abortionclinicdays

shoot your TV

I am so angry at Chris Matthews' Hardball, and similar ill mannered screaming cretins on TV that I could spit! Tonight, his featured rant was that all this stuff about filibuster and judicial nominations is REALLY about abortion. What world do these people live in?

Unfortunately, I can answer my own question: the ratings world. Television discourse is really about conflict with some titillation and gore thrown in as much as possible. If you can get Pat Buchanan to square off against Ellie Smeal, then the culture wars are alive and well, and advertisers are happy to provide a consumer interlude. And guess what? If we can focus on (but not understand...) abortion or gay marriage or filibusters then we won't really think about how our whole economy and the future we are offering our kids is bankrupt. Keep people riled but don't have any real conversations.

But does it have ANYTHING to do with abortion? No. At least not the abortion world I live in, where women--both pro choice, pro life, and many who try not to have an opinion about it, actually terminate pregnancies for their own good reasons. In my waiting room there is actually a sort of common ground movement going on and its called KINDNESS. One patient to another, one parent or partner to another, and if a pollster asked their opinion on abortion or anything else they would have opposite opinions on it, guaranteed. But they are all in the same unfortunate situation--being pregnant when it seems ill advised to bring life into the world.

Who in the world thinks that abortion is the most important issue in American politics? I live and breathe abortion and I don't think it's the most important issue. The destruction of the environment, maybe. The export of war and unsustainable consumerism, perhaps. American arrogance and total lack of awareness of the rest of the world.

I would like to send Chris Matthews and every whiney Congress person to sub Saharan Africa for a month to live. I mean to try to subsist on 1/4 cup of rice a day and unsafe water amid the AIDS orphans and terrorized by rival thugs. Then come back and tell us what the most important issue is. Abortion will be on the list, in the same column as being able to feed your family, work, and educate your kids, but it won't be the same issue manipulated by the power brokers in Washington DC, it will be about the people in my waiting room.

--Bon

granny 2

first of all, before i even begin, let me be clear. i am not suggesting that minor teens be able to have an abortion without either parental consent or a judicial bypass. in fact, the great majority of teens who have an abortion bring one or both parents with them. sometimes they even bring a parent of their boyfriend with them. but that is not what is being questioned here. so please read carefully. my intent is to enlarge upon the TEEN ENDANGERMENT ACT because this act really will put teens at more risk. these bills do nothing to stop abortion-- they will create administrative nightmares, and are designed solely to appeal to the far right. it may not have occurred to congress that there are lots of good reasons for both teens and older women as well to go to another state for an abortion. a woman might live closer to the clinic right across the border than the one many miles away in the other direction. it might be that the abortion provider across the state line offers IV sedation which the patient prefers or needs because of other health issues.  there is nothing about state lines that would stop the "sexual predators" from continuing to target teens since they often could take her somewhere in her own state. in my state right now the TEEN ENDANGERMENT ACT would not do anything at all to stop those criminals. lastly, congress clearly has no idea what a large percentage of teens do not live with a parent. many live with a grandmother, an uncle or aunt or even "with friends" when their parents can't care for them, are abusive, alcoholic, drug addicted, or sexually abusive. forcing teens in those situations to cross state lines alone deprives them of the little support they have in their lives. and, because minor teens don't vote, they have no voice in congress when bills such as this come up. it is appalling that congress is so far off track that this is the kind of thing they spend their time on. we have serious problems in this country, from homelessness, hunger, deteriorating infrastructure to falling behind in math, science and general world knowledge in our schools. the actions of congress are those of a society too caught up in their own importance, pandering to the lowest common denominator in this country. -lou

grandma in jail

I say this honestly, but not proudly, that all the legislative stuff about abortion really doesn't move me that much. I guess it's because I live in a blue state and have that luxury. But also it is so overwhelming, depressing, and limitless. There is no end to the number of truly stupid bills that Congress and various state legislatures come up with to stigmatize women, second guess doctors, and generally get it all wrong about abortion.

But this one takes the cake. Some are calling it the "Put Granny in Jail" Act or the Teen Endangerment Act. It makes it a felony to help a teen get an abortion if she is crossing a state line. It also creates a federal parent notification requirement--all of a sudden states rights are out the window--what IS IT with these Republicans?

So, if you were 17, say, and wanted an abortion, and you travelled from say, Illinois, to Indiana, the clinic would have to comply with notifying your parents, for one state's rules, and then for the other's. One state might have one parent notification, a 18 hour waiting period, another might have 24 hour waiting, and two parent notification. So, OK, your mom is cool with it all, is driving you, so that's ok, right? NO! Even if she is present with you in the clinic, they still have to prove that they sent her notification. So imagine you are 13 weeks, and this bit of hi jinx puts you over the limit and you have to go somewhere else and start all over again. Or think of all the people who go to NYC because they have the most experienced second trimester facilities. You could come from Missouri or Texas and NYC providers would have to prove that they notified your parents. And of course, every day counts when you are in your second trimester.

