Ask Me about My Uterus:
A Quest to Make Doctor’s Believe in Women’s Pain by Abby Norman is her own
journey through a painful past to deal with a painful medical condition which
many doctors do not fully understand. As a young college student, Ms. Norman
began to experience painful, stabbing cramps that would keep her bed ridden for
days. She is finally diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition which isn’t
fully understood even with today’s medical technology and knowledge. Ms. Norman
discusses the journey of women’s medical knowledge through the ages and even in
psychology as it was thought that women’s pains and conditions were caused by hysteria
originating in the uterus. Does she ever get the answers she’s looking for?
What can doctors learn by listening more closely to their female patients?
I originally chose this book because I know many women who
suffer from conditions with no real explanations or solutions, who still
struggle to find answers. I expected this book to be so much more than it was.
I thought she would focus on her journey for answers and help other women
reading her story to fight for their answers. However, she tended to focus more
on her troubled and horrific childhood. There are a few statements Ms. Norman makes
which I don’t agree with or question the age of such knowledge. At one point,
she makes the claim that women are more likely to be given sedatives after
surgery and men are given painkillers. I’m not sure where she got this
information, as she doesn’t give any references that I saw, but this has not
been my experience with surgery at all. However, it is a disturbing thought to
think about if it is true for even one female patient in pain. I recommend Ask Me about My Uterus: A Quest to Make Doctor’s
Believe in Women’s Pain as a tool, inspiration to help women confront their
doctors to listen more closely.
Ask me about My Uterus:
A Quest to Make Doctor’s Believer in Woman’s Pain
is available in hardcover
and eBook
No comments:
Post a Comment