I was 21, working three jobs and attending classes at the community college when I met my S.O. We were wildly attracted to each other and he began coming to my karaoke shows with me. Considering that I'd been single for a while, I wasn't on Birth Control pills, and due to several nights of drinking at the bar and going back to my place, we weren't as safe as we needed to be. Within 2 weeks of us dating I was pregnant.

Once I took the test and finished freaking out, I went to my boyfriend. He was supportive regardless of my decision, but I knew that given my schedule, lack of money, and desire to finish school there was no way I'd be able to care for a child. There was also the glaring uncertainty regarding my S.O.'s and my relationship given the freshness of it all. An abortion it would be.

I was terribly concerned with the idea of instruments scraping around inside of me. I did intend to have children at one point, and the risks of a surgical abortion seemed almost enough to convince me to seek another option. Then I read about medical abortions: take some pills, tell your body to miscarry, stay in the privacy of your own home ... all right. I can do that! So off to the clinic we went.

I explained to my bosses what was going on, and arranged the time off. When the day came I went to the clinic, paid my fees, and was given an ultrasound showing me to be almost 8 weeks. This barely makes the cut for medical abortions, but the doctor let me go ahead. I took the initial pill designed to stop the pregnancy hormone from going to the embryo. This basically kills it, and then you insert several pills vaginally 3 days following to abort it. I had scheduled off from work, so my boyfriend and I just lazed around and enjoyed some time together.

On the third day, at about 4pm, it was time to jump into the hard part. S.O. and I settled in for the night with my heating pad plugged in and blankets and pain pills and the like. Had we really been using our thinking caps we would have thought to buy some Gatorade and food to snack on, but given the circumstances, we were as prepared as could be expected. Within an hour of inserting the pills I began passing small blood clots. The cramps were intense and the heating pad was divine. Given that my pregnancy was pushing the cutoff limit, I bled a lot over a short period of time. I passed clots the size of kiwis and one the size of a small orange! I was fine with all of this....the doctors had explained that this was to be expected. Come about 1 a.m. I was coming out of the bathroom when the low blood sugar and blood loss caught up with me. I passed out in the hall. My boyfriend and I realized our mistake, and after some rehydrating and snacks I was fine.

The aftermath was only that of a heavy period for 3 days and light bleeding for 2 more days after that. My life resumed as normal. My boyfriend and I grew closer and have now been living together for over a year. Given the changes I went through financially this past summer, I know that having a baby would have only meant I was unable to provide for it. It only reinforced my decision. I now work one stable job that provides enough income for me to support myself and then some. I have a supportive, loving significant other who intends to be a stay-at-home dad to our little one due in August of this year. Everything has fallen into place exactly as it should have, and I am not sorry at all.

I would like to say that my current doctor told me I made the proper abortion choice when I opted for the medical abortion. I had mentioned that my only concern about the abortion was my ability to have children in the future. So here's to the choices available to us in this day and age!