Vliet - Screaming to be heard: hormone connections women suspect and doctors still ignore

Screaming to be Heard

Hormone Connections Women
Suspect and Doctors Still Ignore

Hormone Connections
Women Suspect and
Doctors Still Ignore

Completely Revised and Expanded

ELIZABETH LEE VLIET, M.D.

Copyright 1995, 2001 by Elizabeth Lee Vliet, M.D.
First Rowman & Littlefield edition 2006

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

Published by M. Evans
An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706

Estover Road
Plymouth PL6 7PY
United Kingdom

Cartoons and the original artwork for diagrams used in this book are by Gordon Vliet.

Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK

The previous edition of this book was cataloged by the Library of Congress as follows:

Vliet, Elizabeth Lee, 1946

Screaming to be heard : hormonal connections women suspect... and doctors ignore /
Elizabeth Lee Vliet. 1st ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-0-87131-914-2

ISBN-10: 0-87131-914-4

1. WomenHealth and hygiene. I. Title.
RA778.V55 1995
613.04244dc20

94-49419
CIP

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Manufactured in the United States of America.

This book is dedicated to:

The courage and persistence of my women patientsand their partnerswho listened to their inner voice of knowing, and who pursued answers to their health questions in spite of medical teachings that often seemed to contradict womens wisdom and insights. As I have listened, you have taught me; your wisdom and experiences will now benefit others as your words are given a voice in this book.

My mother, Virginia Lee Hutcheson Davis, and her mother, Nellie Butler Hutcheson, women of strength and faith in the face of adversity, women of intellect and wisdom, women who taught me to stand firm for what I believed in, women who taught me to listen well to the voice of wisdom.

My husband, Gordon Cheesman Vliet, a quiet strength and soulmate, who has shared this journey of helping others and blessed my life richly. He was among the first who encouraged and nurtured me in my pursuit of a medical career as well as the exploration of new avenues for healing.

Our Creator, who has given us this incredible blessing of life, who sustains us through adversities, and who has provided guidance, insights, and strength to carry out my lifes work.

Disclaimer

The ideas and suggestions in this book are based on the clinical experience and medical training of the author and scientific articles available. Every attempt has been made to present current and accurate information as of time of publication. The suggestions in this book are definitely not meant to be a substitute for careful medical evaluation and treatment by a qualified, licensed health professional. Each womans health needs, risks, and goals are different and should be developed with medical supervision for personalized advice, answers to specific medical questions, and individual recommendations. The author and publisher specifically do not recommend starting any new treatment, changing any medication you may be taking, or using over-the-counter hormone preparations without consulting your personal physician. This book is intended for educational purposes only, and use of the information is entirely at the readers discretion. The author and publisher cannot be responsible for any adverse reactions arising directly or indirectly from the suggestions in this material, and specifically disclaim any liability from the use of this book.

All of the patient vignettes described in the book are actual patients from the authors medical practice and have not been created just for this book. Names, and if necessary, identifying details, have been changed to preserve patient confidentiality but these changes did not alter the actual clinical information, lab results, patient comments, or treatment being presented.

I would like to once again give my deep appreciation to all of those teachers and encouragers I acknowledged in the First Edition of Screaming to Be Heard. Thank you for your role in helping me grow and develop as a physician and author.

As the years have passed, there are additional special people without whose efforts and support I would not be able to sustain our mission to gain attention for the overlooked hormone connections and provide help to the hundreds of women we see in each of the HER Place centers.

Kathryn A. Kresnik, who saw the enormous need for this work in womens health and has invested time and energy above and beyond our initial agreements. Without her dedication, persistence, calm presence, and commitment, we would not have been able to build the successful womens center in Texas or sustain the outreach efforts with my speaking and writing.

James Talmadge Boyd, M.D., FACOG, a caring and capable gynecologist who has long seen the need for more individualized approaches to womens health and hormonal needs. Since joining our group, he has shown that it is the person of the physician that makes a womens health specialist, not the gender. I have continued to learn from his experience and expertise, and he has added much to our practice, in both the art and science of medicine.

Carolyn Margraf, M.S., R.N., C.S., Clinical Specialist, and Donna Gilson, R.N., M.S.N., C.M.T/Clinical Specialistboth are extraordinarily gifted healers and advocates for women. Their dedication to the highest standards in the healing arts from many traditions, and their courage in the face of their own health challenges and life struggles have been an inspiration to me and to our staff and patients. Their spiritual and physical presence are gifts that enrich all of us at HER Place.

To Gordon Vliet, Linda Snyder, Samia Yasmin, Brandi McCoy, and Susan Anderson, my grateful appreciation for your efforts to keep the offices running well, to be responsive to the needs of our patients while supporting me in my writing responsibilities. And to Victoria Hahn, once again, the computer wizard who helped solve the technical difficulties so the book project could proceed.

Our business advisors, Tony Rickert (and his assistant, Debbie White) and David Cohen, have provided indispensible guidance, support, and encouragement through challenging times, helping us to grow responsibly.