Beating Endo: How to Reclaim Your Life from Endometriosis

by Iris Kerin Orbuch, Amy Stein, Bojana Novakovic (Contributor)

From two of the world’s leading experts in endometriosis comes an essential, first-of-its kind book that unwraps the mystery of the disease and gives women the tools they need to reclaim their lives from it.   Approximately one out of every 10 women has endometriosis, an inflammatory disease that causes chronic pain, limits life’s activities, and may lead to infertility. Despite the disease’s  prevalence, the average woman may suffer for a decade or more before receiving an accurate diagnosis. Once she does, she’s often given little more than a prescription for pain killers and a referral for the wrong kind of surgery.  Beating Endo  arms women with what has long been missing—even within the medical community—namely, cutting-edge knowledge of how the disease works and what the endo sufferer can do to take charge of her fight against it. Leading gynecologist and endometriosis specialist Dr. Iris Kerin Orbuch and world-renowned pelvic pain specialist and physical therapist Dr. Amy Stein have long partnered with each other and with other healthcare practitioners to address the disease’s host of co-existing conditions—which can include pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, gastrointestinal ailments, painful bladder syndrome, central nervous system sensitization—through a whole-mind/whole-body approach. Now,  Beating Endo  formalizes the multimodal program they developed, offering readers an anti-inflammatory lifestyle protocol that incorporates physical therapy, nutrition, mindfulness, and environment to systematically addresses each of the disease’s co-conditions on an ongoing basis up to and following excision surgery. This is the program that has achieved successful outcomes for their patients; it is the program that works to restore health, vitality, and quality of life to women with endo. No more “misdiagnosis roulette” and no more limits on women’s lives:  Beating Endo  puts the tools of renewed health in the hands of those whose health is at risk.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Audiobook, Self Help, Medical, Adult, Mental Health

320 pages, Hardcover

First published June 25, 2019

Reviews

[Megan Connell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've wanted to badly to like this book, as Amy Stein's previous book was the only one I found helpful for my condition. But this one has a few major issues.

First, almost this entire treatment plan could be retitled "a treatment plan for rich cis women". Very few of the recommendations are realistic for someone without incredible amounts of income. So many of us with endo have had to reduce work hours, have left or been forced to leave jobs, or are unable to work, a plan that excludes those not in a top income bracket misses many of its intended audience.

Throughout the book they insist that these sweeping lifestyle changes taken at great expense are "good investments", seemingly failing to realize so many of their potential audience will simply not be able to make such investments. In my opinion, the language further implied the inability of some people to make these investments was a matter of lack of commitment to our own health. As of 3/4ths through this book there's no insight as to what "investments" should be prioritized.

Many of the messages were mixed or fractured- in one moment they say there should be no "endo diet" as such because symptoms are highly individual, and in the next they insist every person with endo give up gluten and dairy. Sweeping dietary changes between chapters taken together would leave someone with little, if any, source of protein.

So far, there is no help or suggested resources for trans or non-binary endo patients. Given the very gendered writing style, I doubt there will be.

Finally, I find the style of writing tedious. There was a chapter essentially dedicated to long-form testimonials. Certain phrases get beaten to death over the course of multiple chapters. The tone is often preachy.

I found some of the contents helpful- helpful reminders of ideas I took from other books, insights into the interconnectedness of certain pain generators, so I will give the book 3 stars. But overall, I bought this book with Dr Orbuch on my shortlist as a potential surgeon, and it inspired me to remove her from that list. While I don't doubt her expertise or experience, I do deeply doubt her willingness to adjust treatment plans for those unable to make the comprehensive and sometimes radical changes she apparently recommends.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Lindsey Mazur · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel conflicted about this one. On the one hand, it’s probably one of the most extensively informative books on the subject, and full of HEAPS of useful information. There’s also a lot of really empowering, validating language too - definitely a great read for anyone with endo or anyone curious enough to learn more about it. On the other hand, some of the book (the last third of the book especially) touched heavily on their “tried and true” treatment plan. No doubt I’m sure it works.. but only a small portion of the population can actually afford to invest in and maintain such a plan. With all that they’re outlining.. it’s just, a lot: Physical therapy, different doctors, specialists, excision surgery/surgeries(?), nutritionist/strict diet regimen, cleansing every toxic household product.. I feel like for wanting to be such an approachable book at the beginning, it really wrapped things up with a rather unrealistic, elitist tone. Who has that kind of money lying around? Much as it pains me to say, I closed the book feeling really bummed, and it’s likely so many others felt similar: that this beautiful solution they propose is just too far out of reach.

