Endometriosis affects nearly 2 million women across Canada. For women struggling with this condition, their symptoms are often minimized or misunderstood. For Regina, her 15-year battle with debilitating symptoms was physically agonizing as well as emotionally exhausting. Like so many others, Regina spent years searching for answers, only to be told that what she was feeling was “normal.”
Regina’s story began when she was living in Mexico in her early 20s and began experiencing intense pelvic pain. She sought help, but the OB-GYN she saw dismissed it as routine period pain. “I left every appointment feeling dismissed and ashamed,” Regina recalled.
With no relief for her pain, she decided to seek a second opinion. This time, the doctor discovered a fibroid the size of a tennis ball. After the fibroid was surgically removed, the doctor casually suggested she “might” have endometriosis, but offered no firm diagnosis, no direction and no follow-up. “That comment—so vague and noncommittal—left me feeling like something was seriously wrong with me that even my doctors didn’t want to acknowledge out loud,” said Regina.
Years passed, and Regina moved to Canada. She continued to deal with the unrelenting pain she now recognizes as endometriosis. After several appointments with a family doctor, she was finally referred to the Centre for Pelvic Pain + Endometriosis at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre. That’s where everything changed.
“Meeting Dr. Caroline Lee was the turning point in my journey,” Regina revealed. “For the first time, I didn’t have to justify my pain or explain why I was there. She listened. She believed me. She treated me with the compassion and respect I had spent so many years searching for.”
In April 2025, Regina underwent surgery to remove endometriosis tissue and a cyst. She also had her ovaries suspended (temporarily attached to the abdominal wall) to prevent further pain and damage. “From the moment I arrived at the hospital, I was blown away. Every single doctor, nurse and staff member treated me with such care, compassion and confidence that my anxiety started melting away. I felt genuinely safe, seen and supported. I knew I was in the very best hands.”
Today, for the first time in nearly 15 years, Regina is pain-free. “I feel stronger than ever, physically and emotionally. I even ran a 5K recently in honour of endometriosis. I am forever grateful to BC Women’s Hospital and everyone who made this possible.”
Regina’s story is a powerful reminder that women’s pain deserves to be taken seriously and that access to specialized care can change everything. Thanks to the expertise and compassion of the team at BC Women’s, Regina now has a future free from pain. But many more women are still waiting for answers. By supporting BC Women’s Health Foundation, you help fund vital research and compassionate care programs that give women like Regina hope and a chance at a pain-free future. Will you join us in making that future possible?