A must read for every woman who suffers from endometriosis. I wish I had this book when I was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2003.

Reading this book was such a cathartic experience for me. I have never felt such an overwhelming sense of validation.

BLEED gave me a name for something I have experienced time and time again but could never put my finger on, “medical gaslighting”. Women have been told for generations that their pain is “not real” or that we are just being “hysterical”, and this book serves as a reminder that your pain is valid and your experience with pain, of any kind, is valid. This may be my new favorite nonfiction book and I implore you to check it out.

MISOGYNY IN HEALTHCARE REAL

I didn't find the prose very easy to read and it was very repetitive. I did like that it was a very intersections view of endometriosis and other health issues.

Bloody and brutal.
This is some non-fiction book.
I started reading this book in October 2022, after a family member had had years of trauma with her endometriosis.
Within just a few pages, I was shaking my head. In anger, disbelief, and pure, unadulterated outrage.
Tracey Lindeman pulls no punches, this is an unflinching and horrifying insight into the medical profession and the patients fighting to get treatment.
Lindeman doesn't just share her own, horrendous story of living with endometriosis and fighting the doctors to get not only treated, but heard and respected. She tells us about so many women to show how widespread the misogyny really is.
She also tackles many of the elements of endometriosis care that, I am ashamed to say, I had not yet considered- trans, Black, disabled women are all discussed- and their treatment is harrowing to say the least.
The research Lindeman has collated in order to back up her claims is absolutely staggering. There are over 600 references of facts, books and quotes and just adds more weight to an already strong argument.
This is a heavy book- I have personal experience of endometriosis and the toll it can take on a woman, so I have only been able to read this in short bursts. Sometimes not for weeks, because of how shocking and upsetting it was to read. I started it 6 months ago, and have only just finished it. Then a few days ago, I thought, 'why am I hiding from it? What about the women living through this? They can't hide.' So I 'womaned-up' and powered through the remaining pages.
This book should be read by every medical professional, not just specialists in gynaecology. I believe that so many people ouside of those particular patients and doctors could gain so much insight, perspective and awareness from reading this.
I cannot impress upon you how incredibly relevant and empowering this book truly is.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Tracey Lindeman for the Advanced Read Copy of BLEED in exchange for my honest review. I apologize for the delay in writing my review. READ THIS BOOK if you are someone dealing with pelvic pain, READ this book if you know/ love someone dealing with pelvic pain/ endo/ PCOS, READ THIS BOOK if you work in healthcare, READ THIS BOOK if you are Doctor. It was done so well. I felt so seen in these pages. I have stories similar to many of the people in this book, it was validating and it was relatable. It also is in depth and inclusive, not all books/ organizations/ information have caught up yet. Lindemnan acknowledges that not everyone with these medical issues are women. Though I am a cis woman, I want the experience of all who suffer to be represented. Brava Tracey Lindeman!

A really interesting book about endometriosis. In some ways it was really upsetting, even as someone who thinks themselves quite clued up on the disease. Definitely something I’d recommend for other sufferers to read too.

Endometriosis and other female coded illnesses are understudied so it’s difficult to find published material for non-experts that’s accurate. I wasn’t expecting the book to be written as a first hand account but I found that it worked in many ways with some pitfalls. Sometimes it felt like I was reading my own inner monologue and I’ll be honest, it annoyed me because I found it a little too pervasive. I’m very vigilant of that line between sick people where it goes from validating each others experiences to subconsciously enabling one another into actually feeling worse.

The good of these firsthand accounts is that the author paints a very vivid picture of what it’s like to visit doctors who DGAF. I found her description of surgery to be spot on. The emotion of how this has affected her is conveyed well.

What I found particularly interesting was the section highlighting the inequity between gynecological specializations. It’s horrifying to know how undervalued gynecological surgeons are compared to those in obstetrics. No specific guidelines exist for endo excision surgery either. And performing a penis biopsy is billed higher than one done on part of the female reproductive system. I also was shocked to learn that you can actually look up how much money your doctors earn from drug companies.

I had about a million highlights made throughout the book and I can’t wait to go back to take a deeper look at them.

Unfortunately I couldn't finish this book as I found the tone just too hostile. I'm sorry.

