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Ask Me About My Uterus
Ask Me About My Uterus: A Quest to Make Doctors Believe in Womens Pain | Abby Norman
For any woman who has experienced illness, chronic pain, or endometriosis comes an inspiring memoir advocating for recognition of women's health issues In the fall of 2010, Abby Norman's strong dancer's body dropped forty pounds and gray hairs began to sprout from her temples. She was repeatedly hospitalized in excruciating pain, but the doctors insisted it was a urinary tract infection and sent her home with antibiotics. Unable to get out of bed, much less attend class, Norman dropped out of college and embarked on what would become a years-long journey to discover what was wrong with her. It wasn't until she took matters into her own hands--securing a job in a hospital and educating herself over lunchtime reading in the medical library--that she found an accurate diagnosis of endometriosis. In Ask Me About My Uterus, Norman describes what it was like to have her pain dismissed, to be told it was all in her head, only to be taken seriously when she was accompanied by a boyfriend who confirmed that her sexual performance was, indeed, compromised. Putting her own trials into a broader historical, sociocultural, and political context, Norman shows that women's bodies have long been the battleground of a never-ending war for power, control, medical knowledge, and truth. It's time to refute the belief that being a woman is a preexisting condition.
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ManyWordsLater
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These books have been on my shelf for 6 and 4 years.
This is what motivated my 1:1 fiction:non-fiction challenge this year.

Time to move off the TBR shelf!

Ruthiella Good luck! 👍 2mo
Suet624 $2.00 a day would be tough. 2mo
61 likes2 comments
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shadowspeak17
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1. Elantris and A Darker Shade of Magic
2. Ask Me About My Uterus
3. The Only Plane in the Sky
#weekendreads

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Shievad
Mehso-so

Overall I liked the book but there were long parts that went deep into the author‘s childhood abuse/neglect at the hands of her mother, maternal grandmother, and bystander father and into the history of the author‘s mother‘s childhood abuse. I understand that malnourishment as a child/adolescent has profound impact on one‘s adult health but I was not expecting that much focus on her abuse in a book I thought was about healthcare and women.

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CaroPi
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Pickpick

I like this book. It teach me a lot about endometriosis that I have been interested. It seems that is taboo topic despite the fact that so many women are affected by this disease. Is half biography and half her findings in the topic. I think every woman should read this book to understand her body.

#nonfiction
#womenissues

sharread 😅❤💯💥 4y
sharread The title made me laugh. But it's a serious topic. I'm in hot flash mode so past that part. 4y
CaroPi @sharread for me is really important because I have endometriosis and doctors here don't like to remove uterus because of... Kids. I have 41. Other health issues since I had 28 doctor told that maybe artificial insemination. Never thought of having kids. But had pain and issues with my uterus for too long 4y
sharread @CaroPi My friend had that really bad, she did a procedure that allowed her to keep her eggs, but still remove some part of the uterus. She's been doing great lost over 100 lbs and it's been over 20 years. Hope you find help soon. ❤❤❤❤❤ 4y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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“Sure, we hadn‘t figured out how to consistently diagnose, let alone adequately treat, a debilitating condition that had affected millions of women all over the world for centuries—but we finally weighed a dwarf star.”
....talking about endometriosis

Well, when you put it that way! 🤦‍♀️

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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🤯🤬

Butterfinger That burns me up. 😠 4y
ravenlee This is tangential, but the medical profession relies so heavily on acetaminophen as the “safe” painkiller that many doctors honestly don‘t know what other options exist. I am allergic to Tylenol, as are my mother, sister, and (to a lesser extent) brother. I have been prescribed products that doctors didn‘t even know contained acetaminophen (as the active ingredient!) and was told during my pregnancy I‘d just have to buck up. 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @ravenlee That is so frustrating, especially when there are perfectly good alternatives! 4y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Megabooks 😭😭 4y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Megabooks So sad this happened. I‘m so lucky my parents can help supplement my disability. Very, very lucky. 4y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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😱

Butterfinger 😠 4y
33 likes1 comment
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Daisey This book sounds really Interesting but also incredibly frustrating! 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Daisey It is both, but I flew through it! 4y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Megabooks True 4y
34 likes1 comment
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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😢

Butterfinger I ask it all the time. Is my anxiety causing me to be sick? This really strikes home because a dear friend of mine died the other day and the autopsy results came back today. She died of a treatable disease called arterio 4y
Butterfinger I didn't mean to send it. Arteriosclerotic Vascular disease, but it wasn't diagnosed. Only 46. 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Butterfinger This book may be for you! The author had illnesses, that no one believed her about, until she forced the issues....after years of researching them on her own. Which led her not only to study medicine in her spare time, but the history of medicine back through when “hysteria” was the diagnosis for most womanly complaints. 4y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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I love this section in the Acknowledgements!

