PMSL: Or How I Literally Pissed Myself Laughing and Survived the Last Taboo to Tell the Tale


Book Description

'Warm, generous and genuinely useful' - Lynn Enright, author of Vagina: A re-education 'No better person to finally illuminate this last taboo than Luce Brett' - Milli Hill, author of The Positive Birth Book 'A breath of fresh air' - Anna Williamson, presenter, broadcaster and bestselling author of Breaking Mad 'If you have a bladder you should read this. If you work with people with bladders you should definitely read this' - Elaine Miller, Pelvic health physiotherapist and stand-up comedian 'A feminist roar of a health memoir ... a stigma-busting, generous, funny, moving book about an important subject' - David Nicholls, author of One Day ---- When Luce Brett became incontinent at the age of 30, after the birth of her first son, she felt her life had ended. She also felt scared, upset, embarrassed, dirty and shocked. How the hell had she ended up there, the youngest woman in the waiting room at the incontinence clinic? PMSL is her story. A heartfelt, moving and deeply personal account of the decade that followed, told with incredible honesty and wit. Luce has been at the sharp end of a medical issue that affects 1 in 3 women but that remains shrouded in taboo and social stigma. It's sincere, raw and funny - but crucially it is the first memoir to look at incontinence, smashing the stigma and looking at what anyone affected can do to navigate their way through the wet-knickered wilderness.




PMSL: Or How I Literally Pissed Myself Laughing and Survived the Last Taboo to Tell the Tale


Book Description

'Warm, generous and genuinely useful' - Lynn Enright, author of Vagina: A re-education 'No better person to finally illuminate this last taboo than Luce Brett' - Milli Hill, author of The Positive Birth Book 'A breath of fresh air' - Anna Williamson, presenter, broadcaster and bestselling author of Breaking Mad 'If you have a bladder you should read this. If you work with people with bladders you should definitely read this' - Elaine Miller, Pelvic health physiotherapist and stand-up comedian 'A feminist roar of a health memoir ... a stigma-busting, generous, funny, moving book about an important subject' - David Nicholls, author of One Day ---- When Luce Brett became incontinent at the age of 30, after the birth of her first son, she felt her life had ended. She also felt scared, upset, embarrassed, dirty and shocked. How the hell had she ended up there, the youngest woman in the waiting room at the incontinence clinic? PMSL is her story. A heartfelt, moving and deeply personal account of the decade that followed, told with incredible honesty and wit. Luce has been at the sharp end of a medical issue that affects 1 in 3 women but that remains shrouded in taboo and social stigma. It's sincere, raw and funny - but crucially it is the first memoir to look at incontinence, smashing the stigma and looking at what anyone affected can do to navigate their way through the wet-knickered wilderness.




When Did You Last See Your Father?


Book Description

Morrisons memoir of the life and death of his father was one of the best-reviewed books of 1995, and promises to be an enduring classic of family literature--a work that explores the deepest emotions of being a father and a son.




The Long Covid Self-Help Guide


Book Description

The first practical, accessible self-help guide to managing symptoms of Long Covid More than 1 million people suffer from Long Covid in the UK (with 400,000 people suffering symptoms for over a year), and many more globally. Yet there is no clear guidance available to the general public, and lots of misinformation out there. This handbook cuts through the confusing advice. Written by the medical experts working with Long Covid patients at one of the first specialist clinics set up, it is filled with helpful case studies and was written with the involvement of real Long Covid sufferers. The focus is on self-management with a simple, consistent message about improving symptoms. Each chapter takes a different issue in turn and offers clear, friendly guidance on key areas such as breathlessness, psychological aspects, brain fog, fatigue, returning to exercise and returning to work.




I am HIV Positive, So What?


Book Description

Until December 15, 2007, Khundrakpam Pradipkumar Singh was nobody. The very next day he was known across his state as 'Mr Manipur'. Pradip's incredible story of how an HIV-positive person mended his failing health, overcame psychological trauma, fought stigma and discrimination to become an international bodybuilding champion is told in the pages of this book. Like legendary basketball player Magic Johnson, Pradip too disclosed his HIV status through the media, not giving a damn about society's shocked reaction. However, there is something unique in Pradip's story. While Johnson called it quits after being diagnosed with HIV, Pradip remained undaunted in the face of all odds. He was determined to excel in his chosen field despite warnings from doctors and adverse comments from society. And he went on to win several medals and titles, defeating the virus in his body. Pradip's extraordinary courage and sheer determination caught everyone by surprise. He became a role model for people living with HIV in India and other parts of the globe. He was made Brand Ambassador for HIV/AIDS by the Manipur State AIDS Control Society and was roped in by the India chapter of a global non-profit to lead a pan-India HIV awareness campaign from Delhi. Pradip also took up the cudgels to sensitise people to the ill-effects of drug abuse, to which Manipur is the biggest victim in Northeast India. Given the fact that he contracted the 'deadly virus' through sharing of needles, he sincerely appeals to youngsters to say no to drugs. Pradip has been living with HIV for more than 15 years and continues to be unbelievably strong in mind and body. A true iconoclast, Pradip never gets tired of saying: 'HIV does not kill people, it's society that kills HIV positive people.




Rebel Bodies


Book Description

'Crucial reading for us all' Stylist An inclusive and empowering manifesto for change in women's healthcare – exploring the systemic and deep rooted sexism within medicine, and offering actionable ways for women to advocate for ourselves and others and get the diagnosis and treatment we need. Have you ever been to a doctor and felt like you were being fobbed off or ignored? Did they belittle or overlook your concerns about your health? Ever been told you're just 'hormonal'? You're not alone. Women make up 51 per cent of the population and are the biggest users of healthcare services – for themselves and as mothers and carers. But all the research shows there are massive gender differences in men and women's healthcare. Our pain and suffering has been disbelieved; we are misdiagnosed, given tranquilisers when we need painkillers, antidepressants when we need HRT, and not trusted to make informed choices about our own bodies. As women speak out about their experiences of gaslighting and misdiagnosis, health journalist Sarah Graham investigates what it will take to bridge the gender health gap. Meet the patients, doctors and campaigners who are standing up and fighting back, and find practical tips on advocating for your own health. Be inspired by stories that will incite and offer hope. You're not alone, you're not going mad, and we believe you.




Ouch!


Book Description

Pain seems like a fairly straightforward experience – you get hurt and it, well, hurts. But how would you describe it? By the number of broken bones or stitches? By the cause – the crowning baby, the sharp knife, the straying lover? What does a 7 on a pain scale of 1 to 10 really mean? Pain is complicated. But most of the time, the way we treat pain is superficial – we seek out states of perfect painlessness by avoiding it at all costs, or suppressing it, usually with drugs. This has left us hurting all the more. Through in-depth interviews, investigation into the history of pain and original research, Ouch! paints a new picture of pain as a complex and multi-layered phenomenon. Authors Margee Kerr and Linda McRobbie Rodriguez tell the stories of sufferers and survivors, courageous kids and their brave parents, athletes and artists, people who find healing and pleasure in pain, and scientists pushing the boundaries of pain research, to challenge the notion that all pain is bad and harmful. They reveal why who defines pain matters and how history, science, and culture shape how we experience pain. Ouch! dismantles prevailing assumptions about pain and that not all pain is bad, not all pain should be avoided, and, in the right context, pain can even feel good. To build a healthier relationship with pain, we must understand how it works, how it is expressed and how we communicate and think about it. Once we understand how pain is made, we can remake it.




In the Kingdom of the Sick


Book Description

Citing a high percentage of Americans who live with chronic illness, an urgent call to action draws on scientific research and patient narratives to explore the role of social medial in medical advocacy, arguing that we must change attitudes about the link between health and lifestyle and provide appropriate and compassionate treatments. By the award-winning author of Life Disrupted. 25,000 first printing.




Your Pelvic Floor


Book Description

This is the first pelvic floor health book aimed at ALL women, including trans women, outlining the importance of understanding your pelvic floor and how it impacts on overall health, fitness and wellbeing for life - not just around pregnancy and childbirth. This book outlines symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, and shows you how to fix them. What is pelvic organ prolapse - which 50% of women will experience - and can it be prevented? Urinary incontinence is treatable with physio. Women on average suffer symptoms for 7 years before going to a healthcare professional which has a huge effect on mental health. Pelvic floor issues are often only talked about in relation to pregnancy and childbirth. This is not just a "mum issue": high impact exercise (running, HIIT, CrossFit) affect the pelvic floor. Young athletes/gymnasts who have never had children are highly likely to suffer from incontinence. Women should not accept dysfunction as a "normal part of being a woman", but instead need to prioritize their pelvic floor health - this book shows that it is never too early and, crucially, never too late to do so.




The Price We Pay


Book Description

New York Times bestseller Business Book of the Year--Association of Business Journalists From the New York Times bestselling author comes an eye-opening, urgent look at America's broken health care system--and the people who are saving it--now with a new Afterword by the author. "A must-read for every American." --Steve Forbes, editor-in-chief, FORBES One in five Americans now has medical debt in collections and rising health care costs today threaten every small business in America. Dr. Makary, one of the nation's leading health care experts, travels across America and details why health care has become a bubble. Drawing from on-the-ground stories, his research, and his own experience, The Price We Pay paints a vivid picture of the business of medicine and its elusive money games in need of a serious shake-up. Dr. Makary shows how so much of health care spending goes to things that have nothing to do with health and what you can do about it. Dr. Makary challenges the medical establishment to remember medicine's noble heritage of caring for people when they are vulnerable. The Price We Pay offers a road map for everyday Americans and business leaders to get a better deal on their health care, and profiles the disruptors who are innovating medical care. The movement to restore medicine to its mission, Makary argues, is alive and well--a mission that can rebuild the public trust and save our country from the crushing cost of health care.