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kp_writ's review against another edition
Lots of long-winded ranting that I'm sure may be cathartic for those who haven't allowed themselves to do the same, but had me skimming pages to find something new or worth reading. Clearly I didn't really find it. I was also crossing my fingers that the author had some understanding of disability justice framework, bc I think any book dealing with health issues should do its part in at least acquainting itself with disability justice principles. I don't know if it happens later and I just haven't gotten to it yet, but it didn't feel like it was gonna happen. So yeah, pass on that.
azrapanjwani's review against another edition
3.5
a portrayal of chronic pain explained in a way that those of us living without it can understand (as best as we can) and empathize.
khymihr's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Medical trauma
thebevinsclan's review against another edition
5.0
Lara Parker basically said every thought that a woman with chronic illness feels on a regular basis. I have Endometriosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, neuropathy, migraines and a few other issues and the pain can be unbelievable. Lara describes her vagina problems with unwavering realness. She divulged the many ways in which vagina problems interfere and consume her days and nights and all aspects of her life. Lara describes the struggle and fight that many chronic pain sufferers face with their doctors and actually getting them to acknowledge that the pain exists to begin with and is not a Fabrication of imagination. Thank you Lara for sharing your story. Many thanks to you for advocating and raising awareness of vagina problems. Hugs
sbordeaux04's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars. Great read for anyone with Endo and I think loved ones as well. Reads a little like a blog and can feel a little repetitive but the feelings were felt deeply as I read them and I found myself crying during the chapter about finding out she had Endo - remembering the day I found out.
nstinch54's review against another edition
4.0
** I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. **
While this book could verge into a little bit of "TMI," it is very insightful into what goes on with someone who experiences Vagina Problems. The book could be a little repetitive, but that just goes to show how much someone can deal with the same struggles and problems over and over again throughout their life. Also, the fact that 1 in 10 women worldwide has endometriosis, but yet women STILL struggle with getting a diagnosis or being taken seriously by most doctors is just ridiculous and a shame. I recommend this to any woman who has every dealt with Vagina Problems of any kind or anyone who wants to find out more about the problems and how they can help their family or loved ones with their struggles.
While this book could verge into a little bit of "TMI," it is very insightful into what goes on with someone who experiences Vagina Problems. The book could be a little repetitive, but that just goes to show how much someone can deal with the same struggles and problems over and over again throughout their life. Also, the fact that 1 in 10 women worldwide has endometriosis, but yet women STILL struggle with getting a diagnosis or being taken seriously by most doctors is just ridiculous and a shame. I recommend this to any woman who has every dealt with Vagina Problems of any kind or anyone who wants to find out more about the problems and how they can help their family or loved ones with their struggles.
bookstackreviews's review against another edition
3.0
AVAILABLE NOW!!!
I have followed Lara Parker on Buzzfeed for awhile now. She was one of the only voices I was readily able to access when I received my very own Endometriosis diagnosis. I have so much respect for the way she showed up and offered her own life experience with vagina problems. I know I am not alone when I say that reading her articles made me feel less isolated in a time when isolation and I were very familiar with each other. At the time of my diagnosis, there were no other voices in the community openly discussing what I was experiencing and I will always be grateful to her for showing up in such a vulnerable way, to discuss something so personal.
I say all of that to convey how important it is for books like this one to be out in the world. When I turned to books from other people's perspective on living with endometriosis shortly after my diagnoses, I found none. Instead, I found a lot of medical journals that I read and understood about 20% of the text. The lack of material out there on something that 1 in 10 women suffer from is astounding to me. This fact alone makes Parker's book an important, timely read.
Vagina Problems covers so much of what it is like to experience pelvic pain without answers. Lara talks about living with chronic pain and the challenges of feeling like you are taking up space in a way people are uncomfortable acknowledging. The chapter discussing the complete lack of help doctors have to offer people suffering from chronic pain was so eerily accurate it was difficult for me to get through. All of these topics are so important, and I feel Parker gave voice to a myriad of issues too many are familiar with.