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Pickpick

Part memoir, part medical history, but all about how doctors do & don‘t listen to women and take their pain seriously...often leading to no diagnosis or mis-diagnosis. Such a frustrating book to read, both for her story & how it intersects with anyone with an illness that resists easy classification & trying to navigate a medical system set up for quick fast exams and faster treatments, but have lost the time to actually study a patient‘s issue.

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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

This is a tough, but really important read. It's a graphic account of the author's illness, the devastating effect it's had on her life, and how much worse her experience was made by her struggles to get a diagnosis and treatment. One of the things that struck me most was how the cost of healthcare worsened the situation. A real eye opener. @thereadingwomen

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arlenefinnigan
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BarbaraTheBibliophage It‘s so good, but a hard read. 5y
28 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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bookishbitch
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Pickpick

Have you ever read a book and then wanted the whole damn world to read it? This is one of them. There was so much good information, story telling and venting that even the parts I didn't relate to were compelling. While her specific condition might not apply to all, the parts about the health care system certainly does. And I'm sure every one of us, for those lucky enough not to live with chronic pain, knows someone who does. Cont. In comments....

bookishbitch I thought the author presented her story very well while also providing potentially helpful medical information to others in similar situations. Chronic pain is no joke and as someone who deals with my own issues I found she did a great job conveying some of the frustrations that come with them. I am grateful for the things my body can do though. Not everyone is so lucky. Seriously, check this book out. 5y
12 likes1 comment
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bookishbitch
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Today was beautiful. So I read outside in my pajamas while Kiki watched the traffic go by. (And waited for a chippie to wander into her yard.) So far this book is excellent.

iread2much Aww, such a cutie! 5y
bookishbitch @iread2much Thanks! I think so too. 😊 5y
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literarymermaid
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Pickpick

Memoir Monday!!⠀

Ask Me About My Uterus is a memoir by Abby Norman about her struggle with endometriosis and the medical system. It's really informative about women's struggles in general with the medical system and the inadequacy of the current pain chart. I had a great time reading it.

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Somasis
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I'm only about 40 pages in, but so far the history is interesting and really gives context to the memoir component. It's really resonating as a person who has had pain dismissed by medical professionals and I'm looking forward to reading more. But this is a text that is difficult to enjoy, it's well written but it fills me with rage.

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bookishbitch
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I just moved this to my "on deck" tbr pile. I have an idea this will become a bit of a rage read. Register. Resist. Vote. Them. Out!

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saguarosally
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1. 😂😁😳
2. No, they all graduated long ago.
3. Going back to New England.
4. Last on both sides by many years. You know, accident...
5. Yes ma‘am!
#friyayintro @howjessreads

madamereadsalot1 Have a safe trip! (None of my favorite emojis really work well for that! 😆) 5y
saguarosally @madamereadsalot1 It‘ll be good, I needed some desert. 😁🌵 5y
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alisiakae
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🎉🎉🎉 I‘m 🏡 from the 🏥 , and it‘s done! Tagged Abby Norman‘s book for those who want to learn more about endometriosis.

This is my 2nd surgery, and I‘m not gonna lie ,it was a bitch. My pelvic region was COVERED with endo lesions, as well as my bladder, which they accidentally nicked while removing lesions. Apparently my uterus was “boggy” too with possible adenomyosis, which they will biopsy. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

