"Lucy, do you want an abortion?"
"Does an abortion hurt?" she asked, as she stared at the mountain scene and heard almost nothing except the last question.
"You will be given some pain medication at the start, and any pain will be minimal. Afterwards, you may be sore for a few days and there may be a menstrual-like flow that occurs on and off for a couple of weeks. If you have the abortion today, you should be able to go to school on Monday."
"Will I be able to have children later on?"
"An abortion at your stage should not affect your ability to have children. There are some possible complications that will be explained by the medical staff. I can tell you that abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. In fact, there are greater medical risks in carrying a baby to full term and giving birth."
Lucy looked down at her feet before speaking again. "I'm worried about what will happen after the abortion, too. My preacher says that it's a sin."
"That's a moral issue that people have different opinions about, and I'm not the one to try to advise you. Most young women who have abortions are depressed for a few days and then they get on with their lives. You have to weigh those feelings against having the baby and all the things that we just discussed."
Lucy thought for several seconds and then asked, "Do my parents have to know?"
"No. At this time in Texas, they do not. What you do here today is absolutely confidential."
Lucy finally verbalized the decision that she had been working toward for several weeks, almost since she suspected she was pregnant, the one that she had finally made when she stepped off the bus and entered the center. "I'd like to terminate my pregnancy."
As she was saying those fateful words, she prayed to God, asking Him to forgive her for what she was about to do. Backed into a corner, she had no other choice. She hoped that God would understand.
"Are you absolutely certain that this is what you want to do? You can go home and think about it for a few days if you're not." After a pause, Sylvia continued. "If you really want it done, now is better than later."
"Yes, ma'am. I'm certain. But there's one problem. You told me on the phone that the cost was three hundred and seventy-five dollars." As she mentally subtracted the bus fare to and from the clinic, she continued, "I only have two hundred and ninety and that's all the money I have in the world. Can I still have the abortion?"
"We can take care of that. We have a fund that will make up the balance. Then, you can pay the fund back at ten dollars a month. Can you handle that?"
"Yes, ma'am," she responded, figuring that somehow she would find a way to do it.
"Then, let's go upstairs and start the processing."
Lucy never suspected that this decision would haunt her for the rest of her life.
CHAPTER 8
Lucy woke when the bus driver slammed on the brakes to avoid a car that had cut in front of him. She had been dreaming about children swinging in her backyard. They were her children. The oldest had fallen off the swing and Lucy rushed to pick up her daughter. When she got to the swing and reached down, the little girl had disappeared. She was frantically searching for her child when she heard a horn honking. At first she didn't know where she was. As the fog lifted from her brain, she recognized the street and realized that she was about three stops from her corner. Then she noticed the cramping. It was still there. She would take some Advil as soon as she got home.
Lucy left the bus and tried to be nonchalant, as if she had just returned from a day of shopping. When she got to her driveway, she said a small prayer of thanksgiving.
Her parents weren't home; so she went directly to the laundry where she changed the clothes from the washer to the dryer. She had more chores to do, but the cramping was worse. She went to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, took two Advil and lay down for a few minutes. Then, she heard her mother's voice.
"Lucy? Lucy, where are you?"
The door flew open. Joanna was surprised to see her daughter lying on the bed fully clothed.
"What's going on, Lucy? The house is still a mess. You haven't even cleaned the kitchen or started dinner." Looking at her more closely, she continued, "Are you feeling all right? You look a little pale."
"Sorry, Mom. I think I'm coming down with the flu that's been going around. I managed to get the clothes washed, but I've been sleeping all day," Lucy fibbed, thinking to herself that she was going to have to do something really good so the Lord would forgive all of her lies.
Joanna put her hand on Lucy's head. "I don't think that you have a fever. Have you checked your temperature? You probably need to take some Advil."
"I don't feel hot. I had a headache and took some Advil about an hour ago. I was lying down to get rid of the headache when I fell asleep again."
"Okay, Lucy. You stay there and rest. Put on your pajamas. I'll take care of the kitchen and dinner."
