Thread by @DrJoyBuongiorno

V few people know this about me. #abortion saved my life.
In '14, as I sat in orientation sessions for new PhD students, I began feeling woozy. I had been experiencing constipation, so I went to the bathroom. My vision blurred, my head slumped. I knew what was happening. 1/13

I passed out in the bathroom. Then again outside of the building on The Hill after calling my then-boyfriend. As he arrived, I was sprawled motionless on the steps near Ayers Hall, garnering the attention of passers-by. 2/13

The old man everyone hated for giving them parking tickets shaded me with an umbrella as someone else called an ambulance. I was awake when they loaded me into the back. On our way to the ER, I felt the feeling again, said, "Oh shit, it's happening again" and passed out. 3/13

When I awoke, I was in the ER. They wanted an X-ray. They asked me the question: "Are you pregnant?" "No," I said, "I have an IUD." The ER never gave me a test. Instead, they watched for hours as I moaned and sweat in pain. 4/13

They said the X-ray revealed watery stool and sent me home. Unable to stand upright because of excruciating pain in my abdomen (which continued to grow larger in size) I literally crawled upstairs to my bed, where I lay ashen and confused. 5/13

The entire next day I was stricken with involuntary spasms and shoulder pain. Mid-afternoon, my good friend told me to take a pregnancy test. She's had several children and knows constipation is commonly experienced during pregnancy. My man brought one home for me. 6/13

It was positive. I was pregnant. How can this be? I had an IUD. It was after 4:30p. I called my NP, not knowing if she'd still be available. She answered and told me to immediately go to the ER and she'll call the hospital. 7/13

After being rushed to the ER again, I was immediately sent to the prep room for emergency surgery to remove the ectopic pregnancy that had been developing on my ovary. Before putting me under, the aesthetician told me that I could lose my ovary. I cried and nodded. 8/13

When I woke up, the doctor that performed the laparoscopy told me that he had "removed the pregnancy tissue". He also removed half a liter of blood (500 mL) from my abdomen. I had been bleeding internally for at least several days. 9/13

A fetus almost killed me at 24. At 24, I had not yet owned a dog, not yet developed beautiful friendships with people across the globe, not yet been called "wife", "doctor", or "professor". If you're reading this, I probably would not have met you. 10/13

Before you say something along the lines of, "but this is an instance of where the mother's life would be in danger" or "well, it wasn't viable, so that doesn't count" -- think again. 11/13

OK and MO reps have said they do not think ectopic exceptions should exist. Most states have legislation that is so vague & broad that it will confuse doctors, causing them to delay care out of fear of being charged with a crime. 12/13

#wewontgoback Find where to fight in your area:
map.wewontgoback.com/?source=aiusa
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