Karen Steward

Karen Steward’s book is more than a story of illness. Though Steward describes the crippling pain of one sufferer’s experience with Adhesion Related Disorder, that is not all the story is. Rather, Steward’s story is one of hope, courage, and love despite the seemingly hopeless odds. In Doctors: Bound By Secrecy? Victims: Bound By Pain!, Steward brings Adhesion Related Disorder (ARD) to light. ARD, a complex of symptoms related to adhesions, is a painful disorder where scar tissue is attached between organs in the abdomen, making the organs twisted, pinched, or obstructed by the tight scar tissue bands. Steward knew nothing of ARD until her daughter's adhesions were finally revealed in exploratory surgery. Steward’s daughter suffered for 13 years before this surgery revealed the adhesions. Even though adhesions were revealed and removed in that surgery, her condition only worsened, as surgery for adhesions only creates more adhesions. This book is Steward’s voice to the world regarding ARD. It is a well-rounded work that is complete with color surgical pictures as well as valuable medical resources and an index of medical terms. In the pursuit to wake the medical community in order to find answers for ARD, Steward has also designed and developed the ARD awareness ribbon, a double-sided piece that represents the scope of the disorder. The black side of the pin represents the darkness and hopelessness that surrounds the ARD sufferer's life, as well as being representative of the hidden aspect of this disorder. The striped portion (zebra stripes) is to dispute the long held mantra that doctors learn in medical school, "When you hear hoof beats, look for horses, not zebras." Meaning, most ailments are common and rare ailments are rare. While this may be well-intended advice for the medical student, it may also explain why the zebras of the world are ignored by the majority of doctors and often written off as hypochondriacs, leaving them to roam the earth for a doctor who will help them. The passion in Steward’s campaign can be seen in her successes. Steward created E.L.M. Publishing, Inc. to produce her book. Steward is a writer of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Her goal in life is to promote ARD awareness through her many writings of inspiration, encouragement, and humor. In writing her book, Steward is giving a voice to other ARD sufferers. The book is an instrument that is the unveiling of ARD; an illness that has been cloaked in silence among the medical community. Steward's hope is that the writing will prove to be a voice for ARD sufferers, as well as being a tool by which ARD becomes recognized as the crippling and disabling illness that it is. Steward finds encouragement through her family and friends, and believes in sailing through rough waters with hope and humor.