Little things make an enormous difference. It is true what they say, it is often the smallest things that can make the biggest difference, especially when it comes to our lives. This is true for hysterectomy stories.
Estimates suggest that 1 in 5 women will have a hysterectomy at some point; in the UK around 60,000 are performed every year and in the US the number is closer to 600,000. It is said that a hysterectomy cuts to the heart of what being a woman is all about; and I know this is true because the small stories I hear tell me this.
Simple stories from women who have undergone the trauma of hysterectomy can make a huge difference to others having one later. Such stories help them to feel less unsure about their decisions, less stupid about the questions they ask and less alone than they do even with family and friends.
But not all women have access to these stories and so The Hysterectomy Association is planning to pull as many together as possible into a new book called ‘In My Own Words: Women’s Experiences of Hysterectomy’. But we can’t do it without your help. We need to get this project funded.
Please will you pledge to the project today; a small amount of even £1 takes us closer to our goal of £2,500. These amounts soon mount up when lots of people pledge and I’d rather reach 500 people who have each pledged just £1, than 40 people pledging £5. Of course, if you can pledge more it will always be very welcome.
Please pledge today at Kickstarter to help us get this book out to the women that need it. We need to get pledges to the whole amount by the 9th March otherwise we get nothing.
This is a project that is close to my heart, over the years I’ve spoken with, emailed and comforted tens of thousands of women and each one has a story to tell, and each story deserves to be heard. Click here if you’d like to see some of the stories women have shared on The Hysterectomy Association website, just to see how powerful they can be.
To make your pledge, click here: In My Own Words: Women’s Experiences of Hysterectomy.
About the author: Linda Parkinson-Hardman is an author, social media strategist and a social entrepreneur. She works with clients to help them make better use of the Internet to build their personal and business brands. Her social enterprise, The Hysterectomy Association currently works with approximately 200,000 women every month. You can find her online on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook and if you have a question you only have to ask.
A note from Hormones Matter: Hormones Matter is pleased to lend our support for this important cause. We are not affiliated with The Hysterectomy Association but support its efforts to raise public awareness about this all-too-common, yet poorly understood, procedure. Together, grass roots organizations like Hormones Matter and The Hysterectomy Association can improve women’s healthcare – one woman at a time.
For our part, we are conducting critical women’s health research on hysterectomy outcomes and oral contraceptive side-effects. If you have had a hysterectomy or have ever used oral contraceptives, please take a few minutes to complete the Hysterectomy Survey or the Oral Contraceptives Survey or both. They are free, anonymous and will bring much needed data to women’s healthcare.
