*edit, new info from pnwmom. i have a friend trying to get an abortion.

[seabeyond]

Last edited Mon Mar 9, 2015, 02:37 PM - Edit history (2)

a grown woman, adult. she has her reasons. valid reasons. as an adult, looking at the situation, pragmatically and logically, reasonably. she is right at 9 weeks. first, she thought mifepristone. a pill, that will end pregnancy. but, the cut off is 9 weeks. she is 9 weeks, 2 days. the only option is surgical.

neither the pill can be had, or the procedure done, in the state of texas. we have to look at other states to travel to

disgusting? i think so.


EDIT: pnwmom gave me info on texas, and telephone numbers. i called the one in fort worth.


6 places in texas, all dallas and further south. at least three were shut down by new law. one has been reopened going ot court and two more are going to court to reopen.

mifepristone is said to work 7-9 weeks. tx law the pill can only be taken up to 7 weeks. what i say? she says, mifepristone can be 6-10 weeks. tx give one week window of use. it must be administration in four days as opposed to one.

law also requires two day for surgical, that should be four hours.

i do not know why the facilities up here stated what they did. maybe because we initially discussed mifepristone. or maybe because of travel and a 4 hour procedure before a two day procedure.

she did say, more laws on the way to restrict more availability.

[Arkansas Granny]

1. I realize that Texas has introduced new laws, but why does she have to leave the state for

a surgical abortion? They are still available in some cities even with the new restrictions. Just curious.

[yeoman6987]

2. Yeah I am confused over that too

she can get an abortion up to 20 weeks at least. She has plenty of time to get it done inTexas.

[seabeyond]

3. both her gyno and planned parenthood said it cannot be done. sante fe reiterated

the pill is not available in texas. albq confirmed. albq planned parenthood confirmed no surgical either.

i knew it was down to two places in texas, way down south. i understood was a waiting period and a thing shoved up vaginas to humiliate and cause pain. i had also heard they implemented a new law about having it done in hospitals. i did not know where we were at that

for those stating it can be done in texas, which i thought it could be also..... i have had four sources in the know, say no.

[Arkansas Granny]

4. My understanding was that the clinics had to have admitting privileges to a hospital, but not that

the procedure had to take place there. That would effectively close all but 6 clinics in the state. However, I'm not in Texas, so I could be misinformed.

I'm sorry your friend has to go through all of this.

[seabeyond]

5. that was like two laws ago. the last i saw were two clinic remaining open way down south.

it is a big state.

i did not read that article.

but.... in the title and the last law to be passed, i did hear mention that would stop all abortions in texas.

it appears to be so.

[pnwmom]

25. I have a nurse friend in TX who used to work for Planned Parenthood.

If you wanted me to, I could ask if she knows anywhere in the state this can be done.

[seabeyond]

27. it sounds like not. but it would be interesting to know if wrong. my situation is handled, though.

and thank you.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

6. I don't even know what to say. Has a Doctor officially diagnosed her as pregnant?

Been so long since I had to think about any of this. And the laws differ from state to state, right. In some states, isn't twelve weeks the cut-off point?

Good luck with all this. I am glad she has you for a friend to help her through this.

[seabeyond]

7. i had been following it but not closely enough, cause i too am not a part of this world....

it was more peripheral with what our girls were going thru and what the men were doing to our girls, with laws.

she made her first appointment weeks ago. fell on today. they diagnosed 9 weeks 2 days. we were looking at the options and educating ourselves on mifepristone this weekend. so this morning, with the first appt, she had a discussion with the doctor, that then went to plan parenthood, that then went to new mexico, out of texas.

amazing. huh?

[Tuesday Afternoon]

20. So, she is now in New Mexico ... as we speak ... ?

ugh.

First off, I can't believe she allowed an appt. to be made that far out. but, too late for that now. Water under the bridge.

Are you implying that she can get the procedure in New Mexico?

