April 2002 was a time I can't erase from my memory. I experienced pain coming in waves. I had tears in my eyes. I called an OB/GYN in my network. I traveled to his office. I had an ultrasound done. I had tests done. I had to call off work that day. I had to be transported and admitted to the hospital. I was diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy and a fibroid tumor. I had to consent to surgery that saved my life. The surgery was to remove the ectopic pregnancy by cutting open the fallopian tube and removing it.
Fast forward to January 2005. I found out I was pregnant with my first son. I had been bleeding and needed to move from one chaotic living situation to one that was calmer for me and my unborn child. I had to save up some money to travel home to my mother's home. Fast forward to July 18, 2005. I was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a condition that occurs in the third trimester of pregnancy that is dangerous for mom and baby. What makes it dangerous is high blood pressure. I had tests done and given bed rest. I still had swollen ankles, feet, hands, wrists, and face. They admitted me July 25, 2005. I had to stay in the hospital until my blood pressure settled. Could it get anymore anxiety inducing? Two days later, my labor was induced. I had my first son, who is now 14. My son was born 5.5 weeks early. I had edema. I refused blood pressure medication because I find ways to stay calm and not unnecessarily stress myself. My blood pressure returned to normal. My son came home with me when he gained a little bit of weight.
Fast forward to August 2009. I have been with my husband for a year and a half. I registered pregnant. But there was nothing in the ultrasound. I had a blighted ovum, a fertilized egg but no embryo. I had another blighted ovum in December 2010. I had a dilation and curettage or a d and c performed.
I found out I was pregnant with my second son in September of 2012. I found out I was five months pregnant. I had my second son January 2, 2013.
Here's why I am telling this story. Ohio passed an extreme abortion bill; reimplant ectopic pregnancies or face criminal charges. Where did these people get their medical degrees? Here's a tweet from Right Wing Watch, featuring Trump's "spiritual advisor", Paula White Cain, "praying away satanic pregnancies" harming Trump or the church. None of this gibberish has anything to do with why miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, or blighted ova happen. If you need to know how to handle such situations, please refer to Paula Faris. She handled this with dignity, empathy, and grace.