I was 19 and involved with my first serious boyfriend. Serious in that we were having sex. I was in college, and had gone to the local Planned Parenthood for birth control pills. Before I could start taking them, I was pregnant. There was never any thought as to my other “options”, there weren’t any. If my mother had found out I was pregnant, she would have had a FIT and fallen in it. Not just because I was pregnant but also because I was having sex. There was no way she could ever find out. The only people I told were my boyfriend, and my best friend.
I was set with an appointment for the abortion two days after Christmas. I was home from college on break. We lived in the frigid northeast, directly in the path of lake effect snow. Those of you familiar with lake effect know that you can be in totally blinding blizzard conditions, and two miles away the sun can be shining! It is very unpredictable, and all depends on which way the wind is blowing. Anyway, I had to drive about 25 miles for my appointment. Fortunately, my mom’s birthday was in two days, so I was able to use that as an excuse as to why I needed to go “shopping”. The skies were perfectly clear when I left, but before I had driven 10 miles I was in the middle of a terrible storm. Snow drifted across roads, people stuck, etc. I was in my mom’s trusty Volvo and I just kept going. I didn’t even consider turning around. I arrived at the doctor’s office, had my abortion, and left.
I actually DID go shopping and buy my mom a gift. On the drive home it was just as bad, but I made it. I never told my mom about ANY of it, including the weather I had to drive through, because she would have gone ballistic about that, too. I’ve always thought that I should be a spokesperson for a Volvo ad-“without my Volvo, I never could have driven through the snow to have an abortion!”
Needless to say, I never had one ounce of regret. I’ve managed to live a great life that I never would have had if I had become a mother at that age. In fact, I got my great job that I’ve been in for almost 19 years when I would have been 7 months pregnant. THAT never would have happened, and I never would have gotten a job that paid nearly as well or had the kind of benefits and job security I’m lucky enough to have now.