[Shannen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finishing this book was a struggle, and I had to take a break a few times.
Have to agree with other reviews that the tone is a bit condescending. I listened to the audiobook and even the narrator's voice became condescending reading it. I can't blame her too much since the book recommends things like downplaying or flat out ignoring your financial obligations to throw money at your doctors and physical therapists; I think it was inevitable that her reading would come off that way.
In addition to ignoring not only your leisure expenses but your car payment to travel halfway across the country to see a mostly likely uncovered, out of pocket specialist for your disease, and shelling out money for a physical therapist, nutritionist, and all the organic food you can stand (and more than you can likely afford - but it's for YOUR HEALTH!!), the book also recommended you do exercises. Even if you're in so much pain you can't walk across the room. Daily, hourly, one patient set a timer for EVERY TEN MINUTES. Practice makes perfect; too much is never enough. You may see now why it was a struggle to finish this book.
I feel like there was some useful information in there but it's hard not to be buried in the extensive, intensive, severe life changes (they recommend going dairy and gluten free while also saying no one diet works for everyone) recommended. Particularly when these are underscored by how variable each person's body and health is.
They push you to take your life back from endo by spending every waking minute fighting it, while also being unable to say that any one thing will be effective for you.
Also have to agree with another reviewer that they heavily emphasized that it was a woman's disease (people exist outside the gender binary). I was also a little disappointed that they mentioned that it wasn't as well known about because people don't like to talk about menstrual issues. Firstly, if you're skittish about talking about any body part or bodily function, you shouldn't be in medicine, especially specializing in that area. Secondly, for all their emphasis on it being a woman's issue you'd think they'd throw something in there about sexism.

Overall a bit of a disappointing read. Seems to be the authors' goal to drown you in lectures, encourage you to spend more money, and reprimand you for being discouraged about it (stress offsets the condition and positivity helps!).

[Carly Coburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

i adored this book. my endo had me living a life completely different from the one i wanted/needed: i had to drop out of conventional high school in favor of a more flexible online route,to visit countless doctors and specialists. i wish i had had this book then, Stein and Orbuch write so beautifully about the pain and struggle but left me with hope. if you or a loved one are battling with endo i cannot recommend enough!!

[Abi Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily the most I've learned from a book this year. There are some very valid criticisms that the advice in this book is hard to follow/inaccessible (it is, but so is pretty much everything involving the healthcare system and chronic illness). I'm still glad I read it and I have many valuable takeaways! This book was very technical, pretty boring, and a huge bummer, but I'm glad it exists.

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much valuable information here. I learned more about endometriosis from this book than from any of my doctors over the years. Orbuch and Stein approach endometriosis treatment from a holistic perspective and give me hope that there are things in my control to help me deal with this disease.

[Gianna Vicari · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5….
very mixed thoughts. had the potential to be very informative and helpful but really missed the mark here.

loved the beginning when talking about the patho & effects of endo but the interventions that this books provides comes from an extremely privileged mindset and would cost the average person thousands to implement. so out of the realm of possibility for the average person & average person suffering from endo.

[Jessica Wanous · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have been really helpful… if I made 6 figures or more a year.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited about this book because I found myself in tears on the second page of the FOREWORD. I felt understood and was anxious to hear their input. I appreciated their awareness of the mental and emotional toll this takes on someone, and I fit nearly every co-condition and has been to all the specialists.
BUT. Their “multimodal approach” is extremely overwhelming to people in great pain who have a hard time functioning at ALL, let alone putting these steps into practice. And it’s pricey to eat the way they recommend, and to do the surgery and the PT. I found myself disheartened as I continued to read.
I don’t doubt their heart for their patients, but I found the plan a bit too daunting at this point. :)
Also, bits of it read rather heady and scientific so it definitely isn’t a fast read. More like a textbook at times. WORTH reading if you suffer from it, though.

