N.S. woman resorts to surgery in U.S. for endometriosis due to Canadian wait times
Global News
A N.S. woman says the long wait times for gynaecological services in Canada forced her hand, as her options were limited while her pain persists. She faces a $50K bill in the U.S.
A Nova Scotia woman is on her way south of the border to receive surgery for her endometriosis — a procedure she couldn’t easily access in Canada.
Steph McNamara of Halifax says the long wait times for gynaecological services in Canada forced her hand, as her options were limited while her pain persists.
“I’m only 37 and I just have so much more life to live. And it’s just been it’s such a debilitating disease,” she said.
McNamara was only 24 when she found out she could have endometriosis, a condition where tissue grows outside the uterus and causes severe pain. She’s had multiple ER visits, severe bloating and bladder issues.
Other than birth control, she was told there wasn’t much doctors could do.
“In the last year, I was experiencing a really rare symptom. It’s called umbilical endometriosis where (there’s) bleeding from my bellybutton, bleeding from my navel. And this caused really extreme symptoms,” she said.
That was more than McNamara could bear and she decided to seek surgical excision in Maine. She left Monday for the procedure.
While the treatment is sometimes offered in Nova Scotia, it can come with a lengthy wait.
