One 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.