#endowarrior
#hystersister

alisiakae But I got to keep my ovaries! In all it was a 3 hr surgery and I went home with a catheter for 2 wks because of the bladder repairs. 😫 Thank you to everyone who offered encouraging words lately, it meant so much! 💛💛💛 5y
MaleficentBookDragon I'm glad you're on the mend. I feel you. I had endometriosis. It was a bitch. 5y
AmyG So happy to read you are home. Wishing you a good, quick recovery. 5y
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Meee96 Hoping all goes well for you! 💛Thank you for sharing. My surgery for endo is coming Tuesday. 5y
MoonWitch94 💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️ Sending peace & healing vibes your way. 5y
Bookwormjillk I hope your recovery goes well, and you have some good books to read. 5y
jpmcwisemorgan I‘m glad you‘re home and I hope your recovery goes well. 5y
wanderinglynn Sending you healing vibes for a quick recovery. 💚 5y
Smangela You‘re amazing! Wishing you safe and speedy recovery! 5y
guinsgirlreads Best wishes! 5y
AsYouWish So glad you are home!! Sending positive vibes for a safe and speedy recovery!! 5y
MicheleinPhilly ❤️❤️ 5y
CarolynM Hope that you recover quickly and you can get on with life without the pain 💐 Hope your surgery goes well @Meee96 5y
hermyknee ♥️♥️♥️ best wishes for a speedy recovery, friend 5y
merelybookish Here's to a safe recovery 🙏 and lots of books to read while you heal! 5y
MicrobeMom Wow! I am sorry! I hope you recover soon! Speedy healing and happy reading! 5y
alisiakae @Meee96 Good luck! If you need someone to talk to that‘s been through it before, feel free to email me at abergsman@gmail.com. Are you having an diagnostic laparoscopy and excision surgery? I made the mistake of doing ablation with a regular Gyn the first time. I learned my listen and found a specialist this time. 5y
Meee96 @CarolynM Thank you soo much! 5y
Meee96 @4thhouseontheleft Thank you sooo much! I will do!💛😊 5y
Kaye Glad it‘s done and you are home recovering. Take it easy ! 5y
BookwormAHN I'm glad you're done. Good luck with healing and hugs 🍀 5y
kspenmoll Take care and pamper yourself- wishing you a speedy recovery & freedom from pain.💕💕 5y
RvnclawWhovian Glad you‘re home and recovering well! 5y
Johanna414 Hope you recover quickly! While I don‘t have endometriosis, I did have a basketball sized cyst and a cancerous ovary removed a couple years ago and have the 8 inch scar to show for it... I have all the sympathy in the world for you! 5y
alisiakae @MaleficentBookDragon I‘m sorry you also have dealt with endo. 😞 5y
erzascarletbookgasm Wish you a speed recovery 💗 5y
Jas16 Wishing you a speedy recovery 💐 5y
CouronneDhiver 🤘🏽 like a warrior. speedy recovery! 5y
JoScho Feel better soon ❤️ 5y
Redwritinghood I hope you recover quickly. 5y
Eyelit 💚💚💚 5y
cobwebmoth Hope you heal quickly! 5y
JacqMac Good healing vibes to you. 💕 5y
ChasingOm Keeping you in my thoughts! 5y
JSW Sending you all the healing vibes. I had a hysterectomy in 2014 thanks to fibroids both on the outside of my uterus and in the uterine wall. Good times. 😑 Rest rest rest and more rest. ❤️❤️❤️ love to all who suffer and peace to those anticipating procedures. 5y
Leftcoastzen Hope you have a speedy recovery, at the same time , treat yourself gently, healing vibes headed your way.❤️ 5y
JessClark78 ❤️❤️❤️ 5y
JennyM Take good care of yourself and rest! 😘♥️😘 5y
batsy Wishing you a speedy recovery 💐 Take care. 5y
BarbaraBB Take care 💕 5y
LeahBergen Sending you ❤️❤️❤️!! 5y
mrp27 Wishing you a speedy recovery! 5y
julesG Speedy recovery! Rest and read! 5y
Kalalalatja Take care 💕💕 5y
Tanisha_A Get well soon! 🌺 5y
kezzlou85 Wishing you a quick recovery. 5y
tracey38 Glad you are home and recovering. 💛💛💛 5y
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review
crazyspine
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Pickpick

Reading this at work was tricky as I do not want middle school boys asking me about my uterus. My husband came up with the great idea of putting another book's cover on it. Not sure if I liked this book or not. It was definitely well-written.

