Ask Me About My Uterus

A Quest to Make Doctors Believe in Women's Pain

De: Abby Norman

Narrado por: 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.

Reseñas de la Crítica

Selected as one of the top ten titles in Lifestyle for Spring 2018.—Publishers Weekly

"Required reading for anyone who is a woman, or has ever met a woman. This means you."—Jenny Lawson, authorof Let's Pretend This Never Happened and FuriouslyHappy

"This book deals with such an important subject. Abby Norman's odyssey with her own health is sadly an all too common story to those of us who suffered in silence for so long. My hope is that anyone involved in women's health will read her story and revisit the way we treat women and their health concerns in our culture."—Padma Lakshmi, NewYork Times best-selling author and co-founder of the EndometriosisFoundation of America

"A fresh, honest, and startling look at what it means to exist in a woman's body, in all of its beauty and pain. Abby's voice is inviting, unifying, and remarkably brave."
—Gillian Anderson, Actress, activist and co-author of We: A Manifesto For Women Everywhere

"[Norman] builds a convincing case that women describing discomfort are more likely than men to be dismissed by physicians, but along the way tells a story that will resonate with anyone (man or woman) who has ever experienced pain.... [She] is a terrific storyteller with a gift for weaving memorable anecdotes, some drawn from medical history, others from recent scientific debates and most plucked from her own travails... Norman's life is much more than a disease.... [An] important addition to a long tradition of pain memoirs. Norman shares a particular tale of suffering but expresses a common frustration about the dearth of words to convey pain. Any schoolgirl can talk about love, Virginia Woolf famously said, but 'let a sufferer try to describe a pain in his head to a doctor and language at once runs dry.'"—New York Times Book Review

"Compelling and impressively, Norman's narrative not only offers an unsparing look at the historically and culturally fraught relationship between women and their doctors, it also reveals how, in the quest for answers and good health, women must still fight a patriarchal medical establishment to be heard. Disturbing but important reading."—Kirkus Reviews

"From wandering wombs to ovary compressors, Abby Norman's book is packed with fascinating historical detail about how women's bodies have been misunderstood and mistreated by male doctors for centuries. It is also an important reminder that there is still a culture of silence surrounding women's gynecological health in the twenty-first century, and that there is work yet to be done when it comes to advocating for women's healthcare."—LindseyFitzharris, author of The Butchering Art

"With searing prose, science writer and editor Norman pens a heartfelt medical history and memoir of coming to terms with the limitations of one's physical body....A thoughtful read."—Library Journal

powerful woman and powerful storyteller

Even when she feels weak or broken down, Abby exhibits through her story and inner strength and resolve to be her own advocate. With a harder life than most, she maintains this power that is entirely her own and her illness, her pain and her painful family history cannot take it from her.

must read!!

Really great and important story to shed light on these issues. I wish the ending was rounded off more with the author's current place and what research/initiatives are needed to improve health care.

an eye opener

As a gynecologist, I think this moving book is a must read for all physicians who wish to better understand their patients.

Excellent

A friend suggested this book to me, and I loved it! I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever had a uterus, or loves someone who does or did have a uterus. I've fought many of the same battles she outlined in her book. It's 2021 and we still don't have any better choices for treatment of Endometriosis and typical co-morbidities than we had 20-30 years ago. Accept nothing less than the absolute best care you can find. It still takes way too long to get a diagnosis, and many of us are treated as if it's all in our imagination. No. It's real. Keep fighting through the misinformation. Educate yourself. Inspire others to learn and do more. Become your own best advocate. Listen to your body. Listen to this book! 😁🌈

Gifted and insightful storyteller

Abby Norman's memoir of her struggles with endometriosis is full of tenderness, wit and her sharp intellect. Ms. Norman's candor and vulnerability are a gift to readers. Her book is the rare exception in which the author is the perfect reader of her own work.