[Kelsey Taylor Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tough one to rate. Yes, it has tons of information to help you on your healing journey and the authors are extremely knowledgeable, but the message is tailored towards rich cis woman. Very gendered language, tons of “it is expensive, but do it” when the reality is many people with this disease have a hard time keeping a job, so thousands of dollars out of pocket isn’t a “just do it” option. With that being said, there are some good tips that cost nothing to help you on your healing path in the book: stretching, mindfulness activities, diet adjustments etc. I found it particularly helpful to read before my consultation with an excision specialist. (Also, Nancy’s Nook is pretty problematic, I recommend looking through endo summit recs)

[Kaity ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

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. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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[Adakhc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Borrowed from my local library through the "inter library loans" free service

[Agnes Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘you have only one body and one life—and you deserve to find out what is really going on’

informative but depressing read

[Ashley Cool · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a lot of mixed reviews about this book. Many reviews were upset about the recommendations because of the cost ( I get it!), or how is it possible to make change while in chronic pain. I completely understand as a long time sufferer of Endometriosis myself. It took me 12 years to find a doctor to even acknowledge my struggle and to order pelvic ultrasound, then pelvic MRI, a colonoscopy, physical therapy and so on. I have had surgery, but the cost of the other tests is high. I have had to cut back on other areas of life to save money to cover the expenses. It can feel like a bummer to not take vacations, go out to eat or buy new clothing in order to pay for medical expenses.. It feels depressing, especially when in pain and losing income due to illness. I had to get off Instagram, too many bummer inducing posts!
What I do appreciate about this book is that there are things endo specialists (look into Nancy's Nook for a list of recommended ones) can do to help manage this disease but there is also a lot of work we can do ourselves. I think that is empowering to know we have options. We can meditate, do breath work, targeted stretches, try to increase fruits and vegetables into our diets. Cut out sugar, which is inflammatory.
One thing that really stood out to me is the chapter on the bladder as in my 20's I experienced so much discomfort and pain, for years! I was diagnosed with possible Interstitial Cystitis but I was never told to go on a low acid and low potassium diet, which could have really helped. It was just Endometriosis inflammation and I could have found relief doing low sugar, no alcohol at the time as well.
This book also recommends physical therapy, which changed my life! I can't imagine how much more it could have helped had I a doctor years ago who took me seriously. I had a total of 3 sessions and it relieved pain I had daily for over 2 years. The cost was $65 each session with my insurance.
It's not the best book out there on the disease and really they all might be lacking because this condition is unique and individual more often than not but it offers many of the options for disease management. If you are suffering it is worth a read. Take what resonates and find ways to make treatment happen for you. Jessica Valantes (I may have spelling wrong) is a physical therapist with endometriosis, who had multiple surgeries and is recovering from breast cancer.. has a youtube channel with physical therapy excercises for the pelvic floor. Flashfoods may be offered in your area and they have boxes of produce for $5, I love them! Cheap way to add more nutrients into my diet and fiber!

[Katelyn Brammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first resource I read on endometriosis and it is an excellent place to start the research process of this disease or to supplement what you already know. It is no fault to the writers that the treatment of this disease is expensive. It is not fair to condemn them for laying out the expensive reality of proper treatment. It is no secret that treatment is difficult, especially for people with little to no energy due to the disease. However, I was not left with the presumption that the only way to heal is to completely start my life over and instantly shell out thousands. The authors present the path to wellness by teaching you the fundamentals of the disease and offering up suggestions along the way. They know as well as anyone that it isn't realistic (or wise) for the majority of people to jump straight into surgery. They provide suggestions to help you build an approach that does require effort and money, but that is slow and steady and moves at your own pace by calming down your inflammation, prioritizing your health, and finding the best surgeons for expert excision. It may take years for some to save up for this surgery, but again, this is not the fault of the writers. They are actually trying to save their readers money and more trauma by urging endo sufferers to seek out specialists rather than having surgery after surgery completed by a OB-GYN who doesn't know what their doing. It is the nature of the US healthcare system that makes getting proper expert surgery such a financial and geographical challenge. But as with anything, most people have the ability to improve their symptoms and experience a better quality of life if they make nutrition and other lifestyle factors a priority in their lives with the expectation that it will take time to sort everything out and start to experience relief. I am incredibly thankful to these writers and since reading the book about 6 months ago, I have already experienced a lot of relief by doing many of the things that they recommend and by taking the time and utilizing their recommendations in finding the best surgeon to perform my excision surgery that is currently scheduled but not yet completed. Do not under estimate how much an anti-inflammatory diet and the other lifestyle changes in this book can do to alleviate symptoms. Just be patient and kind to yourself during the process.

