Take a photo of a barcode or cover
40 reviews for:
Beating Endo: How to Reclaim Your Life from Endometriosis
Amy Stein, Iris Kerin Orbuch
3.82 AVERAGE
40 reviews for:
Beating Endo: How to Reclaim Your Life from Endometriosis
Amy Stein, Iris Kerin Orbuch
3.82 AVERAGE
y i k e s
There is some good information here, however the entire book only has 31 references and the tone of the authors is, at multiple points, extremely patronizing. They claim to be revolutionizing the field of endo treatment, however that revolution is only occurring on an individual level. The suggestions range from eating a controversial anti-inflammatory diet, a low acid diet, avoiding all plastic, doing only the right kind of exercise, and eventually expensive excision surgery by a specialist. At the end of the book a few paragraphs are dedicated to discussing systematic issues, however not enough space. If these women were revolutionizing anything other than their wallets they would focus much more on educating their professional peers and less time insisting that every woman should just eat all organic and give up vacations in order to afford treatment. I recognize the issues with insurance and believe specialists deserve to be compensated fairly -- as a testament to this I am paying for an excision with a surgeon this year that will cost several thousand dollars after insurance. However while reading more about Dr. Orbuch online I found out she charges $1200 for a consultation and over $600 for follow up visits. We need to stop pretending this is accessible health care.
Anyway, here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
And now, for my favorite quotes:
This is a perfect example of the kind of absurd argument the authors make without any sort of citation. I read this to my partner (a university professor who researches with biologists) who said "What?? I have seen the cutting edge of microscopy, we can VISUALIZE ATOMS."
I cannot state emphatically enough that I would rather live with endometriosis than DIE IN A FIRE because I was the dumb b*tch who bought a mattress that wasn't flame retardant. WE PUT FLAME RETARDANTS IN THEM FOR A REASON.
But I guess fire is all-natural, so it's nothing to worry about.
There is some good information here, however the entire book only has 31 references and the tone of the authors is, at multiple points, extremely patronizing. They claim to be revolutionizing the field of endo treatment, however that revolution is only occurring on an individual level. The suggestions range from eating a controversial anti-inflammatory diet, a low acid diet, avoiding all plastic, doing only the right kind of exercise, and eventually expensive excision surgery by a specialist. At the end of the book a few paragraphs are dedicated to discussing systematic issues, however not enough space. If these women were revolutionizing anything other than their wallets they would focus much more on educating their professional peers and less time insisting that every woman should just eat all organic and give up vacations in order to afford treatment. I recognize the issues with insurance and believe specialists deserve to be compensated fairly -- as a testament to this I am paying for an excision with a surgeon this year that will cost several thousand dollars after insurance. However while reading more about Dr. Orbuch online I found out she charges $1200 for a consultation and over $600 for follow up visits. We need to stop pretending this is accessible health care.
Anyway, here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
The cost would go well beyond what Elena’s insurance plan would cover; Elena calculated quickly and decided that the new sofa she was eyeing for the apartment could easily be put off.
For example, if you buy yourself a nice gluten-free, dairy-free meal but it is packaged in plastic, you might well be taking in some of those aforementioned endocrine disruptors as well as setting off an inflammatory response in your body. That would sort of cancel out some of the good you counted on with your choice of food.
About the only way to ensure absolute and complete protection from the possibility of dioxin exposure from food is with a strictly vegan diet, but of course, as noted, don’t eat your vegan meal out of plastic containers.
And now, for my favorite quotes:
And there is research suggesting that nanomolecules of these kinds of products, smaller than can be seen even microscopically, can somehow seep into the body and enter the bloodstream.
This is a perfect example of the kind of absurd argument the authors make without any sort of citation. I read this to my partner (a university professor who researches with biologists) who said "What?? I have seen the cutting edge of microscopy, we can VISUALIZE ATOMS."
t can’t hurt to check those mattress tags we’re not supposed to remove “under penalty of law” to see if your mattress might contain flame retardants or PVC or polyurethane foam. You may want to replace it with an organic mattress one day
I cannot state emphatically enough that I would rather live with endometriosis than DIE IN A FIRE because I was the dumb b*tch who bought a mattress that wasn't flame retardant. WE PUT FLAME RETARDANTS IN THEM FOR A REASON.
