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Anatomy of an unsafe abortion



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Thanks to Amanda Marcotte via Twitter, we find this reminder of the days when abortion was illegal, so the daughters of the Rest of Us (the 99%) went to back alleys to have them.

As you read this, keep in mind this was posted on Saturday, February 12, 2012. The author is a doctor. Graphic detail alert below, my emphasis and paragraphing:

I was in clinic when I heard the overhead STAT page to the emergency room. As I sprinted down the stairs, I ran through the possible scenarios. ... Logically there was only one conclusion.

A nurse was holding the staff entrance to the ER open. From the look on her face I surmised this was to save the minute or two it would take to punch in the numbers on the lock and inquire at the desk for patient’s whereabouts. ...

On the gurney lay a young woman the color of white marble. The red pool between her legs, ominously free of clots, offered a silent explanation.

“She arrived a few minutes ago. Not even a note.” My resident was breathless with anger, adrenaline, and panic. I had an idea who she went to. The same one the others did. The same one many more would visit.

A doctor, but considering what I had seen he could[n]’t have any formal gynecology training. The only thing he offered that the well-trained provers didn’t was a cut-rate price. If you don’t know to ask, well, a doctor is a doctor. That’s assuming you are empowered enough to have such a discussion. I was also pretty sure his office didn’t offer interpreters.
This is the world of no abortion — which means, this is abortion for the 99%. A bleeding flowing life-threatening mess.

And if your sadly logical mind has taken the next step, you've realized that in a world of no birth control, there will be many more stories like these.

Culture of life indeed. As my old Uncle Straight Talk used to say, "That's BS, son, it's culture of whatever confuses you. Same with the 'hate the sex' sex talk. Heck, they're rutting like flies at their convention. Sex, no-sex, that's just words, son. Power is what they care about. The rest is just to fog you till they get what they want."

Uncle Straight Talk, he knew a thing or two.

So does the doctor who wrote this great article. More?
A terrified medical student and I raced down the hallway with the gurney. The amorphous red pool dripped onto the floor as we rounded the corner to the elevators. The double doors that led to the operating rooms swung open. “The urology room. They’re between cases,” my resident shouted.

I saw an anesthesiologist out of the corner of my eye. “You. Now!” Most emergencies can wait a few minutes to check in at the front desk and for the anesthesiologist and nursing staff to take stock of the situation. This was not one of them.
Why do I emphasize what I did? People need to know, when abortion victims die, what that looks like.
[W]e were bearing witness, because we knew if she died it was unlikely anyone would read about her in the paper.
As are we bearing witness, now.

Read the rest to find out how this woman's story ended. You won't be sorry.

GP


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