My sad tale, and why abortion issue is not about deciding

[truedelphi]

anything. Nor is it about morality.


The abortion issue is instead about a woman's right to survive should she become pregnant. Once the anti-abortion crowd gets its way, no woman is safe at all, if she is of child-bearing age.

She is not even safe from her body's own biological processes.

Take that from me. Back in the early 1970's in Illinois, as a very naive, somewhat pro-Life 20 year old, I became pregnant. I found out I was pregnant on Feb 15th of that year. Before my husband and I could "decide" anything, my body rejected the pregnancy. I started bleeding while I was walking home from work. At that point, I had known I was pregnant for all of six hours.

The local hospital refused to admit me as a patient, when I arrived by ambulance at 2Am. Even though I was hemorrhaging.

The ER doctors examining me seemed more interested in interrogating my husband about what I "had done" prior to the start of my bleeding, than in handling my situation.

So they sent me home. Later on, I found out that the hospital might have lost its license if they admitted a pregnant woman who has self-aborted.

I would have died, if not for the strange fact that my mother called our house at 6Am that day. (She calls me evenings or afternoons, not Am's.) When she found out from Jim what was happening, she showed up at my house, and got me to the hospital where my long time pediatrician practiced. Within 45 minutes of my arrival, I was undergoing a D & C.

If that had not happened, I would not currently be occupying my office chair, but pushing up daisies in a cemetery somewhere in Illinois.

[truedelphi]

1. Of course, since that time, the laws in the nation have changed.

Over the last 35 years, most women who get pregnant, at least in the greater Chicago land area, do not have to worry about losing their life while miscarrying.

As far as I am concerned, these RW "Christian" nutcases will change the laws on abortion over my dead body.

[The Doctor.]

2. These low-intellect creatures have been taught

that it is better to despise intellect than to grow one.

I would like to believe that anecdotes like this would get them to realize that the issue is far more complicated than their black and white world-view will allow, but alas, that would be far too much work. The only ones who learn are the ones close to a story like yours.

In the meanwhile, might I recommend that you do not make the terms of their victory 'your dead body', because they are uncivilized and very likely to take you up on that. I think that I, and I hope you as well, would rather that the 'dead bodies' be theirs.

Given that they would see women die even where the fetus was not viable, I have no moral compunction here.

[get the red out]

3. Death

I actually believe that a lot of them think that death in such a situation would be an appropriate outcome for a woman, "God's will".

[HopeHoops]

4. The wingnuts wouldn't understand that even with as clear an explanation as you provided.

[Canuckistanian]

5. Just you watch

If nutcases like Santorum get in, they'll criminalize women for having miscarriages. Yes, they're THAT insane.

[varelse]

6. K&R

I'm glad you made it

[riderinthestorm]

7. K&R and a....

Brave story and I'm so glad you shared it... one by one we can bury the naysayers. Your story is important, thank you so much for sharing (and I'm so glad you are alive to tell it!!)

[eridani]

8. My next door neighbor when I was a kid wasn't so lucky

She bled to death on the table in the emergency room. Whenever I feel sorry for myself about my miscarriages, I remind myself that at least they all happened after Roe v Wade.

[truedelphi]

10. Eridani, I am

Sorry to hear about your miscarriages. They are a certain type of pain, especially given that so many people don't see miscarrying as a real experience.

I am glad I had to experience the "Well, you know, next time you will be much luckier" type of condolence only that one time. Like I had chosen the wrong party favor at the annual office party or something.

[eridani]

19. You really nailed that one!

Wrong party favor indeed! Well, we are both alive and have lived productive lives despite the misogyny that the conservatives seem determined to bring back.

[RainDog]

9. k&r n/t

[Major Nikon]

11. It is about exactly what you say, but it's also about deciding

Prior to Roe vs Wade, the government got to decide when a woman could and could not have an abortion in all instances. The reason why Roe vs Wade was successful is because women have a right to privacy and a right to decide for themselves if they are to have an abortion.

[pecwae]

12. ((Hugs))

I'm so glad your Mom had a 6th sense going.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

13. every story in this thread is IMPORTANT k&r

[vankuria]

14. Thank-you for sharing

this very painful part of your life. Alot of women coming up today have no idea what women went through years ago. The health care we recieve now and the privacy (lets hope it stays that way) we are afforded are taken for granted and stories like yours remind us of how far we've come.

[Aerows]

15. My mom had the same experience

I wouldn't have been here had my father not gotten her removed from a Catholic hospital that was going to just let her die. My sister would have grown up without a mother, and my mother wouldn't have had me because she would have been dead. Letting women die, preventing them from having further children and denying existing children of a mother is anything but "pro-life".

[Brigid]

16. Why is it . . .

These RW nutters, even the women among them, just don't get it that a pregnancy can go so horribly awry that tragic stories like the ones in this thread do happen? Do they not think it could happen to them or someone they love?

[niyad]

17. they really don't care--and they hate women enough to not mind women dying at all

[IndyJones]

18. As a woman, that is how it makes me feel.

To the OP, thank you for sharing your experience.