Ask Me About My Uterus Book Summary - Ask Me About My Uterus Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

Ask Me About My Uterus summary

Abby Norman

A Quest to Make Doctors Believe in Women's Pain

4.8 (26 ratings)
21 mins

Brief summary

Ask Me About My Uterus by Abby Norman is an informative memoir on reproductive healthcare, exploring how society dismisses women's pain and the difficulties of navigating the medical system. It offers insight and solutions for women to advocate for their own health.

Table of Contents

    Ask Me About My Uterus
    Summary of 7 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 7

    Awful, unexplained pain changed Abby Norman’s life overnight.

    Abby Norman was just 19 years old when the onset of excruciating pain changed her life forever. A student at New York’s Sarah Lawrence College with a prestigious scholarship, her days were packed with literature, dance classes and friends. But one morning in 2010, dreadful pain – unexplained and unbearable – would rip her new life away from her. 

    That fateful morning began like any other. Abby got out of bed as usual and headed to the shower. 

    Still only half awake, she climbed into the shower and turned on the faucet. But the moment the water hit her body, she knew something was terribly wrong. Suddenly, it felt like someone was stabbing a knife through her midsection. She desperately patted down her body with her hand, trying to determine the source of the pain. She quickly realized it was everywhere, though not anywhere her hands could touch. The agony radiated out from deep within her body. 

    As she stood there, trying not to move, the stabbing sensations changed into a terrible ache that rolled over her abdomen and pelvis before snaking around to the base of her spine. Overcome with dizziness and nausea, she managed to stagger back to her room. 

    During that short but agonizing trip from the bathroom to her dorm room, Abby had little idea that she was also heading toward a new future as a chronically ill person. And almost immediately, this mysterious affliction began to destroy her life. 

    The rest of the day passed in a blur of pain and fitful sleep. So did the day after that. Lying down comfortably was out of the question, as was sitting up. Eating was impossible too. When the weekend came, Abby went to her part-time job and collapsed as she made the coffee. 

    Finally, after a week of agony, she sought medical help. Why did it take her so long? Well, like many Americans, Abby did not have adequate health insurance. While her college friends could stay on their parents’ insurance policies under the Affordable Care Act, Abby was totally estranged from her mother and father. Financially independent and without family help, Abby was terrified of racking up medical debts. Nonetheless, after seven days, her pain eclipsed her fears about money, and she dragged herself to the hospital. 

    But the doctors wouldn’t provide the answers for which she was looking, as we’ll see in the next blink.

    Want to see all full key ideas from Ask Me About My Uterus?

    Key ideas in Ask Me About My Uterus

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is Ask Me About My Uterus about?

    Ask Me About My Uterus (2018) explores one woman’s struggle with endometriosis. Shining a light on the devastating impact of this little-understood disease, these blinks also explore the sexism of the healthcare industry, which often compounds patients’ suffering. Drawing on personal experience and delving into scientific research, Ask Me About My Uterus explores the painful intersection of sickness and inequality.

    Who should read Ask Me About My Uterus?

    • Women suffering from endometriosis
    • Healthcare professionals seeking a fresh perspective
    • Feminists looking for new insights

    About the Author

    Abby Norman is a science writer who also hosts a podcast called Let Me Google That. Her writing has been featured in publications such as Cosmopolitan, Paste Magazine and Medium. As an advocate for patients with endometriosis, she has also spoken at conferences hosted by the Endometriosis Foundation of America, as well as at Stanford University's Medicine X conference.

    Categories with Ask Me About My Uterus

    Book summaries like Ask Me About My Uterus

    People ❤️ Blinkist 
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked these summaries

    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    28 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    10+ years
    Experience igniting personal growth
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial