QENDO Book Club
By Team QENDO
In 2020, we’re blessed with an abundance of books on everything from endometriosis to hormones to PCOS to harnessing the power of your menstrual cycle. Being able to pick up a book that so frankly discusses the body, the subjects so often considered hushed conversations or conversations off limits all together. We asked our QENDO community to review some of their favourite endometriosis, adenomyosis, PCOS and menstrual health texts. This blog is part one in a two-part series of reviews. Happy reading!
Endometriosis 101: For the Significant Other by Dr Graham Tronc
It can be a little surreal to read a book written by someone who has been your doctor, to read phrases you’ve heard them use, but there’s also a deep sense of pride in knowing that things that have been so helpful to you can now be shared with the world. I first received a copy of this book on the doorstep of my Southampton share house before a trip to Italy (remember when we were allowed to take trips?), after a week of feeling fundamentally misunderstood by some of my new colleagues - they didn’t get my endo and adeno at all. This is a book for the significant other, but I still found it so helpful for my own understanding. When you’ve been managing your own condition and been in QENDO for so long, it’s easy to assume you know it all, but we’re always learning, and I found myself learning even more from this book. Given that it’s written for someone without endo or adeno, you’ll find it easy to understand and that medical terminology is well explained. Graham’s passion is palpable, and reading the story of his own partner’s journey with endometriosis was an emotional session to say the least - I love hearing why doctors do what they do, there are so many inspirational stories there, and it will give you hope that there is the right clinician out there for you, the kind of inspired, motivated doctor that will go to bat for you.
It helped me as support coordinator too, to step out of the role of patient and into the role of supporter, to better understand how I can help those affected by endometriosis and adenomyosis, you’ll never have too many perspectives on that topic. It was a thrill to read the words of my own friends and people I’ve worked with through QENDO, Jessica Taylor writes eloquently about the role of support, Kyle Williams writes from the perspective of significant other, an eye opening contribution. Other clinicians from the multidisciplinary team share their expertise too, from dietitian to exercise physiologist to physiotherapist - all people to consider adding to your chronic illness toolbox. Whether you’re a patient or a significant other, I’d recommend this book.
Dannielle
Pain and Prejudice by Gabrielle Jackson
Pain and Prejudice paints the picture of how it come to be that women’s reproductive health is down played still to this very day despite the modern aged world we now live in. It highlights the importance for the need for change and the importance of women uniting and continuing to speak up about painful periods. A very empowering read for women suffering painful periods, Endo, adenomyosis, etc outlining the importance of never giving up and fighting for your health.
Prue
My personal copy of Pain and Prejudice is very colourful - after my first read, I grabbed some highlighters and re-read it, marking pages all throughout the book with useful information and mind-blowing statistics. Gabrielle Jackson dives into medical history to understand what role men have had in shaping the profession and how that has affected treatment of women. We learn about the myths of hysteria and how this shows up in the present day. We learn about the prevalence of chronic pain in women and how this affects understanding and funding of conditions like endometriosis. I devoured this book and was constantly following my roommates around the house, citing statistics saying, "can you believe this!?". Incredibly eye-opening and an absolute must read for all women and anyone in a medical profession.
Amanda
Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain by Dr Susan Evans and Deborah Bush
Consider this your endo bible! This book uses clear language and has a great format that allows you to read the book cover-to-cover, or skip to a section you're most curious about. I love that this is written by a leading endometriosis specialist, so you can be sure that you are getting relevant and researched information. Dr Evans overviews what Endometriosis is; as well as detailing different treatment types, understanding of your pain, fertility and working with a gynaecologist. There are lots of frequently asked questions in there so this book is highly recommended for those with a new or suspected diagnosis.
Amanda
Really good - really specific to endo and important to read early on in the endo journey as it covers a lot of the treatment options, and emphasises that surgery is just one part
Lisa
A good book to keep going back to - introduced me to a range of treatment options
Taylor
The Period Repair Manual by Lara Briden
I thought I had good period knowledge before reading this book, but it really opened up my understanding of how our cycle works and what a healthy period should look like. Lara Briden is a naturopath with over twenty years experience, which really shines through in this book. She details treatment for common period problems as well as some hints for those of us with endometriosis and adenomyosis. There's a big focus on understanding hormones in this book - which makes it my number one recommendation for people with PCOS and those who use hormonal birth control. That being said, I learnt so much about my period from this book, that I would recommend it to all teens and women wanting to educate themselves on their body.
Amanda
As a clinician myself, I’m often skeptical about anyone who is often touted as “anti hormonal birth control”, because my position is one of informed consent, but Lara Briden manages to be absolutely compassionate and knowledgable in her position that women deserve better than being told to go on the pill to regulate their cycle, while still maintaining that there is nothing wrong with choosing to use it - and I couldn’t agree more. Her position is anything but anti! I found her writing passionate, informative, and considerate. Her book is not only a manual for understanding your cycle and the positive impact of a menstrual cycle, and the hormones associated with it, on your overall health, but for understanding the impact that our lives and stress can have on our cycle. It is full of vital information to help you decide what it is that you want out of your treatment plan and management, and that it is worth putting in that work and investing in yourself. I would absolutely recommend for someone trying to get back to basics and really get a handle on managing their troublesome symptoms.
Dannielle
Helped me understand my hormones and helped outline what could be going wrong in my cycle
Lara
I went to a QENDO event which Lara Briden spoke at and she was fantastic, very helpful!
Maddie
It's the Holy Grail of female health. Every woman must read this
Luna
Please Read This Leaflet Carefully by Karen Havelin
I was incredibly excited to discover this book when it was first published, it is rare to find fiction about endometriosis. I first heard about endometriosis in a novel, where the main character finds herself with endometriosis during recovery from an eating disorder. I clung to these descriptions for many years, using it as a reason why I thought I didn’t have endo - which turned out to be wrong, I was more like that character than I cared to admit.
Karen Havelin manages to beautifully capture the experience of endometriosis and how it changes your relationships, self perception and life over the years, and the accumulation of tiny heartbreaks that can at times be overwhelming. Told backwards, the reader meets the main character at different points in her life, the healthier versions of herself, and it’s a journey so many of us can recognise. It’s a unique perspective, perhaps not the story you’re expecting, but one that resonates nonetheless. Fabulous read.
Dannielle
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