[Rachel Renbarger · Rating 2 out of 5]

BOO HISS to the framing throughout the book: You are a warrior! Do yoga and eat plants (and okay, surgery too and maybe meds and also genetics and also we know nothing) and you'll defeat this disease that literally cannot be beaten!

Like... What obnoxious gymnastics peddled to those of us suffering. You're telling me to not touch receipts because they have dioxins, meditate, and do a bunch of tiny things like this daily as if existing isn't hard enough???

Sure, some of it is helpful, but honestly the toxic "take your life into your own hands!" messaging really ruins it.

[Brooke Hester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some helpful info but lacking guidance for those who do not have unlimited funds or free time to participate in all of therapies and modalities that are considered “essential” for those with endometriosis. It would have been helpful to have guidance for preparing meals that are anti inflammatory at a lower cost. Or more options for those who cannot actively go to PT (ie more exercises to do at home). There is some helpful information but overall, this is not a resource I find to be very helpful.

[Kathy Passehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Christina Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend! Not only do they explain the pathophysiology, statistics, hope for the future. They also give you exercises, diet plans and more in here. Definitely worth reading if you have endo or if you have a family member with it and just want to understand what they're going through so you can help :)

[Jonathan Brooker · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my wife was diagnosed last year with stage 4 endometriosis it swiftly set us on an uphill learning curve. And if I had that magical time machine we've all imagined using at various points in our lives, I so badly wish I could've "accidentally" read this book months before that surgery which eventually unearthed the endometrial growths scattered all throughout her insides. This book is a resource that's desperately needed by the still-developing medical community and the often disheartened 10-12% of women who have endometriosis, and likely go through a physically and emotionally painful journey to even just discover that fact.

Having read some other reviews before writing mine, I feel the need to contend that I did not at all find the authors' tones to be condescending or presumptive at all. Do some elements of their prescribed treatment plan involve great expense or incredibly inconvenient changes to one's life? Absolutely. The same could be said of many major diseases like cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. Does telling you that chemo is what your body needs mean the person expects that you most certainly can and should be able to afford it? No. Neither do the more expensive or difficult solutions that these authors suggest mean that they believe everyone can and should be able to afford them or do them easily. They literally end their book with a cry for help to help spur on reform in the healthcare system to make excisions rather than ablations a more financially attainable procedure. In my opinion these harsh critics seem to be exposing the chips on their own shoulders rather than a flaw in the authors' solutions.

For that matter, I really appreciated that the authors offered a holistic approach that seems to recognize that our various parts of our bodies are already inextricably interconnected and that endometriosis is marked by potentially having varied effects that need resolved. I came away from this book with a range of things that we can do to improve my wife's health. Some so simple that we have immediately begun to implement them. Some that will take more careful planning and time. I also better understand what exactly endometriosis is and how it works, how it's often misdiagnosed based off the way it impacts the body depending on where the endometrial growths are present.

Our story is very much like one of the ones they write about in the book: Where it takes years of going from specialist to specialist, dealing with a variety of conditions that seem to be connected in our minds and "gut" but that have taken years of misunderstanding by medical professionals to be properly diagnosed. Furthermore, because we didn't know better, we had a ob-gyn do the exploratory surgery that revealed that my wife had endo and then in that same surgery perform ablations and following it prescribe Oralissa and Lupron. Almost immediately after each step of this we knew that we had misstepped. This book only confirmed that. I wish we had sought an endo specialist. I wish we had gone the excision route instead. I wish we had completely forgone the medications that wreaked havoc on my wife's body during their tenure and lingering afterwards.

While I could lament that "I wish I had known sooner..." I can at least be grateful to know what I've learned from reading this book now. It's given us hope, clarity, and a plan. We're not in denial that it's going to be difficult. But over the years endo has taken so much from us, we're glad to be able to know how we can take some things back!

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

informative and helpful, but seems to fall into the trap of similar books that makes it sound like if you just follow all of these things, your endo will be gone and not recur.

It also asks patients to invest hundreds to thousands of dollars in "cooling" down their body before the doctor will excise the endo.
While I don't necessarily disagree with the logic, I think we need to be realistic. Endo excision surgery by a specialist tends to be something that is out of network. It costs thousands of dollars. Nutritionists and therapists might be in network, but could still be very expensive depending on your particular insurance plan. Even if your excision specialist is in network, surgery still isn't cheap. All this to say, not everyone can get this level of care before having surgery. And folks who cannot afford it still deserve to have their pain managed by the gold standard, which is excision of the endometriosis.

