The author of What Nurses Know: PCOS, Karen Roush, RN, MSN, FNP, BC, is a nurse and was the editorial director of the American Journal of Nursing. It is the first What Nurses Know book, and she also wrote a book about menopause for this series. What differentiates this new series are the boxes interspersed throughout the text with nursing insight about PCOS and medical care in general, such as, 'The Ferriman-Gallaway scale is a subjective tool. Each provider uses his or her own judgment when assigning a score.' Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder without a definitive cause or way to diagnose it, and no cure (although there are treatments for symptoms). It is also not a condition for the vocabulary-shy; symptoms include hyperandrogenism, hirsutism and alopecia (which Roush defines well both in the text and glossary). The author follows two women who have PCOS throughout the book, which flows easily as they describe their experiences with diagnosis, medications and lifestyle changes in authentic voices. Roush provides a well-balanced view of issues, including controversial ones like complimentary therapies and weight loss drugs. The tone is encouraging, and the author stresses that most symptoms show improvement with healthy lifestyles that includes good nutrition and exercise. Web links are provided at the end of each chapter, but references to studies discussed and a list of support groups would have been good additions. The sample PCOS history form will be helpful for patients to bring on their appointments. -- Cara Marcus, Faulkner Hospital, Boston, MA
a great guide for someone who has been diagnosed and who needs more information. Well-written and concise, it takes the reader though the various questions that inevitably come up and dishes out information that can help the patient prepare themselves when they next go to the doctor.- LibraryThing
an excellent guide for someone recently diagnosed with PCOS and those that have suffered with it for years. The resource information for further research is invaluable. I wish that I had read this book before I had decided on surgery as my only alternative. -LibraryThing
A very good household resource for the woman diagnosed or suspected of having PCOS. This volume gives good background, resource recommendations, and a lot of useful materials on how various hormonal factors interact. - LibraryThing
This book is well written, easy to understand, and answered a lot of questions that doctors don't seem willing or able to answer. It really helped me understand that PCOS is a disorder, gave me hope, and realize that I'm not alone in this. This book is a must read for anyone with PCOS, anyone who has a friend or family member with PCOS, or anyone who just wants to understand more about PCOS. - LibraryThing
As far as I can tell, no question is left unanswered. Questions that I never thought to ask are answered in depth. Each chapter describes a symptom, but it also offers solutions and thoughts on how to deal with the symptom. There is a fairly extensive glossary for those who are unfamiliar with words or terminology encountered in the discussions. The index is also fairly extensive, thus making it easierto find the answers you want first, quickly and easily. - LibraryThing
I felt that this book was good for someone who has just been diagnosed with PCOS and is trying to get general information on how to deal with it. It was well written and included a lot of helpful tips. - LibraryThing
