Fibroids: the Complete Guide to Taking Charge of Your Physical, Emotional, and Sexual Well-Being. . - One in Four Women has Fibroids - book review

Johanna Skilling 1999; 276 pp. $15.95 John Muir Publications

Reading this book was a been-there, done-that thing for me. One in every four women has fibroids, but hardly any information is readily available that isn't contradictory and often incorrect--including information from the medical profession. For many women and those who care about them, this book is a resource for dealing with fibroids and their consequences. The chapter on pregnancy is particularly important. The sections on diet, herbal treatment, and other approaches are a wealth of hard-to-find information, and include helpful comparison charts. The appendix, which contains a bibliography, websites, and other resources, is a giant step forward. The author, another member of the fibroid club, clearly has her own agenda about treatment options (I did not choose one of hers). Still, she provides good information about fibroid symptoms, treatments, and alternatives. I intend to buy this book for several friends who are struggling with decisions about their options. --Daphne Derven

"We know that Western medicine works a certain percentage of the time: For most fibroid treatments, doctors can tell you with a fair degree of certainty what you can expect and when. And Western medicine is, for better or worse, fast. Like many aspects of our society, Western therapies for fibroids offer a certain amount of instant gratification satisfying to those of us who don't feel we have the time or patience for anything but an instant "fix."

Alternative treatment moves at a different pace. Treatments are often slow; the course of treatment may be months or years instead of literally hours.... Unlike conventional medicine, alternative therapies can't make any guarantees: Your fibroids may shrink, or they may not.

"As any woman who's been pregnant knows, the uterus and the bladder are kissing cousins inside your abdomen. A larger uterus makes your bladder smaller, forcing more frequent trips to the bathroom, often for minute amounts of urine.

Pressure from a large uterus can also squeeze the ureters, the tubes that transport urine from the kidneys. This can reduce flow, and in serious cases, if urine backs up into the kidneys, can lead to kidney infection and damage....

The symptoms you might feel include an increased need to urinate, sometimes really badly, sometimes without being able to go at all or just a little. Or you might experience urinary incontinence--leaking--when you sneeze, laugh, or exercise hard.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Point Foundation
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group