When Lucy heard her mother in the kitchen, she undressed, gently removing the feminine pad from the clinic. She was shocked when she saw the amount of blood. She took the instructions from her purse and read: Often there is a dark, menstrual-like flow that occurs off and on for up to two weeks. Blood clots may be passed for ten days after the abortion. While it was a lot of blood, Lucy interpreted it as normal. She replaced the pad with a clean one, put on her pajamas and robe, and went to the bathroom. The cramping had returned.
After dinner, Lucy kissed her mother and father good night and taking a glass of water with her, she went to her bedroom. Sitting on the bed, she got out the packet that contained the antibiotic bottle. After reading the instructions, she took one white pill and downed it with a glass of water. She hid the packet and instructions in her dresser before crawling into bed, exhausted after the second most harrowing experience in her life. Before she could sleep, rumbling started in her stomach. Then the room started to spin. She sat on the edge of her bed, hoping it would settle things down. It didn't. She dashed down the hall to the bathroom and barely made it before everything in her stomach came up. Her dinner, the water, and the antibiotic.
On the way back to her room, Joanna stopped her. "Lucy, your flu is getting worse. Call me during the night if you need to. You sleep late tomorrow. I'll take care of things."
When Lucy finally got to sleep, she slept hard and had the same dream of her children in the backyard, only this time they all kept falling off of the swing and disappeared before she could pick them up.
Saturday morning, she woke with even more pain. When she got out of bed, there were bright red stains on the sheets. Petrified and unsure what to do, she decided to call the clinic as soon as her mother left. Her mother would be gone until after lunch. Her father went fishing and wouldn't be home until dark. She pretended to sleep until her mother opened the door.
"Lucy, I have to go to work. How are you feeling?"
Joanna sat on the side of her bed, her hand on Lucy's forehead, as Lucy frowned. "Mom, I'm feeling worse than yesterday. I'm just going to take it easy. I may try to do a little homework between naps."
"Sure, hon. Sleep as much as you need to." She took her hand from Lucy's forehead. "You don't have a temperature yet. Take it easy and drink lots of water. Call me at work if you need anything."
Joanna kissed her on the cheek and closed the bedroom door. Lucy heard her car start and leave the driveway. She waited about ten minutes and then surveyed herself and her bed. Her pajama bottoms were bloody and the stain on the sheet went through to the mattress cover. The first thing to do was to clean herself up and then wash her pajamas and bedding. She took two Advil and her morning antibiotic. Next, she showered and loaded the washing machine.
It was eight o'clock. The idea of calling the clinic was repugnant. She wanted nothing to do with that clinic, not ever. Again, she read the instructions and figured that she better at least make one call. The phone rang five times, and she was about to hang up when someone answered.
"My name is Lucy. I had a procedure done yesterday and I th
ink that I should talk to a nurse."
"Hold on, Lucy. I'll get someone right with you."
Nurse Sylvester came to the phone. She was an L.V.N., a licensed vocational nurse. She could call herself a nurse in Texas, but her training consisted of one year after high school followed by a test that would grant her a license and title. Her license severely restricted what she could do, and she always had to be under the supervision of a doctor or registered nurse.
"This is Nurse Sylvester, Lucy, how can I help you?"
"I had a procedure done yesterday. This morning I woke up with some blood on my pajamas and on my sheets."
"A lot of blood, Lucy?"
"Well, I'm not sure what a lot is. I've washed the sheets and pajamas and put on a new pad."
"Do you have any fever?"
"I haven't taken my temperature, but I don't feel hot."
"How about cramping?"
"Yes ma'am. I'm cramping. Advil seems to help."
"Let's see, your chart says you live in Texas City. Do you have any way to get to the clinic today?"
"Only by bus and that will take about two hours."
Nurse Sylvester debated what to do. Lucy's symptoms were borderline and a four-hour round-trip bus ride certainly wouldn't do her any good. "Okay, Lucy. Keep taking your medicine. If you are still bleeding this afternoon, or if your cramping gets worse or if you start running a fever, you call back. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Stay in bed and take it easy. Drink plenty of water. Be sure to call if you need to. You can ask for me or any nurse here at the clinic."