ravenlee Just tuck it into the textbook, right? 😆 5y
crazyspine Another teacher saw my fake cover and wanted to talk to me about that book, and a kid asked me what it was about. awkward! 5y
SleepyDragon What was the fake cover? 5y
63 likes4 comments
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Elma
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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! The kindness of Littens never ceases to amaze me. I'm looking forward to reading all these books.
#kindlitsy
@britt_brooke @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @dariazeoli @MaGoose @mountainsandlace

britt_brooke 🤗 Hope you enjoy Eleanor & Park. I loved it! 5y
Elma @britt_brooke I'm sure I will. I love her writing. 5y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Yea! I‘m so glad you found them! 5y
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Elma @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Me too. It's actually my husband's email and he had a certain Amazon email set to go straight to his trash folder. Those emails are now being forwarded to me. 5y
Elma @mountainsandlace ❤❤❤ 5y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Elma Whew! Thank goodness he hadn‘t emptied the trash folder lately!!!😱 5y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Elma might be time to get your own email address! 👍 5y
Elma @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I actually have several email accounts, but we only have 1 Amazon account and it's tied to his email. So that's the one that gifted Kindle books go to. He just got sick of all the loan ended library emails, so he sent them straight to the trash. But apparently gifted Kindle books come from the same email, so they also went in the trash. Now they're set to forward to one of my emails.🤞 5y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Elma I‘m so glad you figured it out. We have 2 Amazon accounts at our house....we just tied them together as family accounts so they get the same benefits, we can even share family ebooks between them, but they have separate email address and passwords. 5y
Elma @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Interesting...Do they share Prime benefits too? 5y
Elma @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Hmmm...We're gonna have to do that then. It's really hard to buy gifts for each other when you share 1 account. Thanks for the info! 5y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Elma It‘s in the account settings and you can set multiple accounts as part of your “household”. I think it‘s 2 adults and up to 2 children. They all share the same Prime subscription, and you can set them up under the same payment method or different ones, etc. 5y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Elma You are very welcome! 5y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Elma Plus for my reading family, I can choose to “share” my ebook purchases with others in my “family” or not. So we can read a book at the same time and only buy it once...or I can keep my racier books on my account and my kindle alone. It‘s up to which account buys them, but we‘ve found that feature really nice. 5y
Elma @Riveted_Reader_Melissa That is nice. We've been talking about buying a second Kindle for my husband, so sharing books would be awesome. I wonder if you can share library books?! 5y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Elma I‘m not sure there. But he could always unregistered his kindle from his account, register it with your account, and then read the library book together....in that case just don‘t auto sync it or you‘ll both be at the furthest point either of you read. And then when you are finished just reregister it as his account again in his kindle‘s settings. 5y
83 likes1 stack add20 comments
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sahilbert
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The first book I am reading on my new kindle!

3 likes1 stack add
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shadowspeak17
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Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️
I applaud Norman for sharing her story, and I really loved the first bit of this book, but it just really could have used some better editing.

#booked2018 #floweroncover
#catsoflitsy #Ember

Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft just read this one too!! It is a lovely cover for such a heavy topic. 5y
Mariposa_Bookworm Sweet kitty!!! 5y
42 likes2 comments
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alisiakae
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Pickpick

Abby Norman does an excellent job of portraying what it is like to live with endometriosis and chronic illness. From the dismissal of a woman‘s pain to the impact on daily life, this memoir nails it. I wish more men would pick up this book, to try to understand what it is like to live with this disease.

The only thing that kept it from a 5⭐️ read is the need for better editing. At times, it felt rambling.

#booked2018 #invisibleillness

RavenLovelyReads So....how‘s your uterus?? ( sorry- just couldn‘t help it 😜) 5y
alisiakae @RavenLovelyReads 😂😂 It‘s good today! Despite yesterday‘s appt with my specialist....those appt‘s are never fun! I had a major 🙄 at a GR review, the reader didn‘t like the book b/c it had the word uterus in the title. 🤨 5y
Cinfhen Sounds like an empowering read! Will definitely be picking this up 5y
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Quirkybookworm I wish I had that book. Just had surgery done last yr but I suffered for years and many did not believe me until last year. I was pissed 😡. But I‘m pain free now! 5y
alisiakae @Cinfhen 👍👍 @Quirkybookworm I went through a similar situation, had surgery 2 yrs ago after years of symptoms. I‘m a lot better now, but may be facing another round of surgery eventually as pain is slowly returning, but still mostly managed with hormone medication. I‘m glad you‘re pain free! 🎉🎉🎉 (edited) 5y
RavenLovelyReads @4thhouseontheleft 😂😂 i understand! I read Cunt a few years ago...got plenty weird looks! This just got added to my TBR! 5y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Hey, my friend. Do you follow Abby on Instagram? She‘s @abbymnorman. It‘s interesting to see what‘s going on with her post-book, and she‘s very open about her health challenges. 5y
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alisiakae
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👆👆👆 THIS. My diagnosis finally came about after hubby and I changed strategy, and did exactly this. I still get soo angry when I think back to when I was diagnosed, and how I was only taken seriously (after years of different doctors), when suddenly we brought a man‘s sex life into the equation. Who cares about excruciating chronic pelvic pain? 🤬🤬