[seabeyond]

21. the appt is later in the week. santa fe does only the pill. albq does both. they will see what

she qualifies for.

at first, it was not even a consideration to abort. she was looking at other solutions. the last week, stuff has happened that now abortion the answer. first appt generally take that long around this area, even during my time 17 and 19 yrs ago.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

22. for a simple pregnancy test? it takes that long to get a pregnancy test?

I am assuming that she did a home pregnancy test and needed to have that confirmed.

Thing is, WE shouldn't have to be under this pressure but, the reality is we are.

Those first few weeks are so important because of these artificial constraints that MEN (and unwitting women) have placed on WOMEN to make a decision that is really NOBODY'S business but, her own ... and ... *her Doctor and he should only have limited input, imo.*

HER BODY> HER RULES>THAT SIMPLE. EOD (end of discussion)

[seabeyond]

23. this is exactly the conclusion i came to, learning all this today. the pill should be in texas

pharmacy and available, a doctor.... gyno, internest, family physician, should be able to prescribe. that simple. i had no idea, our women and girls, must immediately make the decision in order to simply have the option. BEFORE the doctor even feels the need to see a preg woman. they wait cause really there is not reason, so many miscarriages at this time, and that is when they implement schedules for care and vitamins and other preg related info.

she was just one that would look at options and not consider abortion. revealed facts changed the circumstances. shit happens.

i will be more educated for the future, anyway. like you and i both said, this just has not been in our world.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

24. are you all referring to the Morning After Pill in this thread? Isn't it too late for that option

for your friend?

[seabeyond]

26. no. there is another called mifepristine. i had never heard of it.

it can be done up to nine weeks.

All methods of first-trimester abortion carry a small risk of the pregnancy continuing despite the attempt to terminate it. The risk of the pregnancy continuing is around 0.23% for surgical abortions and between 0.1% and 1.4% (depending on the regimen used and the experience of the centre) for medical abortions (abortions induced through drugs instead of surgical procedures).
Medical abortion using mifepristone plus prostaglandin is the most effective method of abortion at gestations of less than 7 weeks.
Conventional vacuum aspirations below 7 weeks have a higher failure rate than at later gestations. Protocols should include examination of the aspirate for the presence of the gestational sac and/or follow-up serum human chorionic gonadotrophin estimation, to ensure abortion completion.
Early vacuum aspiration using a rigorous protocol (which includes magnification of aspirated material and indications for serum βhCG follow-up) may be used at gestations below 7 weeks, although data suggest the failure rate is higher than for medical abortion.
Medical abortion using mifepristone plus prostaglandin continues to be an appropriate method for women in the 7–9 week gestation band.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mifepristone

[Tuesday Afternoon]

32. I think we really need to pin some information to the top of this group. Information

about all fifty states current laws/regulations concerning termination options and medical information about the current options available in the fifty states and the US territories.

It could show up in searches and we don't know who we could help out there.

[ismnotwasm]

50. Excellent idea!

[RoccoR5955]

8. simple... GTFOO Texass!

GTFOO = Get the freak out of. In case you didn't know.

[seabeyond]

10. tell me how many states have implemented these laws, where all women and girls must... SIMPLY

get out of the fuckin state to exercise their legal right to a legal medical procedure?

so simple. move out of the states.

brilliant fuckin answer

[RoccoR5955]

48. Thank you

Perhaps if all the women moved out of these states that severely limited their access to legal medical procedures, the states would learn.

[seabeyond]

49. lordy.... this self righteous "solution" is wrong in many ways. i am sure you get that.

[LanternWaste]

52. Simple answers for simplistic minds.

Simple answers for simplistic minds.

Change takes place when one is confronted with regressive laws and chooses to stay in an attempt to remove them. Running away simply reinforces both the regressive laws and the weak-willed suggestions such as yours.

[RoccoR5955]

53. You think so.

I prefer to call it Occam's Razor in practice. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best solution.

