Woman's rare form of endometriosis made her lung collapse after doctor dismissed symptoms for years

Chakia Bradford, a 32-year-old from Humble, Texas, first noticed shortness of breath in April last year and initially attributed it to allergies. After an X-ray, hospital doctors found about 2 liters of bloody fluid around her lungs, which was removed; she stayed in the hospital for just over a week. Doctors then linked the episodes to her extremely painful periods after about eight years, when repeated lung collapse occurred again about a month later “every time” her cycle came. She was later told she likely had endometriosis affecting the lungs. Experts say outside-pelvis endometriosis is uncommon, and serious chest complications are rare.