Paige's Endometriosis Excision Surgery Abroad

Overview:

Hi! My name is Paige, and I’ve been diagnosed with stage 4 deep-infiltrating endometriosis. I am raising money to fund my endometriosis excision surgery in Athens, Greece, due to the inaccessibility of women’s healthcare here in Canada. My surgery is booked for April 3rd, 2025.

My endometriosis has progressed to the point where my organs are fusing together within my pelvis, and I live with chronic pain every single day. Endometriosis has negatively affected every aspect of my life, causing me to miss numerous workdays, social events, family gatherings, and everyday activities. I am subjected to all kinds of suffering, such as pain during bowel movements, urination, and intercourse, chronic lower back pain, severe abdominal cramps, extreme abdominal bloating, constant nausea, and more.

My struggle with endometriosis has led me to seek medical treatment outside of Canada. I have been waiting unbearably long for the public healthcare system to even accept me as a surgical patient, and I have even been denied private healthcare here in Canada, based on the severity of my condition. Endometriosis excision surgery has the potential to greatly improve my quality of life but would require significant financial investment. This is why I am asking for your help. My goal is not only to spread awareness about endometriosis, but to also reduce the financial burden of this surgery. If you are able to donate, I would be extremely grateful. Please take the time to read about my story with endometriosis below:

About Me & Endometriosis:

My name is Paige! I am 25 years old, and I am a Registered Nurse from Alberta, Canada, and I have stage 4 deep-infiltrating endometriosis.

Briefly, endometriosis is a condition where endometrial-like tissue grows outside of the endometrium, and in advanced cases, onto other organs in the body. My body is subjected to a state of constant inflammation, causing scar tissue to form and fuse organs together. The level of severity determines the diagnosis stage, and I have been diagnosed with the most severe stage.

Two years ago, I was officially diagnosed with stage 4 deep-infiltrating endometriosis in my posterior pelvis, via a combination of my symptoms and MRI imaging results. Ever since, I have faced countless roadblocks and challenges just to be seen and heard in the Canadian healthcare system. This condition has gotten progressively worse as time has gone on, to the point where my organs are fusing to one another within my pelvis. I live in chronic pain every single day.

With no cure, the current treatment for endometriosis is multiple pills, injections, and hormones, all with awful side effects that can be worse than the endo pain itself. At age 25, I was put into ‘medically induced menopause’ in an attempt to manage my symptoms. Although I have tried every pill, injection, cream, physio, acupuncture, and massage offered to me, nothing has come close to providing me with pain relief.

Why surgery abroad:

In Canada, it took years for me to receive a referral to a gynecologist, months for me to be seen and diagnosed, and I have been waiting a year to even be accepted and seen by an excision surgeon. For someone with daily debilitating pain, each day that goes by offers me little hope that this will be resolved quickly, especially since the wait times provided here in Canada are simply unacceptable.

I have explored other private options in Canada, and due to the severity of my condition, they have all declined to take me on as a patient. This has left me helpless, confused, and overwhelmed by the lack of support here in my home country.

In order to finally take control of my own healthcare, I have started this GoFundMe. Seeking surgery abroad is the only conclusion I have that provides me with some sort of relief and hopefully more answers.

Having this condition has already set me back tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket, in the hopes of preserving my future fertility. I’ve put myself through egg-freezing treatments, acupuncture, pelvic floor physiotherapy, all of which come at a personal and financial cost. This condition has burdened me with a large financial, physical, and emotional toll to seek pain relief and fertility-sparing options.

Where your donation will go:

The goal of this GoFundMe is to help pay for the surgical procedure, travel to a specialized endometriosis clinic in Athens, Greece, and aid with the recovery expenses. I will be traveling to the Athens Centre for Endometriosis (ACE) to receive care from renowned endometriosis excision specialists, specializing in multi-organ endometriosis. I will be required to stay abroad for approximately 20 days before I can return home to rest and recover for another 4-6 weeks before I can return to work.

The cost of the surgery itself is estimated to be $20,000 CAD. This excludes medications, flights, food, and accommodations, which are estimated to be another $10,000 CAD. Any financial support towards this would be greatly appreciated.

My endometriosis unfortunately involves a large amount of my posterior pelvis, including my colon, and therefore my surgery comes with more risks than average. All things considered, surgery abroad seems to be my last hope to return to a pain-free life.

A Big Thank You

I want to thank you so very much for taking the time to listen to my story. Thank you to everyone who has supported me, and will continue to support me in this journey.

If you’re able, I would greatly appreciate any contribution towards my surgery. If anything, please continue to advocate for myself and others suffering from this condition because I know we are not alone. From the bottom of my heart, I am eternally grateful for your love and support.

-Paige