Back in the 70’s when my son was 2 years old I went to doctor because I was showing symptoms of pregnancy. I could never count on missed periods because I was never normal in that dept. I would skip months and then flood. I had hyperthyroidism and sure that had a play in my absence of on time periods. However, I had skipped a couple of months and started getting sick in the mornings. When the third month came around ...I still had no period. I went to the doctor and this was before all they had was the kind of tests that said the rabbit died. It was also before abortion was legal. I still don’t know if I miscarried or something else was wrong back then but they were sure enough not to operate on me after knocking me out.
I woke up hurting terribly in the middle of the night and was in a pool of blood. The Doctor a few weeks earlier had said that I was pregnant and gave me a due date. I was spending the night at my Mom’s and we went to the hospital. Thank goodness I was not alone with this situation. I was married but separated. The doctors said they would operate on me and I would have a D and C. They put me out and I woke up a few hours later and the doctor came in and said, “ I had not been operated on because it was possible I was still pregnant. The hospital would not allow the D & C. I asked had I miscarried. They did not know since the bleeding was a hemorrhaged state and they, the doctors and hospital could not be sure if I miscarried or not. There were no sonograms in that day. It was illegal to do a D & C on a pregnant woman. I remained in the hospital and the bleeding stopped after a day as it was slowing.
I laid in that hospital bed thinking I had miscarried but not happy that I had been put under anesthesia and not operated on to clean out any infection or remains and felt like I was going to die. The pain had gone but maybe it was the pain pills but after three days I was released and fully convinced if I had been pregnant, I no longer was. This was not a period as I saw something in the commode that was not normal that first night and I believe I miscarried that night.
Several years later, and after having tubes tied due to bladder problems, I had to go to the hospital having a lot of female problems and they did a pap smear. It came back positive. I knew before even checking in for evaluation and having a cervical tumor removed that I had cancer. Well, I asked my different obstetrician what did they think caused my cancer since there was not any in my family at that time and he said, “Hard to say”. Sometimes these things just happen, sometimes a bad miscarriage without a D & C because of infection… Just hard to say. I will always believe that episode of not properly cleaning out my female parts caused my cervical cancer where they also found cancer cells in the Uterius . No one will ever convince me otherwise because for years I always had problems once or every other month at that special visitor time came around. I had a total hysterectomy and am a cancer survivor.
There will be women who go through this same thing in Arizona and other areas when we go back to pre Roe V Wade. It was torture and I was unwell for a long time. I never could have another child since the tube tied and of course after the hysterectomy. Some of these women will face life and death situations and doctors will not be allowed to do D & C’s and if they do will face prison. They will have to forget their oath of Do no harm. There will be much harm to women and their healthcare.
We cannot stand for this horrible healthcare decision. Women WILL die and suffer. I know how they will feel.
I always wondered for years if just one cancer cell made it to other parts of the body. No woman should have to suffer especially when they have a 2 year old at home needing a Mama.
We cannot let them go back to that time.
Thanks for listening.