The abortion almost cost me my life

I became pregnant when I was a junior in college. My plan was to have the baby and put it up for adoption. Then the minister at the church told my parents how I could obtain a legal abortion outside the country. Everyone thought it was a good idea so I agreed. My friend's father helped me obtain the abortion; he was a physician.

I was given no counseling except that I should be on birth control. I received general information about general anesthesia and the risks of major surgery, didn't take it very seriously. My parents read the information, had surgery before and nothing had ever went wrong. I received no information about fetal development or possible fetal development or the possible emotional/psychological effects after the abortion.

I have no memory of the actual abortion because I was given general anesthetic.

Immediately following, I had a deep painful yearning to be a mother which was very confusing. After 15 weeks, I ended up in the hospital with spastic colon (stress induced and a direct result of the abortion) for two weeks and I was put into the hospital. When released I left school because I was too weak and I was too far behind to catch up.

To help deal with the abortion I was a born-again in 1972 and felt totally forgiven and cleansed at the time. In 1973, I found out my baby was already completely formed at the time of the abortion and just needed to grow - this was devastating. I had to go back to my faith and remember my forgiveness and cleansing once again.

The abortion has changed me because it interrupted my education - due to spastic colon. It caused emotional stress and pain. The abortion caused infertility and the cause of three major surgeries. The abortion almost cost me my life.