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theshaggyshepherd's review against another edition
5.0
Vagina Problems // by Lara Parker
Ever since reading When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, I have been reading every medically related memoir I could get my hands on. Over the past year, I’ve also tried to be more outspoken about taboo topics, both when with friends as well as on social media. When I came across Vagina Problems by Lara Parker, I knew that I just had to read it! Aside from the blurb, have you seen the cover?! It is awesome! It is perfect for for her story with its boldness that draws your attention immediately!
Lara Parker pulled me into her story right away. There aren’t many books that I read this quickly. But she just has a real talent at telling things how they are with no shame and leaving you wanting more. I know that might be a weird thing to say when it is about a topic like this, but it is true. I learned so much about the illnesses she talks about and I am a better person for it. I wish I could make not just every doctor but every person in general read this book. I knew there was a bias about women’s pain in medicine but I did not realize it takes an average of 7 (SEVEN!) years for someone to be diagnosed with endometriosis. That is ridiculous!
I love how Lara Parker is defensive and argumentative and owns it! It is so obvious how much she has been belittled and not taken serious, and it’s very empowering to me (who is struggling with unexplained medical issues thus far and feels like it’s not always being taken serious) to see her not back down and make her problems smaller than they are for the book. Several times throughout, Parker talks about her privilege and what that affords her in terms of treatment options, health insurance, and sick days. She sounds down to earth and honest when she talks about these things, very much in line with the rest of her book. This book is raw and honest and everything it needs to be. There is no happy ending, at least not the type we would all love to see with a cure and forever love and butterflies and flowers. But it has an ending that may feel familiar to others with chronic illnesses or hopefully at least spark some hope.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Ever since reading When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, I have been reading every medically related memoir I could get my hands on. Over the past year, I’ve also tried to be more outspoken about taboo topics, both when with friends as well as on social media. When I came across Vagina Problems by Lara Parker, I knew that I just had to read it! Aside from the blurb, have you seen the cover?! It is awesome! It is perfect for for her story with its boldness that draws your attention immediately!
Lara Parker pulled me into her story right away. There aren’t many books that I read this quickly. But she just has a real talent at telling things how they are with no shame and leaving you wanting more. I know that might be a weird thing to say when it is about a topic like this, but it is true. I learned so much about the illnesses she talks about and I am a better person for it. I wish I could make not just every doctor but every person in general read this book. I knew there was a bias about women’s pain in medicine but I did not realize it takes an average of 7 (SEVEN!) years for someone to be diagnosed with endometriosis. That is ridiculous!
I love how Lara Parker is defensive and argumentative and owns it! It is so obvious how much she has been belittled and not taken serious, and it’s very empowering to me (who is struggling with unexplained medical issues thus far and feels like it’s not always being taken serious) to see her not back down and make her problems smaller than they are for the book. Several times throughout, Parker talks about her privilege and what that affords her in terms of treatment options, health insurance, and sick days. She sounds down to earth and honest when she talks about these things, very much in line with the rest of her book. This book is raw and honest and everything it needs to be. There is no happy ending, at least not the type we would all love to see with a cure and forever love and butterflies and flowers. But it has an ending that may feel familiar to others with chronic illnesses or hopefully at least spark some hope.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
mvisnjic's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Such important information, but I didn’t love how it was written like a buzz feed article… everyone should know about conditions like endometriosis and vaginismus though because they are so real and affect so many people!! Made me very angry at our medical and healthcare system
hannahthebanana's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.75
perpetually_reading_'s review against another edition
4.0
The aptly titled Vagina Problems is Lara’s story of resiliency, self-advocacy and education for the masses. As readers we are given a front row seat to what felt like raw and traumatic experiences at the hands of doctors that weren’t willing or able (through their own fault) to help her and wrote her off as a “hypochondriac”. Lara has well... Vagina Problems as she refers to them but I’m sure the one your heard is endometriosis. One in ten women have this disease, thank you Lara for that statistic, but it is still not spoken about openly. As Lara points out, men can have their viagra pills and other medical needs for their penises well known, spoken about and paid for but women living with this condition it can take up to 7 years for an accurate diagnosis.
What I appreciated the most was the way that Lara told the story. Her voice was seeping off the pages as though she was in front of my telling the stories. She doesn’t sugar coat her feelings or experiences which is amazing. I am not someone who suffers from this disease but I can see how this book would be comforting if I did. It allows others suffering from Vagina Problems to not feel alone or ashamed as it seems Lara had been made to feel for years.
*I received this book from NetGalley in return for my honest review.*
What I appreciated the most was the way that Lara told the story. Her voice was seeping off the pages as though she was in front of my telling the stories. She doesn’t sugar coat her feelings or experiences which is amazing. I am not someone who suffers from this disease but I can see how this book would be comforting if I did. It allows others suffering from Vagina Problems to not feel alone or ashamed as it seems Lara had been made to feel for years.
*I received this book from NetGalley in return for my honest review.*
purpleviolin91's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
rebeccacarolyn's review against another edition
3.0
Is this book important? Yes. Do I recommend it? Yes. Is it well written? Maybe, but is it well-edited? No. This is one of the most repetitive books I’ve ever read, often with verbatim sentences. It could have been cut down by 30% without losing anything. I wanted to love this book, but I felt as if I was just reading the same chapter over and over again.