I also disagree with the statement in the excision chapter that once endometriosis is removed, it won't grow back in that specific place. There's no guarantee that all of the tissue was removed. In some cases (such as DIE endo) not all of the tissue even can be removed. There's plenty of research out there that contradicts this statement, so I'm not sure where she is getting that information from. An endo specialist cannot guarantee you will not need an additional surgery. The only thing they can do based on their skill and experience is improve your quality of life and hopefully give you many years before you would need that surgery.

I think this book means well and wants to help people, but what we ultimately need is a cure. Not hundreds of thousands of dollars that we invest into whole body care because we were unlucky enough to suffer from this disease. While I obviously think this information can and likely will help people, I also know that the American healthcare system makes getting and maintaining this level of care very difficult for countless individuals. This is not so much a gripe with the book or author, but just as someone living and suffering from an under researched disease that doctors and scientists still don't really understand.

Want to also add that Nancy's Nook is problematic. While it was also created to help people, doctors can pay to be on the list. And Nancy does not allow negative feedback about anyones experience with that doctor.
You're far better off creating a reddit account, joining the endometriosis and endo subreddits, and searching in those subreddits for specialists in your area. At least you'll get honest reviews from folks, and you can even find good recommendations for specialists who accept insurance.

[Christabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
this book has some really great information about how endo works and affects all the different systems in your body in a scientific but still easy to understand way. they also have some great suggestions on ways exercises and things you can do to help manage your endometriosis symptoms. but i have 2 main issues with this book:

1 - they put a big focus on money and say things like ‘patients may say they can’t afford treatment and will put it off, but putting it off may mean longer treatment later down the track. it’s better to just pay it now and put everything else on the back burner for now’ uh hello, what kind of fantasy world are you living in? the cost of living is EXPENSIVE, and people can’t just stop paying their bills. a lot of people with endometriosis are restricted in their work because of their symptoms and therefore won’t have as much disposable income as someone who is healthy/has no health issues. it’s not easy for people to just afford the type of treatments we actually require. a literal quote from the book “supplementing your insurance coverage or paying a therapist directly right now may seem pricey, but weigh it against your suffering and your health before you decide you can’t afford it” what gets me most is the BEFORE YOU DECIDE YOU CANT AFFORD IT. i don’t know if it’s just me but i find that highly insensitive. we aren’t just choosing and deciding we can’t afford it.

2 - there’s a chapter in the book talking about how endometriosis cases are rare in teens. the authors talk about their extensive training and expertise in the field of endo, yet still wrote that chapter? it is widely known in the endo community that it takes an average of 12 years to get an official diagnosis, so saying that there are fewer cases diagnosed in teens probably isn’t a reflection on it being a rare condition in teens but more about the fact that endo isn’t as widely educated about or known and it takes FAR TOO LONG for people to get a diagnosis. for most people, we know that onset of symptoms usually start from the time you get your first period, and generally you’re a teenager at this time, meaning that endometriosis was present, just not diagnosed, so i find the fact that they wrote that chapter to be incredibly misinformed.

[Mary Myers]

Pros: I learned a lotttt. It’s wild how much endo affects the entire body. Fascinating and frustrating. I took away so much from this and will be thinking about it for a long, long time. She was an expert, looked to others when she was not an expert in a field, and referenced all studied. After reading this, I know more about my body, how to calm my systems, and a new mindset. Bravo.

Cons: if you have no background or intro into this topic, this books is not for you. I cannot imagine how overwhelming this book would be for that population (but that doesn’t seem to be the intended audience). Another audience I’m not sure she is writing for is anyone who is not rich, does not live in a medical metropolis, and does have all the time in the world… aka 99% of the population. She urges sufferers to cut almost all foods except a small list which is not realistic for those not in a large city with grocery store that carry these foods for a decent price (or those who are so nauseous they can only eat certain foods), put your life on hold to do healing work, and to get treatment by dozens of specialists. I not only do not have the access to that (it took over 15 years to get an endo specialist) but if I did, I couldn’t pay for those visits. Plus, to heal fast and make it “worth it” you need to put the changes she recommends above basically everything else. She stated something along the lines of “think about your health the next time you push scheduling an appointment until after you pay your insurance or rent” when speaking of PT. Ma’am, I think about my health every second of every day. If I COULD get these appointments and pay I would. You guilt tripping us is not helping. Lastly, I wish she would have just mentioned that not all endo sufferers are women. They’re are plenty of trans, nonbinary, and intersex people who suffer from this. It may be easier to say “women” and I assume that is her mindset (although a lazy approach imo) but a statement at the beginning would be better than nothing.

