CHALLENGE
choice I could make for anyone else .
When “ you specifically seek out someone who hates you , you start to believe they ’ re right . They ’ re so right to hate you . ”
“ So it looks like you ’ re at about six weeks and one day ,” the nurse said , the keyboard clacking as she captured images .
One day ? I thought to myself , too embarrassed to ask out loud . How can you tell the one day ? I just nodded . “ Have you decided what you want to do ?” she asked casually .
“ I want to … have an abortion ,” I said , the word catching slightly on my tongue .
“ Okay , I can walk you through your choices when I ’ m all finished up here .” She was still pressing the ultrasound doodad into my bladder , and I was increasingly aware of the discomfort .
After a few more minutes , she used the towel to wipe the gel from my stomach and started talking about what they offer .
“ So you have two options for the abortion procedure ,” she said . “ There ’ s the surgical procedure where we go in and the fetus is removed in-office . You ’ ll be given anesthesia through an IV . The other option is a medicinal abortion ; now a lot of people think it ’ s a one-and-done , but you take more doses at home . It will essentially induce a miscarriage .”
Neither sounded particularly appealing , and I still felt like I knew nothing .
“ Is there one that ’ s better than the other ? Or safer ?”
“ The surgical , definitely ,” she said . “ With the medicinal , you will be sick — physically and visually — for at least a couple of weeks .