Look, I have been working for social, environmental, peace and justice movements for about 45 years now. For a while things were getting better, but I personally have nearly had it. I have confronted these regressive laws, and literally hundreds of other issues over time. I am getting a little bit fed up of having a peace rally, or another sort of rally and only a handful of people show up.
It's not like the politicians are going to listen to us. They have their own "news" channel in Fox. The oligarchs have bought and paid for nearly each and every politician. ESPECIALLY those in Texass. Change can only take place now if these oligarchs are overthrown. This cannot be done by non-violent means any more. The oligarchs own the police. There must be a revolution. I am too old to fight in one, but would if I was a bit younger. Perhaps if the oligarchs would allow the history of the French Revolution be taught in school, more people would be aware of how to do it.

One's mind need not be simplistic to figure that a simple solution is the best. On the contrary, it takes more thought to realize that there is no alternative, and it would be much more efficient, and easier to just take the most simple solution. Sometimes it is called "thinking outside of the box."

But hey, you can spin your wheels all you want if you like. If it works for you, okay. Just know that there are simpler ways to do things.

[Ilsa]

9. Can she get the drugs from Mexico?

Maybe if she finds out which two drugs and at what doses, she can get them in Nuevo Laredo or Matamoros. I don't think I'd try Juarez. Too scary.

But time is of the essence if she'll even attempt a pharmacological abortion.

[seabeyond]

11. that would be a 14 or more hour trip. as opposed to a 4 hour trip to new mexico. nt

[Ilsa]

13. Have you checked Colorado?

I know it's further. But closer than Mexico and she might have better options.

[seabeyond]

14. i am curious what denver would be on the pill. that would be 6-7 hours. nt

[seabeyond]

12. that being said. pretty damn pathetic talking out of country. right? would have to update my

passport and probably get her one.

sad all around.

colorado spring has nothing, either. that is an easy 5 hour trip.

[Ilsa]

15. i just saw you 2nd post.

The Texas laws are an obscenity.

We need to revive the herbal remedies and take her horseback riding.

[seabeyond]

16. you know, that was a flash in mind this morning, what she could ingest.... fucking disgusting.

literally just a flash, before i walked to a reasonable solution.

[Ilsa]

17. Just reading now...

Probably too late for herbal options, if they were easy monitored. Surgical is probably her only option now.

[seabeyond]

19. truly. thank you for this info. i guess we are going to have to educate ourselves on this so we

do not lose that small window, making our decisions of abortion at the truly early stages. instead of looking at various options.

[Ilsa]

18. I hope she delivers the conceptus to the Lege, telling

them: this is the "baby" that you want.

[pnwmom]

28. It appears that there are a number of options in Texas.

I wonder why they gave her the impression there weren't.

http://janesdueprocess.org/find-abortion-clinic/

[seabeyond]

29. thanks for this info. i am on hold, but right now i am calling the one in fortworth

to find out why we were given the info we were given.

dallas is further than sante fe and albq so that may be it. and i think i read they do the pill only to 7 week? not sure. i will see when i talk to them.

thanks for the numbers

[pnwmom]

30. It could be that 9 weeks is too late anywhere for the pill. But there are

lots of options, apparently, for a surgical abortion -- the kind that used to be the only option.

[ismnotwasm]

31. Fuck.

I'm furious.

[seabeyond]

57. i know, right? nt

[Lucky Luciano]

33. You don't even need to clarify that she has valid reasons.

That is the default setting.

[seabeyond]

34. i understand. and yet i choose to. for reason thought out. but thank you. you are absolutely

correct.

[msanthrope]

35. Mexico. She needs an American pharmacy, and should be able to find one right across the border, and

get misoprostol. For her stomach upset/ulcers.

But she should work fast. Also good to ask if anyone is a friend of Jane.

[seabeyond]

36. the woman in fort worth was actually discussing us using mexico. that just floors me.

you have a different name on the drug. we were doing research on mifepristone.