But I guess fire is all-natural, so it's nothing to worry about.
A comprehensive and thorough approach to endometriosis as a disease and life-altering condition. Each chapter tackles a different part of the body affected by endo. I thought I was pretty well-versed in what endo is and how it affects all body systems but I still learned SO much from this book! My only critique of this book is that endo in the LGBT+ community was not discussed; trans men and nonbinary individuals can have endo too and it would have been nice to see some resources directed towards inclusive health care and options for treatment.
I'll write more tomorrow, but for now:
This book has a lot of great information laid out in extremely user friendly way. As I mentioned in my reading notes, I found the gendered language distracting. Overall, a solid book about how to deal with something I live with every day.
This book has a lot of great information laid out in extremely user friendly way. As I mentioned in my reading notes, I found the gendered language distracting. Overall, a solid book about how to deal with something I live with every day.
informative
slow-paced
Essential reading for EVERY woman considering that endometriosis is so often misdiagnosed.
informative
slow-paced
Really out of touch with the lives of most women. Most of what is described is inaccessible to women without insurance or lower incomes and the authors either don’t acknowledge this, or when they do, they frame it as though “if you want to feel better you have to figure out how to pay for these services. Otherwise you don’t really care about yourself.” Very cis/het focused.
informative
a very gendered and privileged look at how to treat endometriosis. lots of information here that could be helpful if you are just beginning your research, however there are much more inclusive resources available online for free (i personally got more out of r/Endo's resource section and interviews from excision surgery specialists)
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
This is really hard for me to write down. Objectively this book is very informative and you really get to understand how endometriosis impacts your body (from nerves to muscles to bones etc.) and your life (financially, environmentally, and your diet choices). I have to say that I find her viewpoint on the financial end of things very condescending and unrealistic. I live in Canada and so I'm extremely lucky to have access to public healthcare. I still have to pay for certain treatments and my medication (which I already find expensive!) but I don't have to pay thousands of dollars for a single consultation or surgery. I could NEVER afford the amount of money she implies even if my life depended on it. And she basically says, it's okay to drown yourself in debt and go bankrupt and find yourself on the street to pay for your treatments, otherwise it means you're not really committed to managing your endo. It's insulting and absolute fucking nonsense.
I am a white, middle-class, privileged canadian woman. I have friends and family who support me and help in any way that they can and I am financially (for now) capable of affording treatments. I. AM. F*cking. PRIVILEGED. And it still took me YEARS to find the right specialist, years of being discriminated in the work place, years of not being taken seriously by healthcare professionals, years of unbearable pain, and years of all the shit that comes with this disease. My heart is breaking for my fellow endometriosis warrior who, on top of all this never ending shit, are being discriminated because of the color of their skin, because of their financial status, because of their job, because of their lifestyle, and on and on and on.
***It has also come to my attention that doctor Orbuch isn't as nice and caring towards her patients and their follow-up care. I have read multiple and frankly quite disturbing experiences from different people who were tended by this endometriosis specialist and it really affected my viewpoint on this book.
I am a white, middle-class, privileged canadian woman. I have friends and family who support me and help in any way that they can and I am financially (for now) capable of affording treatments. I. AM. F*cking. PRIVILEGED. And it still took me YEARS to find the right specialist, years of being discriminated in the work place, years of not being taken seriously by healthcare professionals, years of unbearable pain, and years of all the shit that comes with this disease. My heart is breaking for my fellow endometriosis warrior who, on top of all this never ending shit, are being discriminated because of the color of their skin, because of their financial status, because of their job, because of their lifestyle, and on and on and on.
***It has also come to my attention that doctor Orbuch isn't as nice and caring towards her patients and their follow-up care. I have read multiple and frankly quite disturbing experiences from different people who were tended by this endometriosis specialist and it really affected my viewpoint on this book.
Please read if you or a loved one has Endometriosis!
Very informative. Definitely learned some things on the science side of it. I will try to incorporate a few of the suggestions into my own life in hopes that it helps me!
I felt that the book could have been slightly shorter as the same information was repeated a few times. I guess if you only read certain chapters it works.
Very informative. Definitely learned some things on the science side of it. I will try to incorporate a few of the suggestions into my own life in hopes that it helps me!
I felt that the book could have been slightly shorter as the same information was repeated a few times. I guess if you only read certain chapters it works.