How to Use My Blog
Major catastrophes do not happen all day and every day. My day was generally filled with happy women who are having problems. But they are worried and need information. It is not simple either. My days were about educating, helping, and doing for others. Also as a proficient listener, I found the common thread between us women: we want to know why, how, and what are our options. We as women want to make decisions based on good solid information. Who wouldn’t? But we can not be comfortable with the decisions that we make with our bodies unless we really understand our specialized female system. So came along my blog (was a book-wanna-be, but never happened with no time). This blog is intended to fill an information void for you, the woman. There is not super-sci-fi information in here, but simply the basics to understanding female medicine and your body.
When I began this project in my mind, which happened long before I laid a finger on a keyboard, I dreamt of a massive encyclopedia of information that women would have dreams of owning, maybe as a coffee table book. However, something of that proportion as a centerpiece in the living room could scream “I have vaginal issues” and it could scare away neighbors, husbands, or potential boyfriends, so I down-graded. Usually I am an “I’ll take-the-upgrade-of-anything kind of girl”, always choosing triple fudge over milk chocolate, but then I thought my encyclopedia adventure might be totally indigestible. I mentally shredded my encyclopedia dream book to focus on what I felt women really needed. I went back to my source of inspiration: my patients. Discovering the common denominator among all of us, I started writing. We want to be talked with, not talked to. We want someone to recognize that need, fulfill it, and help us.
Information in this blog is organized into a straight forward format. The basics of anatomy and female hormones are posted to give you a good solid starting ground. Then I will get to my “housekeeping agenda” with contraception, pap smears, and infections. After that, the most common problems are discussed in detail: abnormal bleeding, ovarian cysts, infertility, and pelvic pain. Lastly, I review the common surgical and office procedures that any woman might encounter.
I feel that if you do not have a good knowledge base before you walk into the gynecologist’s office, you miss an opportunity to ask questions and participate more fully in your healthcare. I commonly saw women for second opinions about a treatment that has been recommended for them. I review old records, do the exam, and take a careful history. At the end, I usually did not change the treatment recommended by the other physician, but I offer something special: a detailed explanation of how, why, other options, and when to follow-up. That’s all. So take this blog and use it for reference and review. I do not want you to try to self-diagnose major problems or propose your own surgery. It is written to be relaxed and easy to understand as if you are having a conversation with your girlfriend. But please do NOT replace your own doctor’s evaluation, recommendations, or advice with my blog. It is a supplementary explanation blog for you, not a replacement for proper individualized medical care. So, tag it, flag it, share my site to friends. Images and all written content are trademarked and not for reproduction.
Allyn G. Schaub M.D.
Your Girlfriend GynecologistTM