Thankfully I‘m in a better place now. But it took a lot of advocating to get here. #endowarrior

jpmcwisemorgan I‘m sorry! There are so many things that are backwards. 5y
alisiakae @jpmcwisemorgan I‘m thankful I have an incredibly supportive spouse who has always stood by my side. 😊 Maybe I‘m feeling especially mushy, we‘re leaving on a little wedding anniversary get away later today. 😃 5y
quietlycuriouskate Oh this makes me so cross: sorry you had to go through that! On a happier note, I wish you a lovely anniversary. 💐 5y
See All 10 Comments
That-Bookish-Hiker That‘s so frustrating. For years I had a male gynecologist who wouldn‘t listen to what I was telling him and his answer to everything was “oh your body just hasn‘t found it‘s rhythm.” Finally changed to a woman doctor and she diagnosed me with PCOS. She is a godsend and has made my life so much better because she listens to me. 5y
Clare-Dragonfly That‘s infuriating. I‘m so sorry your doctors wouldn‘t take you seriously on your own. 😡 5y
AmyG All we ever want is to be listened to and validated...especially by doctors. Glad you are doing better. Have a wonderful anniversary! 5y
Amandajoy 😠 That‘s frustrating. And ridiculous. 5y
Reggie A little off subject. One time, I roomed with my friend who happened to be a girl in my early 20‘s. We went furniture shopping because she wanted a table. At one store even though she introduced herself and said what she was looking for the salesman only addressed me and asked me what I was interested in. I had never seen it so blatant. We just left. 5y
alisiakae @Reggie that has happened to me many times. I‘m usually the one that handles the finances and major purchases in our house. I think that has happened every time I go with my husband to buy a car. Or major appliance. They finally get clued in when they direct the conversation at him, and he remains silent until I am included equally. Even though I had been the one asking all the questions. (edited) 5y
Texreader I‘m so sorry and I went through a similar if not same situation but didn‘t think of that as a solution. 5y
80 likes1 stack add10 comments
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alisiakae
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With so much to do today, I‘m never going to finish this Book before I leave on my trip tomorrow. 😫 I usually don‘t like to bring library books with me when I travel...something always seems to happen to them.

But I am looking forward to my next two #screamathon picks in my carry-on. 😃 And I‘m sure I‘ll pick up a few 📚 while in Salem and Boston!

Sooo excited to be going back to Salem during October. 🦇 👻 🔮 🧙🏼‍♀️

JacqMac How fun! Enjoy. 5y
DocBrown I‘ll never forget the year I spent Halloween in Salem. 5y
tammysue Salem sounds like fun especially around this time of year! 5y
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alisiakae @JacqMac Thanks!! @mdhughes72 @whatshesreadingnow It‘s the best time of year to go! We‘re staying in Boston, but we‘ve got one full day planned for Salem on the weekend. 🎉🎉 We‘re mainly there for a conference hubby is attending, and I have work to do during the week, but we‘re going up a few days early to celebrate our wedding anniversary! 5y
tracey38 Have fun! My nurse at work is going to Salem for Halloween. She says she goes every year. 5y
mrp27 Fun! Salem is on my bucket list. Sad I never made it when I lived back east. Enjoy and safe travels! 5y
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alisiakae
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“Research regarding endometriosis has been happening for at least the past century, every medical textbook I‘ve ever thumbed through seems to demarcate the condition as being relatively uninteresting.”

I remember one night, during my spouse‘s surgical residency years, where I pulled out all of his textbooks and looked up endo to see if it fit my symptoms. The treatment sections (if they even existed) was downright abysmal.

tracey38 It's such a complex issue. I am always astounded with how little they know about things. 5y
alisiakae @tracey38 But even what is known about it doesn‘t seem to find it‘s way into the knowledge base of primary care physicians and most surgeons. I was mis-diagnosed with so many different things on my journey, mostly because the majority of doctors downplayed my symptoms and/or didn‘t know enough to know I needed to be referred to a specialist. I strongly suspected I had endo about 8 years before I was officially diagnosed. 5y
alisiakae @tracey38 But you are right, there is a lot we don‘t know. 5y
riversong153 I loved this book. It was so enlightening, horrifying and reassuring at the same time. Women spend much of their lives second guessing their experiences with pain. (edited) 5y
tracey38 @4thhouseontheleft I have PCOS and a large number of doctors I've seen know little to nothing about it, let alone the proper way to treat it. It's so sad, and horrifying. 5y
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alisiakae
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This was me in my 20s. No more. #endowarrior

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alisiakae
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You know what makes me angry? Endometriosis is considered a common illness, yet fictional characters with endo, PCOS, or another uterine-related disease barely exist, not even in YA.

I‘m starting this memoir for the #Booked2018 #invisibleillness prompt, but I can‘t resist calling out the taboo that still seems to surround writing character‘s that deal with reproductive-related illness. It‘s overdue, and we esp. need to see it in YA. #endowarrior

ravenlee I need to see a YA heroine in a realistic fiction lash out at some jerk doctor who tells her the brutal periods she‘s having are just normal for her. Not that this ever happened to me. 5y
alisiakae @ravenlee YES. 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 I was only taken seriously after I gave birth to my daughter, and I started telling doctors that my period pain was as severe as natural childbirth. That was a wake up call to me that what I had been dealing with for years was not, in fact, normal. 5y
ravenlee Wow! I started getting help in college, after one horribly traumatic gyn visit at 12 (with a male doctor who made me uncomfortable anyway) that made my mom and me stay away until I was 18. My best friend went to the ER every month for a shot of demerol through her last year of HS because she couldn‘t cope any other way. Cont 5y
See All 7 Comments
ravenlee She found out, through a fluke of a pelvic exam by the college health services nurse, she has a bifurcated uterus, and was actually having two brutal periods at the same time. But it was just normal for her, up to that point. 5y
Reggie Have you ever read Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney? Her main character has it. She finds out in the beginning of the book and is always present. 5y
alisiakae @Reggie Thanks for the rec! I hadn‘t heard of that book before, and it didn‘t come up in any of my searches. Glad to know there‘s at least one character out there, I‘ll definitely check it out. 5y
alisiakae @ravenlee Wow. Kudos to the CHS nurse. That‘s the thing about pain, it can be hard to figure out when something isn‘t normal. I used to think I had a horribly low pain tolerance and that my periods were just like everyone else‘s and I just couldn‘t deal. 😣 (edited) 5y
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SW-T
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Pickpick

This book outlines the trials and tribulations of one woman‘s struggle with endometriosis. No one with a legitimate complaint should be dismissed by their doctor, or humored, or talked down to. Norman shows that you have to be your own best advocate.

#womenshealth #endometriosis #endometriosisawareness #endometriosisisreal

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SW-T
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review
GeekGrl82
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Pickpick

This was incredibly hard to read, both emotionally and physically. So much of it could have come from my diary. In the course of reading this I underwent the special hell that is a uterine biopsy, and after a decade of begging, was scheduled for a hysterectomy. It will be my 4th abdominal surgery. I don't know if it will work, but it can't be worse.
If you know a woman who suffers from chronic pain, and you probably do, you need to read this.

EloisaJames I hope it works! I‘m so sorry. 6y
7 likes1 comment
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GeekGrl82
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I try to hide my pain and depression, especially from those who care. Because I love them, I don't want guilt and I don't want pity. And I am afraid of being a burden.

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GeekGrl82
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Discussing how women handle pain.

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GeekGrl82
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My issues started almost 4 years before they were medically recognized. After all, I had been told in sex ed that periods were supposed to be painful.

