Over the last twenty years of medical practice, I have seen many women suffer needlessly because their doctors did not really listen to the; or told them their complaints were all in their head or treated normal stages in a woman's life as if they were diseases. More recently, I have seen many women pay a heavy price for the careless prescription of tranquilizers, birth control pills, hormones and antibiotics. I have seen many women suffer because they do not understand how their body worked, had not had their treatment options explained or did not understand the side effects of drugs.
Women are hungry for reliable information explained clearly and practically. For eight years, I wrote a column For Women Only for Today's Health, a magazine which was distributed with The Globe And Mail to a million and a half readers across Canada in addition to 40,000 copies to doctors' and dentists' waiting rooms. During that time, I photostatted so many copies of my column for patients and doctors alike that I decided to compile them into a book so that more women could take advantage of this information. Since that time, I have completely updated, rewritten, and revised every chapter and added many new topics.
This Book Is Built On The Following Beliefs:
- You are the most reliable expert on your body and your health care.
- Your body is perfectly constructed for your enjoyment and benefit, whether you decide to have children or not.
- Your first period, dealing with your fertility, being pregnant and having a baby, experiencing the monthly fluctuations of the menstrual cycle and the changes of menopause are all normal processes for which a woman's body is well designed.
- You have innate and wondrous healing powers which can be supported and encouraged rather than suppressed and denied. Natural healing methods are often beneficial and can stimulate your body's healing capabilities without harmful side effects.
What You Can Do
- You can help yourself a lot through regular exercise and relaxation, as well making certain that you eat as well as possible.
- You can help yourself through reducing your work load. Too many women these days are just plain overworked, even more now since they often end up working outside the home as well as shouldering the main responsibility for the family and the house.
- You can help re-educate your doctor on what best serves your needs.
- You can insist that your doctor adhere to the bill of rights outlined in this book. Otherwise it is best to find a more supportive doctor.
- You can write your MP requesting that more emphasis be put on education and prevention in the health system and that your doctor be paid for such activities.
- You can support the rights of chiropractors, naturopaths, homeopaths and other alternative health practitioners to offer their services and be covered by medical insurance.