"Okay. Thank you."
Lucy hung up, not sure if she was relieved or not. She pulled out the fact sheet and read again about the complications of an abortion. Surely she couldn't be one of the few that had a problem. That nice black doctor said she would be fine. When the bedding and pajamas were washed and dried, she changed another soaked sanitary pad and put on her pajamas. After making her bed, she pulled the covers up and fell asleep. While she was sleeping her body did what it was supposed to do. It clotted off the area of the bleeding in her uterus. When she awoke she looked for blood on her bed and found none. Then she checked her pajamas and they were dry. The pad had some blood but not nearly as much as before. Even though the cramps were still there, she began to feel reassured. Unconsciously, she touched her forehead. It felt a little warm. She attributed it to having been under the covers and refused to think it was caused by anything else. She was going to be okay.
Putting on some loose fitting sweatpants, Lucy wandered out to the backyard, half expecting to see children playing. The sun felt good as she relaxed on the swing. Her mind wandered back to what she had done. She felt relief and sadness, but overriding all the other thoughts were those of sin. Was she barred from heaven now? Was she a murderer? Was the fetus alive before yesterday? The questions were there. Still no answers surfaced. One thing was certain. She would have to live with it and no one else would ever know.
The next day was Sunday. Complaining of a sore throat, Lucy told her parents she needed to stay home from church but would watch The Miracle Hour on television.
An hour later, she felt hot and took her temperature. It was one hundred and one degrees. Again, she called the clinic. This time she got an answering service. She explained that she was a patient and needed to talk to someone. It took nearly an hour before the phone rang.
"Is this Lucy?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"This is Nurse Simms, I'm on call this weekend. I don't have your file in front of me, so tell me when you had a procedure done and how you're doing."
Lucy gave her the complete rundown of events.
"Are you taking your medicine?"
"Yes, ma'am," replied Lucy. "Just like the instructions say," neglecting to mention that she had thrown up the pill from the first night.
"Well, I'm a little concerned about your temperature. The fact that you have almost stopped bleeding is a good sign. Push on your abdomen. Is it tender?"
"It's a little tender, but not much."
Again, a nurse had to make a judgment call on a patient she had never seen. To make her come to the clinic on Sunday would require Nurse Simms to drive in from Katy, thirty miles away, and she would have to page the doctor on call. He would be upset if he arrived and found a normal post-operative patient. Weighing the alternatives, she came down on the side of waiting a few hours. Most likely, there would be no problem, and if there was, a few hours shouldn't make any difference.
"Lucy, take three Advil, not two, and go to bed. When you wake up, if your fever is over one hundred and one degrees, call me back."
Unfortunately, Lucy had no way of knowing what had happened. On Friday, two of the complications of an abortion had occurred. The doctor had not successfully removed all of the fetal parts. He also had perforated her uterus, probably while he was using a vacuum cannula. It could have happened to the best of gynecologists under the best of circumstances, or it may have happened because his coordination was off just slightly after a sleepless night. No one would ever know for sure, yet within months, it would be part of the debate that would rage throughout the country.
As Lucy slept, armies of bacteria and armies of white cells waged a war inside her body. Whether the infection was caused by the retained fetal parts that had become necrotic, or whether it was from the perforation in the lining of the uterus, would never be known. Like most infections, it started with just a few bacteria. Later, the doctors would call it endometritis, an infection of the endometrial lining of the uterus. The bacteria were anaerobic and thrived in the dark moist environment. The antibiotic on the first evening was intended to fight just this type of infection. Whether it would have succeeded was now a moot point since Lucy had thrown up the antibiotic and it never had a chance. The bacteria had already grown and multiplied so that the antibiotics taken on Saturday were too little and too late. Lucy's body discovered the invading forces and sounded a warning to assemble the army of white cells to kill off the bacteria. Her white cells responded by increasing their numbers. Unfortunately, the bacteria loved their environment and multiplied so rapidly that the white cells could not kill them quickly enough. Soon the number of bacteria grew large enough to launch other attacks on the battlefield that her body had become, using the blood stream as their superhighway. Lucy had developed sepsis, a blood-borne infection that could cause brain damage, organ failure and death. As she slept, her temperature rose, and for some reason, the clot that had stemmed the flow of blood broke loose and blood began to ooze from the uterus.