To put my view into perspective, for the last 6 years I have been physically crippled by my life long endometriosis. To the point that last year I was basically bed ridden from March, until I underwent a 6 hour operation on December 1st. I was basically a solid mass from my rib cage to my pelvis, including an 18cm ovarian cyst on my left, and a 10cm one on my right. I spent DECADES in pain, being fobbed off. In recent years I had my OBGYN tell me that it can't be endo as I had 3 kids naturally. Maybe it was adenomiosis, insert a marina to fix. Two GPs told me I was perfectly healthy, just morbidly obese. It wasn't until my body started shutting down and I was wracked with palsy shakes a new GP took a serious look.

I also come from a female line of endo sufferers, hysterectomy by 40 a common family deal. I have two trans male teenage children who are hoping this family history will help them get hysterectomies early on. Poor things have no clue it won't make a difference....

So I GET why there is anger in this book. I was drawn to reading it for that reason. I don't want self help, I want to share the outrage.

But maybe it's just too soon for me? I'm still in recovery, have been told it could be a year or more until life returns to "normal" after being immobile and dibilatated for so long. So I apologise for finding the tone too hostile right now. I share the anger, the outrage, the frustration at the international medical system (I'm Australian). But I think that right now I want to focus more on the positivity of recovery, rather than hold onto these dark emotions and have this book feed them.

I really do wish BLEED be a huge success. We need books like this, we need our voices shouted so that, even if the medical world ignores us, fellow victims of this disease and discrimination have a chance t hear. ❤️

Bleed dives into how the medical system fails endo patients from inadequate funding of treatments/drugs to dismissive doctors. Reading this book reminded me of many conversations I’ve had about this topic with friends. Thank you to Netgalley and ECW Press for the e-arc.

A really interesting dive into the world of endo, with lots of true stories. As an endo survivor, I found this had lots of good info, but I did find the writing not the easiest to read at times.

BOOK REVIEW: Bleed by Tracey Lindeman
4.5 Stars

Dare I say the best endometriosis book I have read? This book is hard hitting and doesn't shy away from the tough facts or questions when it comes to #endometriosis, women's healthcare, it's problems and history.
This is not an easy read, even for me. I am currently 34 and for half my life I have struggled with endometriosis which is now stage 4 and has ruined my life. I know a lot about endo, I read medical articles, I keep up to date with research and despite all this, I was STILL shocked by a lot in this book.

Tracey Lindeman is obviously an incredible journalist, researcher and author. This book has more well researched history and facts than any other endo book I have read. This is NOT a self help book. It is a deeply detailed book about the disease itself, womens healthcare throughout the ages and the major issues within it, problems with hormonal drugs among many other things.
This book is inclusive to POC aswell as the LGBTQ+ community. The information on how POC and trans women are treated by doctors is so shocking.

It is focused on the medical scene within the USA and Canada, which is fine because I learnt a lot. I am always so grateful for the NHS but never more so than after reading the hell women go through and the costs they have to pay for treatment.
The information on medical malpractice really hit me hard after I was gaslit by doctors for years. I was utterly shocked by so much of this information even though I shouldn't be as I have lived it!
Hearing the author's journey through the book was really interesting and heartbreaking. I have never wanted to hug an author more.

The only issues I had with the book was that there was a decent amount of repetition and I wished the first chapter had explained what endometriosis is more. I also thought the layout wasn't the best.
Overall, a brilliant book that I highly recomment. If you are ever wanting to understand the lives of people with endometriosis, then read this book.

Please note that I was #gifted this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I wanted to like this book. As someone who has suffered with endo for over 14 years, it is always nice to see light being shed on it. I had a hard time getting passed the intro that discussed “men” (non-cis) having endo, although the author did word that section very eloquently. My beliefs differ from the authors so for me, the book was a DNF. I skimmed through it and there was some interesting information but it just wasn’t the book for me.

Very helpful book for someone dealing with Endo. Oftentimes women are not believed for the pain that comes with this diagnosis and it can be isolating. I was one of those women. Identified with the stories and facts and research present in this book. Great job!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy for the purpose of this review. Already messaged friends and family that also suffer!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of Bleed. While I don’t or have never struggled with endometriosis, or particularly difficult periods I am a woman with a uterus with absorbent amounts of compassion and empathy. Reading this book, which is part autobiography, part medical journal I was left sadden (surprisingly not shocked) at the lack of compassion by medical professionals. The amount of struggle that someone who gets periods has to go through to even have a medical professional even listen is ridiculous. I’m a white, cis gendered female and if the others described can be treated this way, I can only imagine what someone who doesn’t fit into tidy category must go through. I’m positive that Tracey’s words don’t even for a second begin to truly describe the paint caused by this disease. I am hopeful that this book is read by everyone who either has a uterus, or is a medical professional. Instead of just throwing some medication to those afflicted; it’s time to really start listening.

