A recent surgical abortion

By anonymous on 15/12/2010

A recent surgical abortion

I read lots of these stories before my abortion and they helped.I hope mine can reassure others who are anxious. I had a surgical abortion 5 days ago .

Arriving at the clinic

I arrived at the clinic at half past 8 with my friend(he needn't have bothered coming as 'supporters' had to wait downstairs).In hindsight this was probably for the best. I was given a number , a clever way to protect confidentiality.I was surprised how many girls there were in the waiting room,must've been 30 of us.

The process

Firstly I was called in to fill in some forms, next a chat with a nurse who took blood pressure and talked me through what would happen. She, along with every member of staff I came into contact with throughout the day was really lovely.I then had blood taken from my finger..a tiny little prick.However I have a major needle phobia and the poor nurse had to sit and wait for me to pysche myself up for 15 mins before i'd let her do it!!
I spoke to a doctor next,he was male yet very understanding and then it was onto the ward. I had a major freak out at this point...as they needed to put a canula in the back of my hand,a lovely male nurse came and calmed me down and was very gentle. I barely felt it go in.I had to take some tablets to soften the cervix and wait an hour before being taken into surgery.I was asked to climb on a trolley where the anaesthetic was administered and next thing I know I have come round in recovery.

Afterwards

For days before my surgery I was working myself up into a frenzy as I had never had surgery before, but it was really OK! Days on I feel fine, have barely had to take a painkiller and the bleeding is as a period. I think it helped that there was no doubt in my mind what so ever that this was the right thing to do.I can imagine if you are at all unsure it would be so much harder.

Editor's Comment

I agree - being unsure can make abortion a distressing experience. However, it sounds like your experience was better than you expected, and I am glad that you felt looked after at the abortion clinic. It's still early days for you though, even in terms of your hormones, so if you do have any strong emotions or reactions in the future, please get in contact with us via the Careconfidential helpline 0300 4000 999 or follow the link to find a centre for post abortion support in your area.

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