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jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
Buzzfeed editor Lara Parker shares her personal experiences with endometriosis in this raw and honest memoir. Lara spent years dealing with undiagnosed pain and other symptoms. Many doctors implied that it was all in her head. Finally, she received a diagnosis of endometriosis.
She talks about her own experiences and also relates them to women's experience in healthcare. Many times women express concerns or symptoms to healthcare providers they aren't taken seriously or told it is because of anxiety or depression. Also, women aren't given a faire share of medical research due to the pesky effects of female hormones. Lara also talks a lot about the difficulty of living with any chronic illness and how it takes a physical and mental toll on someone's life.
This book reminded me of [b:Ask Me About My Uterus: A Quest to Make Doctors Believe in Women's Pain|35605474|Ask Me About My Uterus A Quest to Make Doctors Believe in Women's Pain|Abby Norman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1508438979l/35605474._SY75_.jpg|50313026], which is another memoir about living with endometriosis. Both books really help shine a light on the imbalance in healthcare for women and men. I recommend to anyone who is into feminist reads or looking for a memoir about chronic illness.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
She talks about her own experiences and also relates them to women's experience in healthcare. Many times women express concerns or symptoms to healthcare providers they aren't taken seriously or told it is because of anxiety or depression. Also, women aren't given a faire share of medical research due to the pesky effects of female hormones. Lara also talks a lot about the difficulty of living with any chronic illness and how it takes a physical and mental toll on someone's life.
This book reminded me of [b:Ask Me About My Uterus: A Quest to Make Doctors Believe in Women's Pain|35605474|Ask Me About My Uterus A Quest to Make Doctors Believe in Women's Pain|Abby Norman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1508438979l/35605474._SY75_.jpg|50313026], which is another memoir about living with endometriosis. Both books really help shine a light on the imbalance in healthcare for women and men. I recommend to anyone who is into feminist reads or looking for a memoir about chronic illness.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
graciegor13's review against another edition
Was written for people earlier in their chronic illness journey, also felt repetitive first three chapters made the same point
theshaggyshepherd's review against another edition
5.0
Vagina Problems // by Lara Parker
Ever since reading When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, I have been reading every medically related memoir I could get my hands on. Over the past year, I’ve also tried to be more outspoken about taboo topics, both when with friends as well as on social media. When I came across Vagina Problems by Lara Parker, I knew that I just had to read it! Aside from the blurb, have you seen the cover?! It is awesome! It is perfect for for her story with its boldness that draws your attention immediately!
Lara Parker pulled me into her story right away. There aren’t many books that I read this quickly. But she just has a real talent at telling things how they are with no shame and leaving you wanting more. I know that might be a weird thing to say when it is about a topic like this, but it is true. I learned so much about the illnesses she talks about and I am a better person for it. I wish I could make not just every doctor but every person in general read this book. I knew there was a bias about women’s pain in medicine but I did not realize it takes an average of 7 (SEVEN!) years for someone to be diagnosed with endometriosis. That is ridiculous!
I love how Lara Parker is defensive and argumentative and owns it! It is so obvious how much she has been belittled and not taken serious, and it’s very empowering to me (who is struggling with unexplained medical issues thus far and feels like it’s not always being taken serious) to see her not back down and make her problems smaller than they are for the book. Several times throughout, Parker talks about her privilege and what that affords her in terms of treatment options, health insurance, and sick days. She sounds down to earth and honest when she talks about these things, very much in line with the rest of her book. This book is raw and honest and everything it needs to be. There is no happy ending, at least not the type we would all love to see with a cure and forever love and butterflies and flowers. But it has an ending that may feel familiar to others with chronic illnesses or hopefully at least spark some hope.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Ever since reading When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, I have been reading every medically related memoir I could get my hands on. Over the past year, I’ve also tried to be more outspoken about taboo topics, both when with friends as well as on social media. When I came across Vagina Problems by Lara Parker, I knew that I just had to read it! Aside from the blurb, have you seen the cover?! It is awesome! It is perfect for for her story with its boldness that draws your attention immediately!
Lara Parker pulled me into her story right away. There aren’t many books that I read this quickly. But she just has a real talent at telling things how they are with no shame and leaving you wanting more. I know that might be a weird thing to say when it is about a topic like this, but it is true. I learned so much about the illnesses she talks about and I am a better person for it. I wish I could make not just every doctor but every person in general read this book. I knew there was a bias about women’s pain in medicine but I did not realize it takes an average of 7 (SEVEN!) years for someone to be diagnosed with endometriosis. That is ridiculous!