[msanthrope]

37. The drug I am discussing, for upset stomach and ulcers, is more readily available.

I would research it carefully, and the dosage, and the available named brands.

[seabeyond]

38. surely one could get that from pharmacists in tx? i will research the drug. thanks.

no sense driving to mexico. long drive from the panhandle.

thanks for info.

[msanthrope]

40. Since the drug is primarily for stomach problems, and is contraindicated

for pregnancy, you may have difficulty finding a GP who would prescribe it to a pregnant woman.

[seabeyond]

42. that is the tricky part and what i considered with the other drug, in this area. ok. nt

[seabeyond]

39. interesting. this is what i am seeing

INTRODUCTION

Millions of women worldwide have safely terminated their pregnancies with medication since mifepristone—or RU 486—was first introduced in the late 1980s. Research in the past two decades has identified several highly effective regimens for early medical abortion with a success rate of 95 to 98 percent, consisting of 200 mg of mifepristone followed by 400 or 800 mcg of misoprostol.1 Whether taken in a health center or at home by women themselves, the regimen using pills offers an option that many women prefer to surgical procedures such as manual vacuum aspiration or dilation and curettage (D&C).

Because mifepristone is a registered abortion drug, its sale and use are not permitted in most countries with restrictive abortion laws. In contrast, misoprostol is an anti-ulcer medication that is registered under various trade names in more than 85 countries.2, 3 Research has found that misoprostol used alone is about 85 percent successful in inducing abortion when used as recommended. Although less effective alone than when combined with mifepristone, misoprostol offers a safe and accessible alternative for women who have no other option.

GUIDELINES FOR USING MISOPROSTOL TO INDUCE ABORTION

Misoprostol is typically sold in pharmacies in tablets of 200 mcg. Four tablets are recommended to initiate an early abortion, and four (or, rarely, eight) more may be required for its completion. It is best to use misoprostol within nine weeks since the last menstruation; that is, fewer than 63 days counting from the first day of the last regular period. The earlier in the pregnancy it is administered the better, because it is safer,more effective and less painful. Misoprostol can be used later in pregnancy but the risks of complications are higher (see below). Women with an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD) in place should have it removed before using misoprostol.

http://gynuity.org/resources/read/misoprostol-selfguide-engpdf/

i read also they use one treatment mifepristone.

How It Works
First, your doctor gives you a dose of mifepristone tablets by mouth. Mifepristone causes the placenta to separate from the endometrium. ...
Second, you take tablets of misoprostol by mouth or insert them vaginally, usually within 48 hours of mifepristone.

[shireen]

45. +1

If someone sets up a FAQ, this info should be included.

[seabeyond]

47. yes. it should. you are right. and we would not have wasted a couple of needed days, waiting

for the info. incorrect info at that.

[Hekate]

41. I'm so sorry. For those who wonder how this came to be

Abortions are simply not available now in most counties of the US. This is due to a string of terrorist attacks on clinics, plus restrictive laws and "conscience clauses" for pharmacists.

The reason I reference counties and not cities is that rural women are most heavily impacted by these circumstances. Having abortion be legal is absolutely meaningless if you cannot find a provider.

Having to leave the state of your residence is nothing new -- in fact, it is terrifyingly old. In the mid-1970s I knew a young woman who was date-raped in Colorado and became pregnant. No abortions in Colorado. She said she got on an airplane and couldn't even remember where she went, only that it was a state where she could have the abortion she needed.

My sister, married with two kids, one of them special needs, received bad birth control advice from a doctor in New Jersey 20+ years ago. Her husband really, really did not want a third child. She already had used methods that worked for her, but the doc convinced her to change. The clinic delayed her and delayed her until practically the last day of her first trimester. She had to lose her temper and absolutely insist they do their job -- they made sure it was humiliating -- they worked hard to get her past the safe window of the first trimester.

I thought this was settled law -- until it started to be rolled back. And rolled back some more.