[Suzanna Ellison · Rating 3 out of 5]

A someone with endo and IC, I wish I had read this book sooner, it outlines the interdisciplinary treatments involved in reclaiming your life from endo. From stretches you can do at home for pelvic floor pain written by a PT, to the truth about excision surgery from an excision surgeon herself, I really enjoyed the comprehensive chapters.

However, I want to give warnings about a few things (before you spend money on this):

The book was non-inclusive in regards to gender and sexuality. Typical binary and heteronormative language and assumptions.

The chapter about environmental toxins felt very victim-blaming. I’m glad they’re writing about the link to dioxins but I don’t appreciate the expectation we can all throw away our items and live an almost “toxin-free” life, it’s not feasible for those who are low-income, have to work in risky fields, or are disabled. Don’t put the failures of past generations, our government, and corporations on the shoulders of those with this disease.

Lastly, the chapter on nutrition was very difficult. It triggered a lot of thoughts about restrictive eating and food phobia. There should be a TW to anyone prone to disordered eating. Again, I’m thrilled they’re talking about treating the disease through diet, but the weight of an unhealthy food system shouldn’t be put on only us. Some people cannot afford (whether due to time, money, or access) to eat the way this book suggests and should not feel guilty about that! Seriously, remove that endo is the root of your problems, don't blame yourself for not knowing what a perfect diet is for your body and disease.

I think it’s clear these authors don’t have endo because of the way they’re so optimistic about "beating" it. I'm all for staying positive, but sometimes it's important to stay grounded in the fact that is not yet a cure. Still, I applaud these doctors for working on this guide. The book is a great resource, the research is mostly up to date, and I found it at my library.

[Johanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is probably a lot more useful to you if you are American, and, as other reviewers have said, wealthy. The authors strongly recommend physical therapy as a treatment procedure for endometriosis, but unfortunately PT isn’t generally offered as treatment for endo in the UK. The sections on insurance and USDA-certified products also weren’t relevant to me as a reader based in the UK. It feels like a lot of the advice given in the book assumes you have endless resources, money and time. For example, the chapter on endo and the environment advises you to “throw out every product currently in your medicine cabinet and order anew from sources that only sell clean personal care products”. Not only is this expensive and unrealistic for many, it’s also incredibly wasteful.

I actually laughed out loud when the “reclaim your life” chapter advised readers that “it is a good idea to go back to the generalists who misdiagnosed you, bringing copies of your operative and pathology reports, and gently educate them”. Can you imagine, as a British person, making an appointment with your GP in what is already an overburdened, strained and underfunded medical system – just to ‘gently educate’ them that they misdiagnosed you? This section just seemed like the authors, although they are medical professionals, have a very unrealistic view of the medical services available to the majority of people who aren’t wealthy and American.

I read this book in 2021, just three years after it was published, and already found that many of the online resources were out of date or no longer accessible, such as The Integrative Women’s Health Institute website.

The parts of the book I did find useful were the nutritional advice and the therapeutic exercises and I’ve been following this particular guidance with positive results so far. This book wasn’t for me overall, but I’m sure that some will find it helpful.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a 33 year old female battling Endo and Infertility and currently going through the process of fertility treatments- this book was such a good resource to have. I had battled with debilitating cramps and menstrual pains as an adolescent and was taken to my doctor and ( of course) just recommended to start birth control without really any further discussion. The pill did help mask my symptoms and control my pain/ cramps but I still battled with constant stomach and urinary issues and was sent to multiple Urologists- Gastroenterologists and prescribed multiple prescriptions. It wasn’t until I got married and stopped birth control that I realized something really was wrong and needed to be done about it. Menstrual pain and cramping came back 10 times worse- my face exploded with the most painful cystic acne and my stomach/urinary issues never resolved. I had to advocate for myself and push multiple physicians to look into this further. Years after coming off the pill and pleading to a GYN I finally trusted that something wasn’t right he finally then agreed to do laparoscopic surgery to investigate and did determine I had Endo. I still battle with symptoms daily- as well as struggling over the hurdle of infertility now- but with a diagnoses came research and more advocation for myself. I have a great fertility- GYN/ Primary Care and Gastro team and have been able to manage symptoms.