Ddzmini And their solution is “take the uterus out because that‘s all we can do” 🙄 6y
GeekGrl82 @Ddzmini At this point I am looking forward to that surgery. I've been asking for it for almost a decade. Because I know it is the best hope I have for some relief. 6y
Ddzmini Yes it does help but then you have to balance other issues but it‘s better then being in pain 6y
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GeekGrl82
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We still rarely talk about women's sexual lives in a meaningful way. My chronic pain ended my last relationship, and has kept others from forming for 10 years.

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GeekGrl82
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Award winning writer Hillary Mantel struggled with endo as well.

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danimgill
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Mehso-so

Abby Norman‘s memoir is about her experience with endometriosis and the nightmarish process she went through getting doctors to take her and her pain seriously. She includes regular nonfiction info about the topic as well and while this is an incredibly important subject the actual book was pretty disorganized and felt a bit rambly.

Sending love to all littens who deal with any kind of chronic pain ❤️

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Lizpixie
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Mehso-so

This is going to be a difficult book to review dispassionately. As an endometriosis sufferer the last 33yrs myself, there were things that spoke to me strongly in this memoir, but there were also many things that made me speechless with not just rage but also incredulity at the authors own justifications for some of her suffering.While her descriptions of the pain, nonstop bleeding, fatigue, nausea & overwhelming suffering of an ‘endo‘
*cont👇👇👇

Lizpixie patient is so spot on I was crying while reading, that empathy was mitigated a great deal by her endless blaming of herself for what she was going through! No one deserves this, no one. She spends so much of the book detailing her crappy upbringing and making correlations between that and her inability to get help and be taken seriously, I found myself skipping paragraphs because I just couldn‘t read anymore. And that‘s not even taking in the (edited) 6y
Lizpixie amount of rage I was having about the doctors non involvement or fobbing her off or just plain telling her she needed psychiatric help. Oh my god!!! So much anger at the moment. When she describes herself as hunched over in the doctors office meekly telling them well, maybe it‘s not that bad or just bursting into tears and saying to herself “I deserve this for not getting help sooner” I just wanted to scream. I could say more but I think you 6y
Sophoclessweetheart Making me so curious about this one!! 6y
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Lizpixie should read it yourself and get your own opinion. Maybe I‘m too close to it. Maybe that‘s why I vacillated between wanting to smack the doctors and then wanting to smack her. I have to give it a so-so for that reason. #endometriosisisreal #endosufferersarestrong #moreendometriosisresearchplease 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Now I just want to give you a big hug. I don‘t have endo, but several other chronic diseases. This culture of blame the victim makes me so angry. We talk about it with rape, and sometimes the medical profession is just as damaging to women‘s bodies and their psyches. But perhaps I‘m overstepping, as I haven‘t experienced rape. Either way, I hear you Liz. ❤️💙💚 6y
Slajaunie @BarbaraTheBibliophage I have and instead of telling me, the victim, to be careful shouldn‘t we educate young men on how not to become the aggressor. 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Slajaunie Ohmigoshyes. Just like we should educate doctors about endo, we should educate men about being better humans. 😍 6y
asiriusreader @Lizpixie wow. As a fellow endo sufferer, I can imagine this was a hard/emotional read! Have to agree with you...more endo research needed for sure!! 6y
Christine11 I really feel for you - I don‘t have endometriosis but I have a chronic pelvic pain problem with pretty much all the same symptoms as endo. I‘ve been tempted to read this book because of that but I feel like it might make me angry like it did you! 💕 6y
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Lizpixie
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“After the introduction, Hoffman & Tarzian drop a real whopper of a statement: postoperation, women are more likely to be given sedatives for pain, whereas men are more likely to be given pain medication.”
“If you extrapolate a little, it‘s pretty easy to see that women were given sedatives because they were perceived to be anxious more than they were perceived to be in pain.”

I‘m gonna have to take a break, I‘m so angry I can‘t see straight.😡

Karkar Figures....😳 6y
tournevis My life 6y
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TrishB But we have defeated sexism 😡😡 6y
Stephykitten 😲 😡 6y
Cinfhen Hope you‘re feeling better?!? 6y
CarolynM That is deeply disturbing😡 6y
Varshitha Hey Liz, just wanted to know if you sent out the packages to Jacq?? Let me know if you need any help .. 6y
Varshitha Hey Liz,, I hope you are doing well.. please let us if we can help in anyway to get the packages to Jacq .. 6y
59 likes9 comments
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Lizpixie
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“Earlier in the week, he‘d told me that he thought it was only fair that he got to sleep with other girls while I recovered. I was aghast & asked him if he no longer intended to be monogamous. He immediately scoffed, saying that monogamy wasn‘t a fair expectation given the circumstances.”