As a person with endometriosis, I was very excited to read this book, which is part research paper, part memoir.

While I found parts of the author's journey easier to empathize, there were some parts where I had trouble identifying with her, I think mainly due to some personal differences and our age gap, though it was not a wide one.

I did, however, appreciate the vast breadth and depths that this book went to in looking at systemic misogyny and discrimination within the medical system. There is a lot of room for improvement in the state of endometriosis treatments and care practices, and this book does an amazing job of calling out the places that need improvement (almost everywhere, really) and bringing to light the reasoning that pharmaceutical treatments are pushed on patients (kickbacks!) Why little research is done, even with increase in funding (corruption and greed!) And why people are still constantly gaslit and ignored when they have "women's problems" (institutional misogyny!)

So, as a "hysterical woman", I do appreciate and recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions are my own.

A close and unflinching look at the US and Canadian health care system and its devaluing of women's bodies and concerns. Everyone should read this book to understand the medical industrial complex. A must read.

An important and necessary examination of medical gaslighting and mistreatment endured by women. Infuriating and inspiring - I'm so grateful that this conversation is growing louder and stronger.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Bleed has shined a light on systemic misogyny in gynecological and endometriosis care. This book is an “evidence file” for medical trauma and systemic misogyny in healthcare. This book is for those who identify as cisgender, non-binary, and transgender.

Women are routinely denied hysterectomies in case they “change their mind”. This book had me intrigued and angrily tearing through the pages. I related so much to these situations without even realizing I was gaslit by the medical system. I’m a NURSE and I didn’t recognize it until I became on the patient side. I saw this before deciding to have kids, during pregnancy, immediately postpartum, and while FIGHTING for iud removal.

Everyone should read this book. I especially think medical professionals should, but if you identify as female at birth regardless of your identity now you ABSOLUTELY should read this to understand the fight gynecological patients have about their choices and rights. (Or lack there of). Read this if you are pro feminist, pro equality, I don’t care just read it. This was the most validating and infuriating book I’ve ever read so thank you dear author for sharing your fight for the happiest ending you could get in this unfortunate society.

Though primarily about endometriosis and the author's experience with the disease, this book also has an extensive discussion of medical gaslighting, discrimination and misogyny in healthcare, and the pitiable lack of research and treatments for diseases that affect mostly women. I loved how the author incorporated intersectionality as well; though endo is thought of as a female disease, it also affects trans people and occasionally men. Endo can also be experienced by people of different races and ethnicities differently, which I hadn't thought of much and appreciated the discourse. Though this book was very frustrating to read (I've dealt with a lot of this myself as an endo patient), there was SO MUCH good information overall. Since undergoing infertility treatment years ago, I've made a point of advocating for endometriosis awareness on my own, and I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Bleed: Destroying Myths and Misogyny in Endometriosis Care releases March 21, 2023.

Bleed is part memoir, part journalistic prose.
Going into this, I knew that I would be able to relate to it. On many occasions, reading the experiences of others had me nodding my head and thinking all too well “yup”.
As someone that also suffers from some of the most debilitating chronic pains and symptoms, it was refreshing in a way to know that it isn’t just a figment of my imagination, yet, on the other hand, it’s frustrating to live in a world where so many individuals are still being gaslit and dismissed not only by men, but women as well.

The writing in Bleed is intellectual. I appreciated the emphasis on including terms such as “endo patients” that brought inclusion to everyone from cis-women, to non-binary, trans, and so forth.

There’s a lot of insight not only to endometriosis, but also the toll on mental health, medical facts, the way medications are prescribed and what kind of adverse side affects come with those.
Discourse includes detailed personal experiences, misogyny, gaslighting, marginalized people, racial inequality, suicide and suicidal thoughts, myths dating back to the early 1800’s, willingly choosing not to have children, and more.

Whether you have endo, pcos, a diagnosed or undiagnosed chronic illness, are a cis-woman or identify as something else, I think you’ll be able to either relate or hopefully gain a little insight as to how some individuals feel on a regular basis. Learning to cope to be high-functioning while in immense pain is a taxing skill in and of itself. Hopefully this brings necessary light and better advocacy to those who need it.


“Some may wonder why we put up with all this nonsense. To that I answer, do we really have a choice? We either live with it, or stop living.”