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A new normal: giving a voice to women with endometriosis and pelvic pain

In honour of his late wife, Dr. Michael Herrick (MBA'84, MA'11) and researchers at the Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Pain Clinic at IWK Health are committed to improving health outcomes for women facing chronic pelvic pain and endometriosis diagnoses.
A woman with short grey hair wraps her arms around a man in a blue shirt. Dr. Michael Herrick (MBA'84, MA'11) and Lynda Rae Campbell (MHSA'93). (Submitted photo)

Posted:聽May 16, 2024

By:聽Dayna Park

For Giving Power

Lynda Rae Campbell (MHSA鈥93) was a positive, hard-working woman who loved animals, travelling, and her family and friends. She spent decades working as a speech-language pathologist with the and as a manager in the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness. She also worked in health-related organizations in Cameroon, Botswana, Trinidad and Tobago, and in The Bahamas, where she was the (PAHO) representative.

Most of the time, you鈥檇 never know Lynda was living with chronic abdominal pain, but there were times over the years that she could be found curled up on the floor in acute agony. In October 2021, at the age of 70, Lynda passed away from liver cancer, connected to her decades-long battle with endometriosis and abdominal pain.

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a medical condition in which cells similar to the lining of the uterus grow outside the uterus, most commonly on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and surrounding tissues. Approximately 15 per cent of women of reproductive age suffer from chronic pelvic pain, causing a tremendous impact on quality of life.

Numerous trips to doctors and hospital stays during Lynda鈥檚 lifetime in an effort to solve her pain led to medications, misdiagnoses, surgery, and even a dismissal of her symptoms. Now, her husband,聽Dr. Michael Herrick (MBA鈥84, MA鈥11),聽is passionate about improving awareness and outcomes for those who experience similar conditions.

Dr. Herrick is hoping to improve global research and understanding of these health issues by establishing the Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Pain Clinic Research Fund at 麻豆传媒. 鈥淚 hope to change the perception of endometriosis and pelvic pain,鈥 he says. 鈥淓xcruciating pain is not normal, although many women are told it is normal.鈥

It has been estimated that chronic pelvic pain is responsible for $1.8 billion in total annual costs in Canada, not to mention the personal costs to those suffering.

"Endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain are associated with significant health care costs due to physician and emergency department visits, medications, surgeries, and hospital admissions,鈥 says Dr. Elizabeth Randle (PGM鈥16). Along with Dr. Allana Munro (BScPH鈥05, MD鈥09, PGM鈥14), Dr. Randle is the medical co-lead for the 聽at the IWK Health鈥攖he first clinic of its kind in Atlantic Canada.

Supporting the treatment they deserve

Along with their team, Drs. Munro and Randle are ready to take on this challenge. Their goal is to develop a robust database of this patient population that will drive research and create best practices in symptom management, risk factor identification, and treatment options. The data will enable health professionals providing primary care to better diagnose and refer patients with chronic pelvic pain and endometriosis to get the right treatments.

鈥淚鈥檓 very impressed by their capacity to solve this issue,鈥 Dr. Herrick says of Drs. Munro and Randle鈥檚 research team. 鈥淏ut they need funding, so that鈥檚 how I can contribute.鈥

His philanthropic investment will help improve clinical care for women in pain today and establish a rich dataset required for future research and discovery.

鈥淟ynda and I were married for 34 years, and we had great life together,鈥 he says. 鈥淏ut we could鈥檝e had longer, and she could鈥檝e suffered less if we had known more about this affliction that so many women endure.鈥澛