After a two year period of excruciating pain on intercourse(believe me, I have firsthand knowledge of how bad it gets)this is the authors partners response🤬

Libby1 🤯 6y
MidnightBookGirl I mean, I would accept her response as reasonable defense grounds for murder. 6y
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Karkar How can one read this book and not be all kinds of mad at how women are treated? 6y
Kappadeemom Off with his head! 👸 6y
readingjedi Well, I'm just so tempted to dump my husband and seek out this prince amongst men. I mean, what a catch! 🤦😠😡🤦😠😡🤦 6y
60 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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Lizpixie
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At my father-in-laws 70th birthday party, everyone‘s outside sitting around the fire pit, talking & drinking. I‘m in the family room reading a book about menstruation, endometriosis & a woman‘s uterus. #partyanimal #whosanintrovert #daringthemtoaskmeaboutmyuterus

RadicalReader @Lizpixie you are most definitely a party animal 🦒 6y
78 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Lizpixie
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1. Green, especially spring green & lime green. Sunshine yellow is also growing on me lately.
2. Endeavour, all 4 seasons.
3. Ask Me About My Uterus
4. Salt, pepper & BBQ sauce
5. My Father-in-laws 70th birthday party is this weekend. Yay.🤡
@LeeRHarry @Cinfhen @Robothugs
#FriYayIntro

LeeRHarry Thanks for the tag! 😊 6y
inthegreensandblues Endeavor is one of my faves. Can't wait for the next season to start in the US in a couple of weeks! 6y
Jeg Watching Endeavour on TV, love it. 6y
60 likes3 comments
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Lizpixie
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There! This quote, right there. That is why so many women suffer needlessly for months and even years. Because most doctors are so arrogant that they cannot admit that they are clueless about what is happening to a female patient. I have seen over 100 specialists, give or take, over the past 32 years. Take a guess as to how many referred me to psychiatrists.(over 20)Now take a guess as to how many admitted they didn‘t know what was wrong. (One!)

julesG Ugh, any sort of medical doctors, it's not just the gyn/obs and not just male doctors. 'Demi-Gods in white' they are called here. I only trust them and their expertise as far as I can throw them. 6y
Soubhiville That is a brilliant quote. I feel so lucky to have found a Dr who really listens and cares. It‘s so rare. 6y
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Lizpixie
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“He conceded that although the uterus may not be the seat of hysteria, the ovaries could be push-buttons for whatever neurological malfunction occurred. In an attempt to prove this theory, he devised a machine called an ‘ovary compressor‘ which was just as horrific as it sounds. Demonstrating on patients at the Salpetriere, the mental asylum in Paris, he would use the apparatus essentially to squash the ovaries of women in his care.”😱😱😱😱

Lizpixie One chapter in and I‘m already boiling mad and yelling at the page. I don‘t know if I‘ll be able to finish it @kdwinchester without throwing it across the room & then jumping up and down on it whilst screaming at the top of my lungs. #justyoutryandsquashmyovariesmateunlessyouwanttobeaeunuch 6y
MayJasper What?!!!!?????!!!! I bet he didn't try that on testicles 6y
TheWordJar Noooooo!!!! 😱😱😱 6y
kdwinchester I just can‘t even with this guy . . . 6y
60 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Lizpixie
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#BookMail Pt10 is this book about the authors struggle with endometriosis & the struggle to have doctors take her pain seriously. Like her, I also have endometriosis & also like her, had doctors dismiss me or refer me to a psychiatrist because I was exhibiting “attention seeking behaviour”. I was 14yrs old. It took me 7yrs to finally have a doctor look at my insides & say “oh yes, you have severe endometriosis, adhesions & cysts” No shit Sherlock.

ReadZenRites So sorry you went through this! Me too. To say it sucks is a major understatement. 💕🌸💕 6y
laurieluna So sorry 😔 It's terrible what women go through and how it's handled. My friend also has endometriosis and has been on the pill since she was 15 to control it. Thats 14 years she's been on hormones. She wants to stop them but doctors don't have (or won't give her) any other options. This one is on my tbr! 6y
60 likes1 stack add2 comments