Des Stories: Faces and Voices of People Exposed to Diethylstilbestrol

If you thought DES was a thing of the past - guess again. DES is alive and well. All you have to do is look into the faces staring up from the pages of this book and listen to the personal stories of the people exposed to this drug to know you are in the presence of a powerful force. No, I'm not referring to DES, although its impact is profound. I am referring to the miraculous ability of the human spirit to survive and transcend experiences most can only imagine. I know. I'm one of the survivors.While you will not find my story contained within the pages of this book, I am there. I am a DES daughter, a cancer survivor. I am also a psychotherapist specializing in health psychology. Through my work, I hear a lot of stories, but few compare to those associated with the widespread medical mistake of DES.Despite the scope of the problems created by this drug, those of us who live with the aftermath are in danger of being forgotten, or at least overlooked. Upon seeing a new physician recently, he said, "I was told in medical school that we wouldn't be seeing any more people exposed to DES." I informed him that I certainly hoped he wouldn't see any new cases of DES exposure, but there were plenty of us still walking around to tell the tale of DES and of our experiences with it. This book does precisely that - tell the tale.Many thanks to Margaret Lee Braun and Nancy Stuart for a well-written and graphically poignant book. It is tasteful, respectful, and a much needed reminder that we are still here.

A beautiful book for anyone you know touched by DES-women, men, family, friends, lawyers, and physicians. DES exposed people deserve acknowledgement and information about the drug they were exposed to before they were born. DES Stories does this while also bearing witness to the massive disruption of people's lives, which chemical exposure and drug breakthrough can cause. Get this book to feel empowered. It helps speak the truth.

This book was a great book on true life stories and DES. It was so great for someone to write a book on illness which effect people everyday. I recomend it greatly!!!

DES Stories is a powerful witness on many levels. One calls readers to share the quiet drumbeat of loss ... unique in the life of each person, yet universal in the experience of this drug. Another calls us to honor the insistence on accountability on the part of all who were involved in bringing DES into women's bodies: drug companies and physicians,primarily. Another calls us to recognize the importance of witnessing and of being witnessed ... of sharing profound and painful life moments without pity, judgment of the ways different people have chosen to cope with their injuries, and without wanting to "do" something. In the face of these stories, the appropriate response is respect, empathy, and our own re-commitment to justice.

I would like to thank Margaret Braun for the beautiful, well written book "DES Stories", all she has done on behalf of DES victims, and for all her hard work. All of us DES daughters should not just get this book, but purchase extra books for our loved ones to read so they may understand all we have been through, how we feel about DES and how it has affected our lives. This book gives us courage to say that we are not just DES daughters, but that we are DES Survivors! The book is beautifully illustrated with pictures of actual DES daughters, speaking in their own words, of what DES has meant to them and their lives. I had no idea of the impact that DES is having on so many peoples lives, including my own. DES to me has always been a silent tragedy that no one speaks about in their everyday lives. I am one of the many daughters who suffers quietly on the sidelines and does not speak of it to anyone, including my mother. She is so needlessly overwhelmed with guilt. She is hurting because of the pain and suffering that I have been through. I was so devastated about my own losses that I never looked at the big picture of all the people in the world that DES has affected. I wish people were more open to talk about such a personal and private issue. Thank you, Margaret, for having the courage to speak out about the DES disaster. Your book is a treasure that I will share with the people around me, whose lives are affected by DES. I feel that I now have the courage to speak openly about DES without feeling that I am alone in my sorrows. The book was beautifully done. Margaret, thank you so much for your efforts. I wish I could buy hundreds of your books to give to family, friends and all the doctors that made me feel like they didn't know what DES was. I hope you sell millions and that this book helps to bring DES awareness to the public eye. This book has inspired me. Thank you for giving me courage.