Surgical Abortion at just over 6 weeks
By anonymous on 28/09/2014
In my late 30s, and thought it would be impossible to get pregnant. With only one ovary and PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), I was told my chances were limited. I was on the pill, but not taking it as regularly as I should have. Skipped some days, made up for it by doubling up on others. I'm used to having abnormal periods, so it didn't surprise me when it was late. But when I started feeling sick in the mornings, and my breasts felt tender, I realized something was different. I went a week before I got the courage to take the test. I saw the results, and knew what I was going to do. No tears, just reality. My important decision was medical vs surgical. I researched first hand stories for days. What people felt. How uncomfortable they were. How quickly things happened. Where the pain was. Though I originally decided on medical I ultimately went with surgical. I just wanted it over with, and not weeks worth of pain and bleeding. I had an 8:40 appointment. Got tested to confirm pregnancy and blood type. Got the ultrasound (didn't want to see it). Met with a counsellor. And finally met with the doctor. There was a lot of waiting in between. I didn't leave until about 1:30. Since I went by myself, I couldn't have any anaesthesia. Not gonna lie, I was counting on talking my way into getting it. But they wouldn't budge. I was expecting pain, and that is exactly what I felt. For about two minutes. There was a lot of pressure and some intense, painful cramps. But the assistant held my hand and counted down. The counting down and breathing made the experience manageable. After it was done, there were intense cramps for about 10 minutes. But with the heating pad it went down. About another 20 minutes later, I was able to stand up again. I've slept and relaxed and just generally did nothing the past day. It's been about 24 hours, and there's still some cramps. But it's manageable with a heating pad and over the counter pain relievers. There hasn't been much bleeding either, which was also a pleasant surprise. I would absolutely make the same decision again. Just wish I would have told someone, or brought a friend, so I could have had the anaesthesia. I'm hopeful the rest of the cramps will be gone by tomorrow, as I need to get back to work and can't exactly walk around with a heating pad.Editor's Comment
Surgical abortion without anaesthetic can be a painful procedure, although women are often offered sedation which helps a lot. I think that even with sedation, you would need someone with you to go home and you couldn't drive yourself.Please contact CareConfidential if you need post abortion support, or just want to talk through your experience for post abortion support. . Sometimes you can feel lonely and isolated if you have not told anyone about the abortion, so just breaking the silence with a helpline practitioner can be therapeutic. Abortion helpline 0300 4000 999.
