A Dyer woman suffered from severe pain for years before she finally found a doctor who would listen to her.
Jill Brotan was diagnosed with endometriosis and had a surgery that would change her life. She credits Powers Health's new Chronic Pain Program with her recovery.
Powers Health launched the Chronic Pelvic Pain Program to provide care to women for chronic pelvic pain, including endometriosis, adenomyosis and fibroids. It helps women with debilitating symptoms like bloated stomachs, blood loss and sharp abdominal pain.
Such conditions can go untreated for a decade.
“On average, it takes seven to 10 years for a woman to be diagnosed with endometriosis. That is unacceptable,” said Osama Zaghmout, an OB/GYN on staff at Powers Health hospitals.
His goal is to whittle that timespan down to mere weeks, not years.
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Zaghmout aims to diagnose and treat patients for months instead of years, including by scanning them with MRIs and referring them to gastroenterologists.
“Our goal is to get our Chronic Pelvic Pain patients through Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy and lined up for an MRI quicker, if necessary. If there is bowel involvement, then we do collaborative surgery with colorectal and gynecological surgeons,” Zaghmout said.
Early diagnosis can improve quality of life, getting the treatment needed for chronic pelvic pain and infertility.
Brotan suffered from extreme pain and inflammation for years during her menstrual cycle.
“I would bleed through tampons and pads within minutes for weeks,” she said. “There was no reason for my periods to be that excessive. I didn’t have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). That was not the issue. Doctors could not find anything on imaging or an ultrasound.”
She could not get pregnant, but doctors dismissed her concerns time and time again. She finally went to a fertility clinic and was scheduled for a laparoscopy.
“The doctor said, ‘We are just going to go in and see what is going on. No more questions, no more tests, no more blood work.’ After that first laparoscopy, I was told I had endometriosis. The doctor cleaned out the tissue as best he could.”
Endometriosis is a painful condition in which tissue grows outside the uterus. She got pregnant twice after getting the surgery.
“It was like I could feel every organ tightening and being squeezed,” she said. “I had constant pain everywhere below my waist. The inflammation and bloating were so bad that I looked four months pregnant.”
She saw Zaghmout and decided to schedule a partial hysterectomy.
“My family was complete, and I was tired of being in pain,” she said. “After the surgery, the pain was gone instantly. I was in more pain going into surgery because of my period than I was after surgery. It was a miracle.”
Zaghmout removed her uterus, which was three times the size of normal, as well as endometrial tissue that was wrapped around her bladder, up her pelvic wall and on her upper abdomen. Her fallopian tube had been stuck to her bowel with endometrial tissue.
“Jill is the perfect example of how a woman can benefit from the Chronic Pelvic Pain Program,” Zaghmout said. “There is no reason for women to suffer. Our goal is to listen to these women, to get them diagnosed and treated as soon as possible so that they can enjoy their lives pain-free.”