I love how Lara Parker is defensive and argumentative and owns it! It is so obvious how much she has been belittled and not taken serious, and it’s very empowering to me (who is struggling with unexplained medical issues thus far and feels like it’s not always being taken serious) to see her not back down and make her problems smaller than they are for the book. Several times throughout, Parker talks about her privilege and what that affords her in terms of treatment options, health insurance, and sick days. She sounds down to earth and honest when she talks about these things, very much in line with the rest of her book. This book is raw and honest and everything it needs to be. There is no happy ending, at least not the type we would all love to see with a cure and forever love and butterflies and flowers. But it has an ending that may feel familiar to others with chronic illnesses or hopefully at least spark some hope.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
iarnone's review against another edition
5.0
it's strange to read a book and relate to almost every sentence in it. this book is so inspiring and helped me reframe my mindset of living with a chronic illness. wish I could force everyone I know to read this
mispaintedlady's review against another edition
emotional
informative
fast-paced
2.0
I was disappointed in this book as someone who has chronic pelvic floor pain. I didn't learn much to say the least as it didn't seem like the author did much research other than the one statistic on how many women experience pelvic floor pain or who are diagnosed with endometriosis. For example, they mention they started a support group with their PT, but the story was entirely focused on their experience. It would have been interesting to learn how it was organized, how it benefitted the other people in the group and what was discussed.
Same for medical experience. The author talks a lot about all they went through with doctors and treatments, but did not go into depth on what the treatments were.
Same for medical experience. The author talks a lot about all they went through with doctors and treatments, but did not go into depth on what the treatments were.
apiffanygb's review against another edition
5.0
Yes yes and yes! I listened to this on Audible (so it took me much longer than I knew it would if I read it). I needed to read this. I needed validation and understanding and Lara did it in just the way I needed.
booksandqui's review against another edition
2.0
I was really hoping to learn more about endometriosis and how people generally are able to get the help they need. While the book highlighted how little research has been done on such a common illness, the writing of the book was so repetitive. I felt like I want reading the same chapters over again which made me question of there was even an editor on this book (there was). I feel like I learned a bit but it felt like a diary, which didn’t appeal to me.
mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
3.0
In my crusade to learn more about my own body I grabbed Vagina Problems because of its personal relevance. I do not have all of the medical issues that Lara Parker does, but I do have endometriosis which gives me similar symptoms as Parker deals with though not nearly to the same degree.
Parker uses her different illnesses to put into perspective the depth of the ignorance surrounding cisgender womens’ health. Doctors barely understand and blatantly refuse to so how can we expect women to understand their own bodies or afflictions? Especially when we are gaslit by society at large to bury our pain.
It’s an extremely difficult topic to talk about due to the stigma it carries and I admired her courage in coming forth to discuss it in depth. When she says she wants to confront the taboo she definitely means it. It inspired me to attempt to combat some of the shaming dialogue aimed at young women I see in my everyday life. That goes for me too as I carry some of that judgment within me.
I will say that there was not a lot of supplemental educational information. It’s a bit self-centered which is to be expected since this is her story, but it does get tiresome since a lot of this is just complaining. It makes sense because she’s in a lot of pain, however, there’s no denying it’s repetitive. And everything is filtered through her singular perspective so it’s limited in scope.
It’s a decent read. It was somewhat relatable though I didn't actually learn anything new. If you’re not worried about being put in a bad mood then give it a shot.
Parker uses her different illnesses to put into perspective the depth of the ignorance surrounding cisgender womens’ health. Doctors barely understand and blatantly refuse to so how can we expect women to understand their own bodies or afflictions? Especially when we are gaslit by society at large to bury our pain.
It’s an extremely difficult topic to talk about due to the stigma it carries and I admired her courage in coming forth to discuss it in depth. When she says she wants to confront the taboo she definitely means it. It inspired me to attempt to combat some of the shaming dialogue aimed at young women I see in my everyday life. That goes for me too as I carry some of that judgment within me.
I will say that there was not a lot of supplemental educational information. It’s a bit self-centered which is to be expected since this is her story, but it does get tiresome since a lot of this is just complaining. It makes sense because she’s in a lot of pain, however, there’s no denying it’s repetitive. And everything is filtered through her singular perspective so it’s limited in scope.
It’s a decent read. It was somewhat relatable though I didn't actually learn anything new. If you’re not worried about being put in a bad mood then give it a shot.