Rating: 
Summary: A star of a book
Review: I highly recommend that if you are recently diagnosed with PCOS that you buy this book. Even if you were diagnosed years ago, buy this book. Using this book, I've been able to point out to my doctors that the methods they are using here are completely out-of-date. I have two regrets in buying this book, first, that I didn't buy an extra copy for my doctors, who are constantly borrowing it, and secondly, that I didn't buy it first!
Rating:
Summary: Wow the things I never knew...
Review: I never thought that there was this much that went into this Syndrome. I have learned alot from this book and I am very excited to learn more. Maybe I will be able to give my Dr. some tips. Take Care all and enjoy this book its a great book.
Rating:
Summary: Everything My Doctor Didn't Tell Me
Review: I was diagnosed 7 years before buying this book. At the time, it was just a reason given for not having cycles, and I thought that that was the end of it. Boy was I wrong. A few years later when I asked my doctor about it, he/she said, "look it up on the web". Then, I found this book! It has answered every question I ever had, and some I didn't have. It has addressed everything I have had to go through and will go through. I even took it with me to my NEW doctor and ask him about some things I had highlighted. My doctor looked through it and mentioned picking one up for themselves! This book has been a real relief to me. Now I know what to ask, what kinds of answers to expect, and how to formulate my own opinions on treatment. I feel like I have finally gained control of the situation, and I feel like I actually know what I am talking about when I think about my problems. It has allowed me to be a pro-active patient.
Rating:
Summary: AT LAST! A DEFINITIVE BOOK ON PCOS!
Review: I've only read the first 2 chapters but already I'm hooked. This is a great reference book and it will be useful to women who have PCOS, esp. when they talk with their doctors. There is a lot I will share with my doctors from this book.Medical science doesn't always know how to answer the questions: How can I tell if I have PCOS? Should we just treat the symptoms? Does it have lifelong effects on women besides the symptoms they experience? Read this book and you will be armed with more information than your OB/GYN, your internist, etc. (unless they've read the book too!). You can take charge of your body, even if you have PCOS like I do!
Rating:
Summary: I wish I'd read this a year ago!
Review: If you're like me, you may have heard the term, "PCOS", and immediately dismissed it as not applying to you, despite having some obvious symptoms including acne, excessive hair growth, and a tendency to be overweight. As soon I learned the acronym stood for "PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome", I thought, "well, I know don't have cysts. I just know I don't." If you do have symptoms of PCOS, do yourself a favor and read up on it as soon as possible. You may save yourself a lot of heart ache and frustration. If only I had read this book last year, I would have identified that I had PCOS and would have tried to conceive a child immediately after I stopped taking birth control pills, as the book suggests, instead of waiting a few months as other books recommend. Thatcher notes that many PCOS patients are fertile for a few months once they stop taking the pill, and since I charted my cycles immediately after stopping the pill, I discovered (too late) that this was true for me. After a few months I stopped ovulating and the PCOS symptoms became too obvious to ignore. Just shows how accurate this book is. Thatcher's book does an excellent job of reviewing PCOS, its origins, and treatment options. When my OB-GYN first suggested that I had PCOS, I stared at her blankly and just nodded as she quickly mentioned possible treatments. While taking tests to confirm my PCOS, I read this book and did research about PCOS on the internet. After reading this book I feel prepared to face my OB-GYN when we discuss treatment options in a few weeks. I am now educated about the topic and know which treatment options I'd like to try.
Rating:
Summary: I wish I'd read this a year ago!
Review: If you're like me, you may have heard the term, "PCOS", and immediately dismissed it as not applying to you, despite having some obvious symptoms including acne, excessive hair growth, and a tendency to be overweight. As soon I learned the acronym stood for "PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome", I thought, "well, I know don't have cysts. I just know I don't." If you do have symptoms of PCOS, do yourself a favor and read up on it as soon as possible. You may save yourself a lot of heart ache and frustration. If only I had read this book last year, I would have identified that I had PCOS and would have tried to conceive a child immediately after I stopped taking birth control pills, as the book suggests, instead of waiting a few months as other books recommend. Thatcher notes that many PCOS patients are fertile for a few months once they stop taking the pill, and since I charted my cycles immediately after stopping the pill, I discovered (too late) that this was true for me. After a few months I stopped ovulating and the PCOS symptoms became too obvious to ignore. Just shows how accurate this book is. Thatcher's book does an excellent job of reviewing PCOS, its origins, and treatment options. When my OB-GYN first suggested that I had PCOS, I stared at her blankly and just nodded as she quickly mentioned possible treatments. While taking tests to confirm my PCOS, I read this book and did research about PCOS on the internet. After reading this book I feel prepared to face my OB-GYN when we discuss treatment options in a few weeks. I am now educated about the topic and know which treatment options I'd like to try.