Lucy's parents came home from church and found the house quiet. Assuming she was asleep, Joanna quietly opened the door to check on her daughter. The hallway light allowed her to see the form in the bed. She walked over and sat beside Lucy who didn't move a muscle. Lucy was sleeping. Her breathing was rapid. Joanna touched Lucy's forehead and jerked her hand back, as if she had touched a hot stove.
"Lucy, wake up. You're burning up!"
Lucy only stirred.
Joanna hurried to the bathroom and returned with a thermometer. This time she turned on the bedroom light and put the thermometer under Lucy's tongue. Lucy didn't move. Joanna stared at her watch for three minutes. It felt like a lifetime. At three minutes, she withdrew the thermometer. It read 104.5 degrees. Horrified, she forced Lucy to sit up.
"Come on, Lucy, you've got to wake up. I'm going to put you in a cold shower." This time, Lucy murmured something that Joanna could not understand, something about children falling off a swing. She pulled back the bed covers and saw that Lucy's pajamas were soaked with blood.
"Oh, my God, Lucy, what's wrong with you? I'm calling an ambulance."
CHAPTER 9
Joanna ran to the kitchen phone and dialed 911. She found Bo in the garage and explained Lucy's condition on their way back to her room. As soon as they heard the siren, Bo raced to the door to meet the two young EMTs.
"Mrs. Brady, I'm Jack Alford. Tell
me what you know about your daughter's situation."
While she did so, he walked to the bed and started his examination. He put an automatic thermometer in Lucy's mouth, at the same time checking her pulse. The thermometer beeped. "Her temperature's now one hundred and five degrees with a pulse of one hundred and ten." Wrapping a blood pressure cuff around her arm, he said, "eighty over fifty-five." Looking at the blood on the pajamas and sheets, he turned to Joanna and Bo.
"Mrs. Brady, this is not the flu. It's much more serious. She has a raging infection and internal bleeding. I don't see bleeding from anywhere but her vagina. Has she had serious kidney or bladder problems?"
Getting a negative response, he continued, "How about problems with her uterus or a recent abortion?"
Shocked, Joanna replied, "She's never had any unusual female problems and she certainly hasn't had an abortion."
"Well, ma'am, we've got to get her to the hospital in a hurry. She's a very sick little girl."
His assistant had already returned with a stretcher and they carefully lifted her onto it while her parents watched, the horrified looks on their faces not beginning to express their feelings.
"Mrs. Brady, you can ride with us. Mr. Brady, I suggest that you follow along in your truck."
Within two minutes Jack and his assistant were in the ambulance with Lucy and Joanna. As they pulled away from the curb, the red lights reflected off the houses and the siren filled the neighborhood. Jack started an IV using Ringers lactate. Next, he called the emergency room, describing his patient and making sure that the emergency room doctor was available.
Dr. Sean Kelley, the emergency physician, met the ambulance at the door, and started checking Lucy as the attendants wheeled her into the hospital. He ordered a stat complete blood count as he repeated what the ambulance attendants had done. Her temperature remained at one hundred and five degrees; her erratic pulse bounced between one hundred and five and one hundred and twenty and her respiratory rate was twenty-eight. Within minutes he had the blood work results. Her white count was twenty-one thousand and her hemoglobin and hematocrit were nine and twenty-six, indicating that she had lost a significant amount of blood and needed a transfusion. Lucy faded in and out of consciousness. For the few moments when her eyes were open, she was delirious and confused, not understanding where she was or why. She didn't even recognize her parents. Dr. Kelley's mind raced over the medical possibilities.
So Help Me God Page 5
