Thread by @plytimshly

#SB8 #BansOffOurBodies #storytimethreads
All my life I've wanted to be a mother. For as long as I could remember I wanted to have kids young, like my mother did, but life has a way of making it's own plan. When I was 17 I got pregnant, but I was on my way to college
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and certainly not ready to be a parent. I made a decision to end my pregnancy. Fortunately I was in NY so there was no legislation in my way but I did have to face the horde of angry pro-birthers outside. Everlast told you what they called me.
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Years later I became pregnant again and this time I was ready. Sadly at 12 wks there was no heartbeat but my body refused to let go so I once again had to go through the procedure to empty my womb. Due to ins. copays being 3xs what the process cost at the clinic, I once again
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head to the Women's Pavilion on Deer Park Ave on Long Island. The staff gave me comfort and dignity and the throng of pro-birthers called me the same names, not even knowing why I was there. A few yrs later I got married to my 1st husband. We tried a few times but no success
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I felt like I was being punished but really the universe knew better that being tied to this man for the rest of my life wasn't in my best interest. In 2007, while in the process of divorcing hubs 1, I met THE ONE. We started trying in 2009, no luck. Drs and labs and tests
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for months and they finally found PCOS. I got on treatment and we began trying again in late 2010. In June of 11 I got the news I had hoped for, I was pregnant, stable both emotionally and financially and I had a partner
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hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditi….

that I was confident would ALWAYS be a great co-parent regardless of where WE ended up. It was amazing, I shared my news with everyone I knew. We made a key chain announcing it and gifted it to my dad on his 70th birthday and we were all over the moon.
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I was sent for an ultrasound at 15 wks & we could not have been more excited. I was finally here, it was finally happening & now I was going to be able to see my baby. As my partner & I giggled through the exam, I noted that the tech was VERY quiet.
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After she was done & I had cleaned up, we were waiting on the Dr & I told my partner that I was concerned there was a problem. When the Dr came in my world imploded. My baby had anencephaly, severe scoliosis and omphalocele (organs on the outside)
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Then he said the words that would ring in my ears until my son was born in April of 13. "These conditions are not compatible with life. I suggest you see your OB and make some decisions as you are already almost 16wks" So I went to my OB to talk about what just happened
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We were living in OK at the time & my OB told me "Your fetus has a strong heartbeat (169bpm) and I think it is likely you could carry to term, but this child will not survive. You need to make a decision now or you will have to deliver. Unfortunately there is nothing I can do
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the State prohibits me from terminating a pregnancy so you will need to go to a clinic to have this done if you want to and you need to decide in the next couple days before you are too far along." There I was, gutted like never before and left on my own because THE STATE
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had tied the hands of the Dr I knew and was comfortable with. Then we had to pay for everything out of pocket because insurance doesn't cover "abortion" even in this case. Being at a self insured co in OK I am SURE Jesus had some part in that.
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I was forced through a 2 day traumatic experience where I knew no one and had to not only pay for the procedure but due to the limited availability of clinics, we had to get a hotel as the clinic was in Tulsa and we were in OKC.
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On the 2nd day at the clinic, I was taken into an exam room and the nurse told me, "The law says I have to show you an ultrasound before we can proceed" I almost passed out, WHAAATTTT!!?? This is state sponsored torture. I didn't want to be there but I was forced to be there
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by draconian and petty religious BS that has infected so much of our government. Fortunately the nurse quickly said "I know why you are here, I have to take this picture but I dont have to turn the monitor around for you to see. I refuse to make you look"
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That was a small kindness yet it was also the LARGEST kindness I was afforded in this good Christian State. My partner told me he could hear my screams of "NO" "STOP" "IM SORRY" while I was under the twilight and the Dr that performed the procedure
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Actually had the nerve to complain to my partner that i fought them through the whole thing. They were not prepared to handle me nor did they seem to even want to try. I will do them a kindness and say it must be overwhelming to be only 1 clinic performing
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these procedures in an entire state. I was FORCED to sit with women making a decision, much like I did 20 yrs before, to end a pregnancy on their own, rather than be with my OB and others who knew & cared about me, my wellbeing & my loss. I was forever changed by that process
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Fortunately a year later we found out I was pregnant again, though we were cautious and terrified. On 4/5/2013 at 40yrs 5months old, I had an emergency C-Section to retrieve my miracle. He knows mommy was pregnant before & had asked about a sibling
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We simply smiled & told him that he was in his 2nd body because his spirit was so awesome, his 1st body couldn't contain it so we had to start over and make him a new stronger one that he was in now.

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My takeaways?
Being pro-birth is the least Christian thing you can do.
Forced Birth is state sponsored torture.
My pregnancy was not nor would it ever be contagious so my body, my choice is an actual reason.
If you are a patriot, you will reject the American Taliban
Fin

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