Cherokee Women’s Health Specialists

Endometriosis Essentials: Know the Facts

BY CHEROKEE WOMEN’S HEALTH SPECIALISTS, PC

With endometriosis affecting approximately 5 million American women, it’s important to know the facts. Endometriosis is a disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus, the endometrium, grows outside the uterus.

In endometriosis, displaced endometrial tissue continues to act as it normally would — it thickens, breaks down and bleeds with each menstrual cycle. Because this displaced tissue has no way to exit your body, it becomes trapped. Surrounding tissue can become irritated, eventually developing scar tissue and adhesions (abnormal tissue that binds organs together). Endometriosis can cause pain, sometimes severe, especially during the menstrual cycle. Fertility problems also may develop. The exact cause of endometriosis is not known. However, possible causes include: • The immune system may not be getting rid of endometrial cells outside of the uterus like it should. • Heavy bleeding or an abnormal structure of the uterus, cervix or vagina causes too many endometrial cells to go up through the fallopian tubes and then into the belly. • Blood or lymph fluid may carry endometrial cells to other parts of the body, or the cells may be moved during a surgery, such as an episiotomy or a cesarean delivery. • It may be hereditary. Call a doctor to schedule an appointment if: • Your periods have changed from relatively pain-free to painful and interfere with your daily activities. • You have pain during intercourse. • You have painful urination, blood in your urine or an inability to control the flow of urine. • You have blood in your stool, you develop pain or you have a significant, unexplained change in your bowel movements. • You are not able to become pregnant after trying for 12 months. • You develop sudden, severe pelvic pain (call immediately).

Although there is no cure, treatment can help. Endometriosis treatment depends on how severe your symptoms are and whether you want to get pregnant. If you have pain only, hormone therapy may help. If you want to become pregnant, having surgery, infertility treatment, or both may help.

Not all women with endometriosis have pain. And endometriosis doesn’t always get worse over time. During pregnancy, it usually improves, as it does after menopause. If you have mild pain, no plans for a future pregnancy or are near menopause (around age 50), you may not feel a need for treatment.

Regardless, it’s best to discuss your symptoms with your doctor, to receive the proper diagnosis and get any help you need.

Cherokee Women's Health Specialists, PC has eight physicians with offices in Canton and Woodstock. 770-720-7733. www.cherokeewomenshealth.com.

Schug Family Benefit

Celebrating the beautiful life of Chasity Schug! All proceeds will go directly to the Schug family to help cover outlying medical expenses.

Northside Hospital-Cherokee Amphitheatre April 23, gates open at 7 p.m.

Drinks, live music and a guaranteed good time. Bring your kids, friends and family!

For tickets

Setting the Stage for Success

Realtor’s experience in the current market results in higher offers, happier clients.

Lindsey Haas has grown her business to the point where it is selling almost 100 homes per year, with more than 95% of her business consisting of repeat clients or referrals. She is proud to be one of the top real estate agents in Cherokee County and, with the added numbers from her small team, one of the top in the north Atlanta market, according to MLS data.

While the numbers are impressive, it’s the personal experience that she prefers to focus on.

“We aren’t about the quantity of homes sold. It’s more about the quality of the experience,” Lindsey said. “We have truly mastered the fine art of real estate and, without our amazing back office, we would not be able to smoothly close all the homes that we do, with precision, and have happy clients for life. Once they go through the process with us, we have them for life as a client.”

The experience of one client sums up that Haas Team difference. Homeowners who initially decided to sell their home to a large investor switched to the Haas Team when they learned how much money they were giving up. Ultimately, the homeowners got more money with less hassle, and “better terms than they were being offered from the investors,” she said. “The final closing price, minus fees and required repairs, was going to be $508,000. Using the Haas Team as the listing agent, the closing price was $575,000 and, after commission, was $547,000 — almost 15% more.”

Lindsey sold the home in one day, with one showing. And, because they used Lindsey to purchase their next home, they got a discount on the commission on the sale of their home, netting them 7% more — almost $40,000.

While that was the strategy this homeowner chose, Lindsey suggests homes be listed for 4-5 days, to take advantage of supply and demand. That strategy results in higher offers, an advantage that Lindsey offers her clients because of her level of experience.

“I understand what works in the current market; that’s why it's important to choose a Realtor with experience and production,” she said. “One great thing about Zillow is that it tracks the production of each real estate agent automatically from the MLS data, so you can truly see what they are selling and the areas they focus on. Don’t miss this critical step when choosing the right Realtor for your home.”

The Haas Team Advantage In 2017, Lindsey and Jeremy, her husband and business partner, took their successful real estate business to the next level by acquiring a warehouse, a moving truck,

Operations Director Shannon Bieberich has been with the Haas Team since 2017.

PHOTOS BY RED BARYL PORTRAITS

Lindsey Haas in her warehouse of staging furniture.

investing tens of thousands in decor and furniture, and hiring a full-time stager.

The experience and strategic shift immediately began to pay off for their sellers. Ordinary homes — occupied and vacant — were transformed into a canvas for buyers to visualize their dream spaces. Proper presentation makes a difference for the seller, Lindsey said, bringing in more offers at higher prices. That’s why they decided to offer free staging for homes priced under $800,000.

“After years of working with buyers and sellers, we saw an opportunity to elevate the experience, and maximize profits for our sellers,” she said. “Buyers watch transformations on HGTV; that wow factor is what they’re looking for when they shop for a new home. With our team, staging doesn’t cost anything; it’s a complimentary, vital service we provide, and it always delivers a higher sales price.”

Setting the Stage for Success Lindsey walks room to room with each client and creates a plan of action that could involve anything from necessary updates to staging. No detail is overlooked in this process, which can require bringing in just a few pieces of art, or larger pieces of furniture. Everything stays through showings, professional photography and the appraisal process. The Haas Team’s full-time stagers and interior designer visit each client and determine what’s needed. They visit the team’s 3,000-square-foot warehouse in Woodstock, load up the moving truck and make the delivery, putting everything in place.

“Sellers have no idea what they are missing out on with our team. We go the extra mile by helping with proper furniture placement, recommend contractors to help take care of inspection deal killers, and bring in items to transform their home to a showstopper. Everyone needs some level of staging and preparations, to maximize their return. Furniture placement and color pops are key,” Lindsey said.

Online ads generate traffic to their newly staged listings. “We draw many people to our open houses and to our listings by ads,” she said. “Many of our homes sold to someone that was not in the market to buy, but saw our ad and jumped on it. Open houses do work, and we know how to bring in the traffic and market them properly. We do them every weekend.”

Dedicated to Clients in Service Relationships are especially important to Lindsey and her team. Their desire is to treat each client like a family member, and to take every measure to assure their success. Lindsey’s team is integral to their success; she is adding more agents to provide the ultimate experience for sellers.

Operations Director Shannon Bieberich was recently promoted. She has been working with Lindsey since 2017; Lindsey said she is the equivalent of five employees.

“Shannon is amazing. She has a whateverit-takes attitude, and is a major part of our success in the back office and making our clients happy,” Lindsey said. “Shannon is key to taking the business to yet another level. We are so excited for 2022.”

The Lindsey Haas Team at Atlanta Communities Real Estate Brokerage

6478 Putnam Ford Drive, Woodstock 678-933-1962

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