05.23.2016
Media

I was dating a guy for about two and a half months. Around 6 weeks into our relationship, one night I all of a sudden felt like throwing up. Just out of nowhere. This continued for a week at random times, basically all the time. After realizing I had other pregnancy symptoms and what must have been a slip up in between birth control packs, my best friend went with me to the store to buy a pregnancy test. I took it at her house and hoped the best- a negative pregnancy test. Well hoping did nothing and it was positive. We went to buy another test. I drove home nervously and in shock; once I got home I immediately took the test and awaited the results. Two positive pregnancy tests. I was mortified, and told my ex-boyfriend almost immediately. We both agreed it wasn’t the right time and we both knew we weren’t ready; we barely knew each other really. I scheduled an OBGYN appointment anyway, but after having that discussion I called the local abortion clinic quickly. A week later, after anxiously waiting for this day, my boyfriend drove me to the abortion clinic. I threw up in the car on the way there from morning sickness. Quickly upon our arrival a woman came to my ex-boyfriend’s vehicle which was parked in front of the clinic. She handed me a “pro-life” pamphlet; I rolled my eyes and said, “Thank you” and politely ignored her and the dozens of protesters crowding the sidewalk and entrance to the abortion clinic. They were shouting and holding up signs with religious “pro-life” messages on them. They screamed at my ex-boyfriend, too. Despite this, it did not faze me. I am comfortable with what I believe and just saw the protesters as crazy. It just didn’t bother me. After waiting for about 45 minutes to be called back, me and a group of girls went to watch a video, pay, and see the nurses to check that we were healthy enough for the procedure. I ended up waiting almost 6 hours before I finally went down to the basement to be wheeled into the surgery room. It seemed like once I was on the operating table, I could finally breathe but I was still nervous. I woke up in a row of beds with the other girls, then we sat in a recovery room for about 20 minutes. After all was said and done I went back upstairs to leave. They gave me a prescription for an antibiotic and naproxen for pain. I left and went back to my ex-boyfriend’s apartment to lie down for a little bit and went home, then to my best friend’s house. She comforted me even though I was doing pretty well. To this day I have never regretted my decision. It wouldn’t be fair to bring a child into my life when I was (and still not) ready at all. It wouldn’t be fair of me to do that when I couldn’t be emotionally or financially available to care for them. For this I am proud of myself. I am firmly pro-choice and I am glad I was able to choose for myself when I’d start a family.