So, what if this bill passes, and what is to stop it in this theocracy we live in.....? The good clinics (quality providers as they are now called) will follow the letter of the law, and the not so great providers will ignore it blatantly and so people will go to them, have a bad experience, or worse, and the government will, I assure you DO NOTHING. They can't because there is no money for inspectors or agents or anything like that on the local level. They can't even tell whether our beef is tainted with Mad Cow Disease, much less track 16 year olds driving on the Jersey Turnpike with Pennsylvania plates.

A lot of states, including mine, have gone to no smoking laws even in bars. One old timer hangout has their own rule. Light up a cigarette at your own risk, and every time you do so, put a dime in the kitty for the fine that may come. It's been a year or so now since they started the policy and so far, they have a big big jar of dimes, and no health official has come to visit. They can't, the county just cut their budget, because the Bush Government passed along lots of costs to them so they had to cut services.

I like this idea--mass ignoring of the damned law, but everyone puts in a dollar, when one clinic is made an example of. Only trouble is that it's not a fine, it's jail. And you know how this administration treats its prisoners....
--bon

medical reasons

today i counseled two women.  the first was 33, wishes wholeheartedly that she could continue the pregnancy but her very severe diabetes prevents her from doing so.  a number of years ago, during her first pregnancy, her diabetes was so out of control that she nearly went blind, nearly had a number of her organs shut down, and then her baby was stillborn.  since that time, she has faithfully used contraception because, as she said, she never ever wanted to be in a position to lose another baby.  however, as you know, no method of birth control is perfect.  her doctors have pretty much forbidden her to continue the pregnancy, which is what she knew they would say since they repeatedly tell her that in her condition, it is out of the question.  so, with great sadness, she had the abortion done.

the second young woman, a college student, had indicated on her chart that she was not sure of her decision.  but i never had to ask her about that since she immediately blurted out that she would not be having an abortion if someone could tell her if her baby would have fetal alcohol syndrome.  i told her that we are lucky to have a genetic counseling and testing center at one of the local teaching hospitals and that they could help to answer some of her questions.  while she feared that her occasional binge-drinking (five or more drinks at one sitting) could have an effect on the pregnancy, she could not remember if her last episode was before or after she got pregnant.  complicating her decision was the fact that her mother would not speak to her because she was "murdering my grandchild".  all of this left jessica very confused and scared.  she wanted her mother to help her to make a wise choice, but her mom refused to participate, which led jessica to think that abortion was the only answer.  she left the clinic very relieved, and ready to make an appointment for genetic counseling so that she can find out if she should continue the pregnancy or not. 

two very different situations, two very different endings. 

lou

cultural differences

sometimes a patient comes into the clinic for an abortion whose life experiences are so different from mine, so different from anything i have ever even imagined, that i have to look at her situation without ANY preconceived notions.  i cannot even begin to hear her talking to me unless i can also understand a little about her life-shaping experiences.

she was born in vietnam in the middle of the war.  food, family, even being alive tomorrow were not things one could take for granted.  she lost everything in her life before she was 5 years old, her parents, her village, her future.  she was placed in a refugee camp yet somehow, and despite her sister's pleas, found her way to america as a young adult.

she and her husband have created an existance for themselves that allows them to raise two children, sponser various relatives to come to this country, and support a number of other people still living in vietnam.  they do so willingly and happily; it seems to give them great joy that their hard work helps so many people to have a better life.

when she came in today for her fifth abortion, a number of staff members were visibly and audibly agitated.  they clearly were upset that all of the previous discussions about birth control seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.  the patient said that she had previously tried the pill after one of her children was born but discovered that she could not sleep. in addition she had developed facial pigmentation so that method was out.  one by one, we went down the list of all methods of birth control and she gave reasons why they were not for her.  in truth, what she wants is to have her tubes tied, but she has no medical insurance, works in her store 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, and cannot afford either to take the time off or to pay for the surgery.

she clearly wishes that these unplanned pregnancies did not occur, but says that she is sure that buddha knows her heart.  well, i do not know enough about buddhism to converse with her much about that, but then, she said, neither does she.  she has her own religion or spiritual construct that also includes three days of bible reading after each abortion because she wants her babies to go to heaven.  in addition, she says that each time she goes to vietnam, she buys one thousand pounds of rice to be distributed to the homeless and needy.  she also goes to the mountain top and prays or meditates, she said.

she was a little bit choked up that she "will never have her girl, only the boys", but life has taught her that you cannot afford to indulge yourself in having what you want, but rather you must do what is best for those you are responsible for.   she said that therefore, after a week, she will never think about it again and just move on.  i got the idea that that was how she had made it out of the orphanage in which she was raised, how she had made it to this country, how she had created her own successful business.

she left saying that she would come back for a check up, would consider using an IUD as birth control.  but i do not know if we will see her again until she is pregnant again.  her energy seems to go toward the living, and as she said, all but one of her abortions occurred before she was 7 weeks which to her is not yet life.

i keep thinking that if i had lived her life, i too might have her same philosophy of life. 

lou

smarter than the judge?

in the news this week and last is the story of a 13 year old in florida who is pregnant and wanting an abortion.  in florida a minor may have an abortion without permission of a parent, but when this young woman tried to do just that, the state, as her legal guardian but with no legal standing, jumped into the picture and tried to stop her from having the abortion.   

in her own defense, the young woman said to the judge "i don't think i should have the baby because i'm 13, i'm in a shelter and i can't get a job".  she also was well informed about the medical risks of both carrying to term and having the abortion.  in fact, she said "since you guys are supposedly here for the best interest of me, then wouldn't you all look at that fact that it'd be more dangerous for me to have the baby than to have an abortion?"

COMPLETE STORY BELOW:

Judge asked to reverse decision by state guardian

By John Coté
  Staff Writer
  Posted April 30 2005



  "Why can't I make my own decision?"

  That was the blunt question to a judge from a pregnant 13-year-old
girl ensnared in a Palm Beach County court fight over whether she can
have an abortion.

  "I don't know," Circuit Judge Ronald Alvarez replied, according to a
recording of the closed hearing obtained Friday.

  "You don't know?" replied the girl, who is a ward of the state.
"Aren't you the judge?"

  Against a backdrop of state and federal efforts to pass a parental
notification law for teen abortions, the exchange was typical of L.G.'s
pluck as she argued that she had the right and capability to make her
own decision, despite a move by the Department of Children & Families
to seek a judge's permission for her abortion.

  "I think if I want to make the decision, it's my business and I can do
that," she told the judge.

  The DCF is the teen's legal guardian after she was taken away from her
parents for abuse or neglect. State law allows minors to have abortions
without notifying their guardians. Experts say the law extends to wards
of the state, raising the question of why this girl's decision has
ended up before a judge.

  DCF Secretary Luci Hadi requested a judge's ruling, according to a
department statement released Friday. DCF attorneys filed an emergency
motion Tuesday morning, the same day L.G.'s caseworker was prepared to
take her to a clinic for the abortion.

  "The Department of Children and Families has the custodial
responsibility to do what is in the best interest of the child," the
department said.

  Alvarez had ordered a psychological evaluation to determine L.G.'s
mental condition and whether she would be harmed by terminating the
pregnancy or giving birth.

  The case is now before the 4th District Court of Appeal where it has
been fast-tracked after attorneys for the American Civil Liberties
Union filed an emergency appeal Wednesday, arguing that neither the
judge nor DCF should be involved in L.G.'s decision.

  While delaying any ruling until the appeals court decides, Alvarez
held a hearing Thursday to weigh arguments.

  DCF attorney Jeffrey Gillen said he was concerned L.G. was more likely
to suffer "detrimental effects" if she underwent an abortion because
she had psychiatric or behavioral problems in the past.

  L.G., who told Alvarez she had run away at least five times from her
youth shelter, maintained, "It would make no sense to have the baby."

  "I don't think I should have the baby because I'm 13, I'm in a shelter
and I can't get a job," the girl said as Alvarez and her guardian ad
litem, assigned to shepherd her in the legal system, questioned her.

  L.G. laid out different reasons for wanting an abortion.

  "DCF would take the baby anyway," she said, but later added: "If I do
have it, I'm not going to let them take it."

  She also questioned the health risk of carrying the fetus to term.

  "Since you guys are supposedly here for the best interest of me, then
wouldn't you all look at that fact that it'd be more dangerous for me
to have the baby than to have an abortion?" she asked. Alvarez called
that "a good point."

  Dr. Ethelene Jones, an expert in obstetrics and gynecology, testified
earlier in the hearing that abortions are "definitely" safer than full
term pregnancies for girls L.G.'s age.

  "At her age and at her stage of gestation ... her risk of death from
an abortion procedure is about 1 in 34,000," said Jones, who has held
positions at Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. "The risk of death in
pregnancy is about 1 in 10,000."

  L.G. said her caseworker had taken her on three visits to clinics, and
risks and alternatives to abortion were discussed.

  Lynn Hargrove, the court-appointed psychologist, testified L.G. had a
"mild mood disorder" but did not have "a significant psychotic or
delusional thought process" that would interfere with rational decision
making.

  J.G. is 14 weeks pregnant, witnesses testified, which would indicate
she became pregnant after she ran away from a group home in late
January and was missing for a month.

  She had sex with "a boy" but refused to disclose his name to Alvarez
saying: "That's not really necessary."

  The judge blasted the DCF, saying the agency never asked the court to
issue an order to take the child into custody after her most recent
disappearance.

  "To say that I am angry at that would be an understatement," Alvarez
said. "To rush into this court on an emergency basis because this child
is pregnant and wants an abortion, I don't know where our priorities in
life are. The priority should have been to make certain that an order
to take her into custody was issued as soon as possible, and that she
was found and taken off of the streets or wherever she was. But nobody
cared."

  Munoz said DCF immediately notified law enforcement in Pinellas County
when the girl ran away Jan. 29.

  Munoz declined to specify what agency was notified, saying that could
compromise L.G.'s privacy rights by leading to information about where
she was living.

  "As we do in all instances when a child runs away from their
placement, we immediately notify law enforcement, submit a report into
the Missing Child Tracker System, and notify other state agencies as
appropriate," the agency said in statement Friday.

John Coté can be reached at [email protected] or 561-832-6550.