The Doctor Will See You Now : Recognizing and Treating Endometriosis by Dr. Tamer Seckin

Fun fact before you read through this entire review - Dr Seckin's name is pronounced "Such- kin." Endometriosis materializes when the endometrium - the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus - sheds, but does not exit a woman's body during her period. Instead, it grows outside of the uterus, spreading to organs and nerves in and around the pelvic region. The resulting pain is so physically and emotionally insufferable that it can mercilessly dominate a woman's life. The average woman with endometriosis is twenty-seven years old before she is diagnosed. It is one of the top three causes of female infertility. The pain it emits can affect a woman's career, social life, relationships, sexual activity, sleep, and diet. It is incurable, but highly treatable. Unfortunately, though, it is rarely treated in a timely manner, if at all, because of misdiagnoses and/or a lack of education among those in the medical community. This book gives hope to everyone connected to endometriosis. That includes every woman and young girl who has it, and the women and men in their lives - the mothers, fathers, husbands, children, and friends - who know something is wrong, but do not know what it is or what to do about it. This book is written at a level that everyone with ties to this disease can relate to and understand, but it is also for doctors with good intentions who lack the knowledge of how to diagnose or treat it. "The Doctor Will See You Now" is for women determined to let the world know their stories so that every woman with this disease - from the thirteen-year-old girl who is being told that her pain is "part of becoming a woman" to the woman who has been misdiagnosed for decades - knows she is not alone. Yes, her pain is real. No, she is not crazy. Yes, there is hope.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

  This book is REQUIRED READING for People with Endometriosis.  Have you ever read a book and been relieved to read about other people's suffering? No?  Well, I hadn't either until I read this book.  I was desperate to figure out a solution for my pain.  I had already had one exploratory laparoscopic surgery that same year- where they found scar tissue inside of me but no endometrial tissue.  I ordered a ton of books from the library and this was one of them.  This book is a series of testimonials from people who have undergone deep excision surgery by Dr. Seckin.  They talk about their lives prior to having the surgery and they suffered.  And I was thrilled.  These women felt what I was feeling! They also were sure they had endometriosis but a quick surgery told them they didn't.  They also suffered from extreme measures of pain and were on constant pain killers.  They also found that doctors just did no believe the severity of pain that they lived in on a normal basis.  These women were me!Dr. Seckin describes various treatment options for endometriosis, along with highly recommending his deep laparoscopic excision surgery.  He even includes things you should be asking your doctor if you think you have endometriosis.Truth be told, this book was a game changer for me.  I read it, and I researched like crazy. I looked into the best of the best endometriosis specialists. I got on facebook and I messaged their previous patients who had left different reviews on their facebook posts. I facetimed with previous patients and made a decision.  I ended up going to see Dr. Seckin - yes the same guy who wrote this book and he performed my surgery.  Finding PLENTY of endometrial tissue (confirmed with a pathologist), along with a grapefruit sized cyst, and an appendix that was looking rough. None of which was seen in the previous quick surgery by an obgyn who's website specified that they treat endometriosis patients.Even if you don't end up with him as your surgeon (and I'm not advocating that you have to see him), this book is a MUST READ.  It will help you feel heard. Help you have solace in knowing that you're not crazy.  It will help you feel empowered to get the treatment you deserve.  It will help you to feel hopeful for the first time in a long time, knowing some people took the risk and tried the surgery and had a drastic lifestyle change.  It will empower you to be your own health advocate.Read this book! You won't regret it.