the age of 34, responsible for the operations of two of the three BCW divisions. She was then recruited to the American Red Cross (ARC) in Washington, DC and took on several roles under Elizabeth Dole’s leadership of ARC. During her time there, Fredrick was chosen to lead the development of the first national testing laboratories, and was then tapped for a new national role: Vice President of Quality. She then ran the ARC Biomedical Services division, a $3 billion business with 15,000 employees prior to being recruited back to Milwaukee in 2001 to serve as the President and CEO of the BloodCenter of Wisconsin. Since Fredrick’s return to Milwaukee, the BCW has grown from serving seven counties in southeastern Wisconsin to 54 counties covering 64% of the state. The Blood Research Institute, the research arm of BCW, has grown under her leadership, expanding National Institutes of Health funding by 200%. And at a time when many jobs are leaving Milwaukee, Fredrick has added 200 new jobs to the area, attracting talent from across the globe. This summer, Fredrick was asked by the leadership of Froedtert, Aurora, Children’s Hospital and others to take over tissue and organ procurement because of their confidence in her leadership. Fredrick is highly sought after for professional and civic leadership. She serves as President of the board for AABB, the largest national association for individuals and institutions involved in transfusion and cellular therapies activities. She is also the Secretary of the Board for the National Marrow Donor Program, Chair of the UW-Milwaukee Research Foundation and Vice-Chair of the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center. Fredrick serves on the boards of Alverno College, Junior Achievement and the Marshfield Clinic National Advisory Council. She is a member of Professional Dimensions, the Greater Milwaukee Committee and the Rotary Club of Milwaukee. Fredrick is married to Arlyn and has two children, Nathan and Lauren. Celebrating its 31st year, Professional Dimensions is the area’s largest networking organization for professional women. It promotes the personal and professional growth of women through social and business exchange and through community participation. For an invitation to this event, please contact the Professional Dimensions office at 414-374-3570. (pd@ywcamilw.org).
Endo's link to autoimmune diseases and cancer
Have you read about the "new" theory about the cause of endo, and the study suggesting that women who use tampons and/or have sex during menstruation are less likely to develop endometriosis? Here's the real story. A Retrograde Cause?
|
|
Endometriosis
Association
8585 N. 76th Place Milwaukee, WI 53223 USA phone 414.355.2200 fax 414.355.6065 ©2010 Endometriosis Association All rights reserved. |