Rating:
Summary: Must-Have for any Woman Suffering from PCOS
Review: If you've been diagnosed with PCOS, chances are you're confused and concerned about your health, appearance, fertility etc. etc. This book contains essential information about PCOS. Not only does it address weight gain, hirsutism, anovulation and a myriad of associated symptoms, it also explains exactly how (medically speaking) the symptoms occur and which hormones affect which symptoms. This is more of a medical text than a touchy-feely book, but it is still very helpful in explaining the hormonal nuances of women with PCO. From reading this book, I learned so much about my body including how odd problems I had in childhood and early adolescence may have been indicators of PCOS! This book is very thorogh, and you must read it if you've been diagnosed with or if you suspect you may have PCOS.
Rating:
Summary: Must-Have for any Woman Suffering from PCOS
Review: If you've been diagnosed with PCOS, chances are you're confused and concerned about your health, appearance, fertility etc. etc. This book contains essential information about PCOS. Not only does it address weight gain, hirsutism, anovulation and a myriad of associated symptoms, it also explains exactly how (medically speaking) the symptoms occur and which hormones affect which symptoms. This is more of a medical text than a touchy-feely book, but it is still very helpful in explaining the hormonal nuances of women with PCO. From reading this book, I learned so much about my body including how odd problems I had in childhood and early adolescence may have been indicators of PCOS! This book is very thorogh, and you must read it if you've been diagnosed with or if you suspect you may have PCOS.
Rating: 
Summary: Follows lots of AMA 'hype' and opinions
Review: In PCOS, Dr Thatcher writes an overview of PCOS. Dr. Thatcher also gives his 'opinions' written in such a way that implies authority. Like don't shoot for 'optimal weight,' just shoot to stay under 200 lbs. (No mention of personal height or physique with this remark. Just 'get under 200'). Also, in this Dr's opinion, low carb diets don't work, it is more important to reduce overall calories in a balanced way. If that worked, everyone would find it easy to become slim. (Obviously, Dr. Thatcher has never had a problem with carbohydrate addiction!) Personally, I can tell you that low carbohydrate diets do work, and are safe. There is also a big difference between starvation induced ketosis and low carb, high protein diet induced ketosis. The first is dangerous, the second is perfectly safe. Dr. Thatcher gives one sentence on this only, and does not even mention that low carbohydrate/high protein ketosis results in ketosis that is perfectly safe for most people. Information is also incomplete. Granted, he stated in his book that some information would be quickly outdated. One glaring example of omission of information is that there were no mentions of dark facial skin patches being common among women with PCOS due to insulin resistance. As for reading quality, Dr. Thatcher often seems condescending, masked by his 'I used to do this, but now I know better.' But then he turns around and does the same thing again. Read carefully if you buy, and sort opinion (which sometimes appears wrong) from fact. There are many other sources of information on PCOS that are better. I think that Dr. Thatcher has a good basic understanding of PCOS, but was in too big of a rush to jump the market with a book on PCOS to do a really good job of writing this book.
Rating:
Summary: A great, if technical, overview of PCOS
Review: It can be a bit difficult to wade through some of the medical information in this book. However, it is vital reading for any of the 5-10% of women who have PCOS. Information truly is power when you suffer from PCOS. This book is a great basis for understanding this syndrome, deciding on treatment, and explaining PCOS to your family, friends, and others. This is the best overview of PCOS available. Thatcher covers all of the important information and offers explanations of treatments available. Many women with PCOS are not getting the treatment they need because their doctors overlook symptoms or assume that PCOS is a cosmetic problem or a fertility issue. Get this book, read it, then use your newfound knowledge to get the treatment you deserve.
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