Customer Reviews

Misinformed Consent: Women's Stories About Unnecessary Hysterectomy

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The hope that change is possible not only motivates Lise Cloutier-Steele and the women telling their stories in Misinformed Consent, but also is illustrated by the example given by Stanley West, MD, in his introduction to this book. Talking about his observation of how the disfiguring radical mastectomy has been replaced by the lumpectomy as the "gold standard" in the medical field, Dr. West states that it was not medical professionals who instigated this change: "Rather women-empowered by knowledge-stated simply that they would no longer allow a disfiguring operation to be performed when they could undergo an equally successful surgery without the negative consequences."

While for so long a blanket of silence has covered the risks and consequences of hysterectomy, it is time for change. This is not light or entertaining reading, but a courageous sharing of private pain by women who want knowledge to effect change. Each and every woman, whether or not she is personally contemplating a hysterectomy or has already experienced one herself, would benefit from reading Misinformed Consent. -Bets Davis & Lisa Martinez for "The Women's Sexual Health Foundation...this book is listed as one of our recommended resources.

Misinformed Consent weaves a ribbon from story to story - the common thread - surgical castration and resultant post-operative anatomical, hormonal and psychological changes. None of the women whose stories appear here were prepared for the changes they experienced after surgery. INFORMED consent was not given to these women as crucial and pertinent information was withheld. Generations of women were silenced and made to feel they were alone is they complained after this surgery. Doctors are still denying these consequences can and DO occur FREQUENTLY. The book is not about a select few, the numbers are astounding. This information should be disseminated to women considering hysterectomy. This may well be the trailblazer publication that will begin women taking a stand against conventional medical standards that have been outdated for decades.

Story after story validated my own experience with symptoms and doctors.
These courageous women discover it's not mental weakness they're suffering from, it's physical endocrine problems caused by uneccessary hysterectomies. Any woman considering a hysterectomy should read Misinformed Consent. Any woman who wishes to live instead of survive should read this book. Thank you Lise and friends, for Misinformed Consent. In it, I learned, for the first time, about saliva-testing for hormone levels, compounding pharmacists, and bio-identical products for hormone replacement therapy.

There is a lot of hype about the glories of [the body] in our news media today, however when it comes to a woman's ...reproductive organs all too often the news we hear is glorifying the hysterectomy. Lise Cloutier-Steel has done an excellent job in bringing information to women from another perspective--the many reasons why our uteri should not be removed and the value of the natural ovarian function for our entire bodies. Adding to this, she has collected stories from women who explain in detail the consequences they have endured from this operation. After reading these experiences, it becomes quite clear that the chance a woman takes undergoing a hysterectomy is far greater than the time and effort it would take to find a uterus-sparing alternative surgery or a medical solution. This book contains many excellent resources, information on compounding pharmacies, medical terminology and questions to ask doctors to help women become truly informed about their own bodies.

I am awestruck that in 2003, many women friends including my own mother, still feel that a woman has no other choice than to choose a hysterectomy as treatment for such a wide range of health symptoms. Misinformed Consent is truly sad, but an honest story told by far too many women. Hopefully soon this surgery will be chosen as a very last resort.
- Nancy,Ottawa, Canada

This book verifies in haunting accounts that we, as women, are not as enlightened as we'd like to believe we are.
The stories in this book identify in easy to understand language, the possible consequences of hysterectomy that doctors somehow "forget" to mention. Each story in this book, while unique, reinforced the other stories.

"I recently read Misinformed Consent for the first time. Interesting to me that I thought I could simply read it, then put it down. Wrong!!! Instead, I put that day's activities "down", devoured the book, and carried those
women's stories with me for the next several days. The impact was profound, even after all this time for me, and having heard so much else about hysterectomy and its aftermath. Wow."
- Deb Knutson, Minnesota

The courageous authors of this remarkable book have accomplished the near impossible: They have taken on the medical profession and revealed its LIES AND COVER UPS. These are real stories by real women who TRUSTED THEIR DOCTORS and were BETRAYED, physically and psychologically damaged, and abandoned by those in whom they entrusted their very lives.

I can only imagine the pain and torment these women have suffered through their experiences, and the difficulty they must have endured in reliving and writing this book. WE are the beneficiaries of their heinous experiences. "Misinformed Consent" has unlocked the door behind which the careless, deceptive victimization of women has been well hidden. These women educate and inspire..and I, for one, am eternally grateful for their efforts in giving this book to the world.

"MISINFORMED CONSENT" is THE BOOK every woman MUST read and SHARE with mothers, daughters, sisters and friends.

Having just recently experienced problems related to turning the "BIG" 40, I was glad I had "Misinformed Consent" as my reference.

It helped me to ask my physicians the right questions, and helped me make an informed decision about my course of treatment.

I was fortunate that both my general physician, and gynaecologist didn't suggest a hysterectomy, unless it was a very last resort. In addition they advised me that we should exhaust all our options before even considering a hysterectomy. Perhaps they too have read Lise's book.

Thank you Lise!

I want to congratulate Lise Cloutier Steele, and Mary Anne Wyatt, for this excellent book on the devastating effects of a hysterectomy. Incredibly, the vast majority of women who have a hysterectomy do not receive adequate information about the harmful side effects of their operation before their surgery. The women's stories represent the tip of an iceberg that reveals the chilling effects these surgical procedures have had on the lives of so many women: one in three women over the age of sixty-five in Canada have had a hysterectomy. It is difficult to comprehend the thinking within the medical community that ignores the scientific literature which speaks of the side effects and is responsible for the loss of so many vibrant, intelligent, and powerful women to our society. These are other excellent resources: http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/show_hysterectomy.html and the HERS Foundation in the U.S.
Cathy Woods, Vancouver, BC
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