Planned Parenthood http://www.plannedparenthood.org

[seabeyond]

56. you are absolutely correct. it is about county. and it really hurts rural. and poor. nt

[shireen]

43. unreal!

It's one thing to read about these laws in an abstract sense, but it really hits home when you hear an individual's story.

As is the case for all women who have made the decision, she needs to get it done ASAP. These laws are not just restrictive, they're also delay tactics to prolong anxiety. No one should have to endure that! I really wish men could get pregnant, how quickly the laws would change ...

My thoughts are with your friend, wishing her an uneventful surgery, speedy recovery, and peace of mind.
Please let us know how she's doing.

[seabeyond]

58. you are right on with your point about abstract, then reality once it is experienced.

that is the lesson for me in all this.

[zentricity]

44. Lilith Fund

Can I still get an abortion?

Abortion didn’t start with Roe v. Wade; safe abortion started with Roe v. Wade. The Lilith Fund will continue to remove barriers to accessing a safe and legal abortion by giving financial help to low-income Texans seeking an abortion, and to anyone visiting a Texas clinic who can’t afford the abortion they need. We will keep doing everything we can to help our clients.

If you need help from the Lilith Fund, please check our clinic list and our page about abortion assistance first steps. Once you have an appointment with a clinic, call our hotline and we will talk with you about how we may be able to help. Please note: we are in the process of updating our clinic list as clinics close in response to HB2. For most accurate information, contact the clinic yourself first.

http://www.lilithfund.org/new-laws/

[seabeyond]

59. i am going to have to read this. thank you for the information.

excellent site for info.

[haikugal]

64. This is wonderful..

Thank's for the information...fist bump!

[TBF]

46. What about Mexico?

Is that an option?

I know it's crazy. I also know Rick Perry's sister was highly involved (on the board) at the new surgical centers ... but I don't know the restrictions on weeks etc.

[seabeyond]

60. too far and we have it handled. as i said above, the woman from fort worth was actually having

conversation with me about using mexico for the drug. amazing, that.

[TBF]

65. Oh good

Didn't have time to read all the answers. It is just ridiculous what they've done.

And after they outlaw abortion they will attack birth control.

[haikugal]

51. Google Women on the waves...

They're a Dutch organization helping women around the world..they have a web page, Google it. They can help. This is outrageous!

They also have a documentary, very brave group.

Here, I just learned how to cut and paste on an iPad..woot!

http://www.womenonwaves.org/en/page/2582/ship-campaigns

They have a hot line and can get you pills and talk you through it on the phone...wonderful, and they know we're under attack here in the states.

[seabeyond]

61. it is good seeing you. i have to check out this org. sounds very interesting along with the lilth

one above. thank you for the info.

[haikugal]

62. We have to stick together sister...

We've done it before and we can do it again. Women need to take charge of this issue and this group makes me proud to be feminist! I forget where I found the documentary, I think it was Netflix..awesome group of women!

Good to see you again as well!

I think this is on Netflix but here is a link for everyone..

http://www.womenonwaves.org/en/page/938/in-collection/2605/vessel--documentary-about-wow

[mopinko]

54. unfuckingbelievable.

all our progress washed away.

i had an rx for the second drug mentioned at one time. if i had realized it would work for this, i would have squirreled some away before switching.
cuz imma protect my daughters whatever the fuck happens. but i just cant believe all this. i just cant.

we fought so hard, we won. now it is swept away, and we are back to the old days of the saturday bus to the state line.

[seabeyond]

55. lucky her she had options, and i have the time.

i can so easily see how this would not work for many. for a lot of reasons. as it is, it is making it so tough, in an already tough situation. abortions are not just about getting it done.

[haikugal]

63. There is NO REASON For women...

To be forced to have surgical abortions in this day and age...except for the interfering religious bigots!!!

This makes me furious!

Sorry, of course there are some reasons surgery is needed, but most abortions could be done at home with pills.

I get wound up about this war on women.... *sigh*