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"Jennifer Lewis has written a many-layered guide to dealing with endometriosis. As well as telling her endometriosis story, she also offers comfort, support, and hope for those who are dealing with this condition. After reading her heartbreakingly honest description of the trips to the ER, and dealing with years of severe pain, I wondered how the other chapters would measure up."

"In fact, I found that her story became the perfect springboard for discussing the main thrust of this book: patient advocacy, or, in other words, taking an active role in your own health. This theme pervades the book, especially when it gives tips for dealing with your doctor, and about the pain that the author went through before finding a doctor that would perform the surgery she needed."

"Also threading through her story, is the reassurance that there are other women out there, that you, the reader, are definitely not along with this disease. She offers support for those who are giving up hope, and offers comfort for those who think they've tried everything their doctors can think of. One chapter is devoted to the personal letters from other women with endometriosis, with a few that made tears come to my eyes."

"The author even includes letters between herself and her husband, a telling look into the stresses that endometriosis can cause within a marriage, and within a family. She includes a section for men, and offers suggestions for the men who love and live with women who deal with this disease."

"Even if you've read all of the other endometriosis books out there, this one is definitely a keeper. The author's frank tone and honest empathy with her readers brings you close to her, and her words give you the confidence and knowledge that you need to start understanding endometriosis. I would recommend this book, as a necessary guide to improving your understanding of endometriosis, as well as providing the steps to bettering your own health."

-- Lindsey Schocke, Endomagazine.com Marietta, GA USA
October 31, 2000

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"Author Jennifer Lewis was one of those victims. Suffering symptoms from the age of 15, Jennifer spent more than a decade in pain, undergoing multiple surgeries, and enduring medical mismanagement of her condition. Ultimately, she decided to have a hysterectomy at the age of 27. After
going through this this trial by fire, Jennifer decided to chronicle her own experiences, plus the information she discovered in her own search for diagnosis and treatment. This personal experience gives Jennifer's book a candid and honest feeling that will resonate with other endometriosis sufferers."

"'Endometriosis: One Woman's Journey' provides a thorough overview of the symptoms of endometriosis, and moves right into an excellent review of various treatments, including homeopathy, mind-body medicine, pain relievers, hormonal therapy, and surgical treatments. Of particular help is her chapter on how to be your own advocate with doctors, and
presenting your case history to doctors."

"A unique chapter in the book is one titled "Preparing for Setbacks," in which she describes some hard realities of living with a chronic condition like endometriosis. Endometriosis suffers will recognize their own situations in Jennifer's open discussions of topics such as feeling unable to live up to others needs and expectations, lost wages, and depression."

"With a large section of personal stories, the experiences of Jennifer and her readers are given even greater voice. One theme is the inability to get diagnosed, and doctor's dismissal of problems as psychological instead of physical. One reader seems to sum up many of those who have written, in saying: 'Only we know what we feel...we know that we are right even though you may doubt yourself when they say it's all in your
head.'"

"A particularly useful chapter discusses the benefits of keeping a health diary, and provides a detailed format that a reader can follow in creating her own personal journal/diary.'

"The book concludes with a resources chapter that offers information on organizations, books, newsletters and web sites for more information on endometriosis."

'Endometriosis is also a condition that is more often seen along with autoimmune diseases, so being aware of this condition and its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment should be of particular concern to women who suffer from thyroid problems, lupus, and other autoimmune diseases."

"'Losing my fertility as a young woman does not make me bitter. Ten years of surgeries, drug addiction, instability, lack of self-esteem, pain, suffering, indifference and ignorance does,' she says, in her introduction. 'I will not let that happen to you.' And she delivers on that promise in this excellent book."

-- Mary Shomon, Editor,
"Sticking Out Our Necks: Thyroid Disease News
Report" (www.thyroid-info.com), About.com Guide to
Thyroid Disease (thyroid.about.com) and Author of
"Living Well with Hypothyroidism"