I wanted to post all of that for any ladies also struggling with any of the above. You are not alone. This book also was a great resource to me and gave me many different techniques- stretches- advice- etc that I have implemented into my daily life and I am very appreciative of it.

[Missy Block · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎗🎗🎗🎗🎗🎗🎗🎗🎗🎗
Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Beating Endo by Iris Kerin Orbuch, MD and Amy Stein, DPT - “””given the average 12 year period between onset of symptoms and diagnosis, consider the potential extent and severity of your Endo by the time you receive that diagnosis””” THIS!!!! I cannot thank @harper_wave enough for sending me this book. Absolutely everything I wish I knew a decade ago. Endo is a demonic, debilitating, soul crushing disease. To find a book, that treats every single aspect of it, because it’s so much more than just your pelvic area that’s affected, is just mind blowing refreshing. If you know someone, or are someone, who’s been diagnosed, or has been misdiagnosed, or is just too scared to seek diagnosis (unfortunately happens ALL. TO. OFTEN.), buy them this book. It’s not all surgical. It’s not all pharmaceutical. It’s not all physical. It’s not all mental. These authors not only understand that, they’re preaching it. If you don’t know where to start? Start with this book. I’ll be reading and taking more notes again and again. And I thought I had read it ALL on this subject. Pub Date 06.25.2019
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#bookstagram #endo #endometriosis #beatingendo #iriskerinorbuch #amystein #partner #sponsored #ad #bookstagrammer #bibliophile #instabooks #bookcommunity #booksofinstagram #arc #booksharks #bookbuzz #books #advancedreaderscopy
#bookworm #bookishnana #bookhangover

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
Good info on the science, co conditions, and alternative treatment options for endo, and the chapters discussing chronic pain and on teenagers/early diagnosis were especially appreciated.

However, the authors continually showed how out of touch with most people’s reality they are by assuming their patients have unlimited money, time, and energy to access and utilize all the methods of healing that these authors claim as nonnegotiable and critical to endo relief. Most people can’t afford a nutritionist, pelvic floor physical therapist, gynecologist, urologist, gastroenterologist, pain management specialist, psychiatrist, and mental health counseling on top of acupuncture, gym memberships, eating organic no antibiotic no GMO local foods from the farmers market, daily supplements and medications, clean beauty and cleaning products, etc. Not to mention the actual cost of exploratory laparoscopic/ excision surgery and taking the time off work and childcare to heal from those. It felt like the authors were perpetuating the historical falsehood that endo is an upper class skinny white woman’s disease with the fantasy of having access to all these expensive endo management choices. Definitely felt overwhelmed by all the suggestions that were not tiered for real gradual application by the end, but the only book I’ve read that gave thorough discussion of pelvic floor physical therapy.

[Zuzia Gawlik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bardzo denerwująca książka, zaczyna się dobrze, faktycznie można zdobyć wiedzę odnośnie endometriozy, ale im dalej, tym gorzej. W zasadzie niewiadomo, czy to jest poradnik dla pacjentki, czy może dla specjalisty, do tego bardzo dużo historii, które nie wnoszą żadnej wiedzy. Z jednej strony w książce jest opisane co robic, z drugiej wychodzi na to, że masz iść do specjalisty i powiedzieć mu, co ma z Tobą zrobić (tak, książka tłumaczy, że masz ze swoim lekarzem pracować w taki i w taki sposób, a Twój fizjoterapeuta ma mieć dużo kursów). Może na standardy amerykańskie ma to sens, ale w Polsce przynajmniej część nie ma przełożenia na rzeczywistość. Oczywiste jest, że system ubezpieczeń działa inaczej, ale nie każdy wpadnie na to, że fizjoterapeutki należy tutaj szukać w inny sposób (tzn. nie rozumiem po po patrzec na czas trwania wizyty, standard w Polsce to między 40 a 60min, fizjo ustala tyle, ile potrzebuje; nie ma tutaj typowych kursów podyplomowych z zakresu fizjoterapii uroginekologicznej, są krótkie, kilkudniowe kursy, a ilość skończonych kursow nie świadczy o umiejętnościach). Dodatkowo nie rozumiem tłumaczenia jak fizjoterapeuta ma pracować, czy jakie leki lekarz powinien przepisać. Z mojej strony nie polecam