The struggle that I had with getting through this book was the redundancy in writing and in pain explanations. Every page felt familiar because parker had said it in a slightly different way several times before. A lot of phrasing was repetitive and she would give vague details of a life experience in one chapter only to go into the same story several chapters later in greater depth. This book felt spread a little thin. I wondered several times If maybe she didn't have enough content for a full book and tried to stretch it a little farther than it could go physically. There is a lot of fluff here and I almost feel like Vagina Problems could have benefitted from one more round of editing, or maybe even rearranging chapters for a better flow. Do not get me wrong, I think Parker is an excellent writer, I just feel this particular book could use a little extra finessing.
The very fact that a book like this is going to be out for public consumption gives me hope that people can reach a greater understanding of what it is like for chronic pain sufferers. I hope that books like Vagina problems will eventually push the medical field to advocate for their patients. In my own experience, and in the experience of Lara Parker, patients have to beg and plead to be believed and treated with the kind of care and respect that they deserve in order to receive a formal diagnosis. This HAS to change and in my opinion, publishing a book like this is a step in the right direction.
Reviewer's note: A copy of this book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
You can find the book Vagina Problems: Endometriosis, Painful Sex, and Other Taboo Topics on a bookshelf near you on October 6th 2020!!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars
I have followed Lara Parker on Buzzfeed for awhile now. She was one of the only voices I was readily able to access when I received my very own Endometriosis diagnosis. I have so much respect for the way she showed up and offered her own life experience with vagina problems. I know I am not alone when I say that reading her articles made me feel less isolated in a time when isolation and I were very familiar with each other. At the time of my diagnosis, there were no other voices in the community openly discussing what I was experiencing and I will always be grateful to her for showing up in such a vulnerable way, to discuss something so personal.
I say all of that to convey how important it is for books like this one to be out in the world. When I turned to books from other people's perspective on living with endometriosis shortly after my diagnoses, I found none. Instead, I found a lot of medical journals that I read and understood about 20% of the text. The lack of material out there on something that 1 in 10 women suffer from is astounding to me. This fact alone makes Parker's book an important, timely read.
Vagina Problems covers so much of what it is like to experience pelvic pain without answers. Lara talks about living with chronic pain and the challenges of feeling like you are taking up space in a way people are uncomfortable acknowledging. The chapter discussing the complete lack of help doctors have to offer people suffering from chronic pain was so eerily accurate it was difficult for me to get through. All of these topics are so important, and I feel Parker gave voice to a myriad of issues too many are familiar with.
The struggle that I had with getting through this book was the redundancy in writing and in pain explanations. Every page felt familiar because parker had said it in a slightly different way several times before. A lot of phrasing was repetitive and she would give vague details of a life experience in one chapter only to go into the same story several chapters later in greater depth. This book felt spread a little thin. I wondered several times If maybe she didn't have enough content for a full book and tried to stretch it a little farther than it could go physically. There is a lot of fluff here and I almost feel like Vagina Problems could have benefitted from one more round of editing, or maybe even rearranging chapters for a better flow. Do not get me wrong, I think Parker is an excellent writer, I just feel this particular book could use a little extra finessing.
The very fact that a book like this is going to be out for public consumption gives me hope that people can reach a greater understanding of what it is like for chronic pain sufferers. I hope that books like Vagina problems will eventually push the medical field to advocate for their patients. In my own experience, and in the experience of Lara Parker, patients have to beg and plead to be believed and treated with the kind of care and respect that they deserve in order to receive a formal diagnosis. This HAS to change and in my opinion, publishing a book like this is a step in the right direction.
Reviewer's note: A copy of this book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
You can find the book Vagina Problems: Endometriosis, Painful Sex, and Other Taboo Topics on a bookshelf near you on October 6th 2020!!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars