it’s horrible that this exists but also remember to destroy the pregnancy test after you get your result. I hate this country
If you do not have a car, DO NOT USE UBER, LYFT, OR A TAXI. TAKE A /BUS/. Because there is language in this law that makes a driver complacent. Bus drivers have a union, and they cannot be expected to know everyone on board. Buy your ticket with either cash or one of those prepaid gift cards from a credit company, and BUY THAT CARD IN CASH. If you need a hotel though, if you need recovery time, pay with a different credit company backed gift card. If possible, have a friend make the reservation, so your name is not associated with that check-in, and let them pay with THEIR credit card. If it’s a relative, make sure they have a different last name than you.
And the worst part is this:
Take pictures. Takes lots of pictures and post them to social media of you smiling, having the BEST time, and make sure they’re time-stamped. Fake it ‘til you make it. I’m talking pictures that could make an Instagram Influencer turn green, full on nature photos with #soblessed #meandmycousins
You’re not going to be in a good place, physically, but like I said, Fake It ‘Til You Make It.
That way, if anyone suspects, if anyone tries to bring it up, you can pull up these photos, smile, laugh and say, “Me and my cousins/friends were glamping on the beach, see?”
I did this when I got my abortion in 2017. I didn’t have to fear jail or legal consequences, but I knew I couldn’t tell anyone I worked with or my family. For all they knew, I was going to our neighboring state for a much needed vacation. We posted photos on Facebook of our trip - what we wanted them to see - even as I was still shaky and recovering the same day. We also stopped at points of interest on the way back, like a Billy the Kid museum, and took photos there too. I bought a set of earrings there just to wear at work after we got back as a talking point. Anything to distract. And it’s awful, because the fake cheeriness was the last thing I wanted to be doing, even though I was 100% sure about my abortion and felt nothing but relief afterwards. To have to hide something like that - a situation in which understanding and support would be helpful - even just for the ignorance of others is bad enough. I can’t imagine if there were legal consequences involved for a slip up in keeping it under wraps.
And y'all - if you get a surgical abortion (that’s what I had, I’m not sure if this is also true for medical abortion) and have to go straight back to work, plan to get “the flu” or a “stomach bug” about four days after your abortion. The morning of day four I was passing massive clots. It was so much worse than even my already horrible periods. It hurt so much I almost passed out before I could get enough Tylenol in my system to bring it down to a dull throb. I stayed home from work with “a fever” and kept a heat pack over my pelvis the entire day. So on day three, start acting sick towards the end of the day. Not bad enough to go home but enough to make it reasonable for you to call off the next day.
Take Tylenol before bed, and make sure that when you wake up with clots that you keep taking Tylenol to stay on top of the pain. Use a heat pack. Stay hydrated - water and apple juice are great. Peanut butter and crackers are a godsend. And sleep. You need the rest. You need to heal. And if you can afford to do so, stay home day five, too.
To everyone in states who think they know better than you about your own medical care: I’m sorry. Take care of yourself. Be safe. If you want to talk to me about my experience or just need affirmation, PLEASE message me. I love you all. You know what’s best for you. You’re so strong in the face of ignorance, and you can make it.
