Saturday, July 11, 2009

A duck, a challenge, abortion.

Dear friends, please see the post below this one , because it ended like this:

‘Three diatribes later, Mr. Duck…’ had kinda ticked me off. He’d used all the Leftist epithets that dismiss conservatives: we’re ‘self-righteous’, judgmental ‘hypocrites’. That we’re simple-minded followers; un-intellectual, unsophisticated, has-beens. I didn’t respond to most of what he said, but one of his diatribes, I couldn’t leave unchallenged:

“Susannah, do you believe that partial birth procedures are the result of serious late term conditions…which make it impossible for the child to live outside the womb? Or conditions which threaten the mother, are they your decision? Or do you figure a woman who is 8 months along just goes into the doctor's, slaps her forehead and says, ‘Damn, I knew I forgot to do something’.

Let me know, I enjoy reading the workings of the conservative ‘mind’. Like Sarah Palin, you probably don't have a fastball. Just some homilies you heard from the preacher, but give it a go.”
No ‘fast ball’, eh?

My perspective doesn’t come from sermons, or even some intellectual pursuit. It comes from having been in some of the scariest, seemingly darkest places & simply holding on for dear life. I’ve never written of my experience, & certainly never thought of it as a ‘fast ball’, but Mr. Duck, since you asked for it…

[Readers, please know this: we all have stories. Sharing mine doesn’t 'completely inform' the issue of late term abortion – as Mr. Duck later accused me. Nor do I assume to make choices for other people. I share my experience simply to counter-balance 'health of the mother' that the Pro-Abortion Left uses, ad nauseum, to silence ‘questioners’.

I share the following [response to Mr. Duck] with the utmost, weighty respect for anyone who has had a similar experience. My story is not unique. Women arrive here - & in darker places - every day, all over the world…]

"Duck. I assume you're male…I think maybe I've got more field experience upon which to answer this ridiculous question. I had 3 'pregnancies from h#ll', to quote a worn phrase. Each one brought with it 'hyperemesis gravidarum', which means one literally cannot stop puking. (Think hospitalization, IV’s dripping Phenergan-laced fluids into my veins, LOSING 14 pounds in the first trimester.) With the 3rd pregnancy, I was allowed to take Zofran for 20 weeks in order to prevent hospitalization.

If I had been born 75 or even 50 years ago, I could have DIED EACH TIME. Perhaps before I knew I was really pregnant. (How's that for 'health of the mother'?)


Moving right along…

Before delivery, I developed HELLP Syndrome - all 3 times. HELLP is a severe form of Pre-eclampsia, & was only 'discovered' in 1982. It is FATAL to both mother & child, if not recognized in time & treated properly. Even with treatment, some mothers suffer permanent kidney damage, & can still die of kidney failure post-partum. (hmmmm… ‘conditions which threaten the mother’…)

My results?


1) Delivery - emergency C-section, 3 weeks early due to potentially FATAL 'late-term condition'. It's a miracle I'm now a living human being w/ a 12 year old son.

2) Delivery - on time. Thought we'd dodged the bullet, but HELLP showed up & we delivered - stat. Again, we’re both living miracles.

3) Delivery - 5 1/2 weeks early due to that pesky potentially FATAL 'late term condition'.

The MD’s had NEVER seen a patient who'd had these 'conditions' at both the beginning & end of pregnancy; 3 times in a row. Now that you've challenged me on it, I guess you could say if ever there was a case for 'conditions that threaten the mother', it was ME – every time.

Funny, though. Not once did the idea of ending the life growing inside my sick, weak, racked body even cross a single synapse in my brain; as miserable & scary as those times in my life were.

As I look back, I was convinced that God was in control & that all would be well. I also learned that surrendering-of-self was absolutely essential in order to just survive.

See, that's what we don't get in our society - the notion that we must surrender ourselves to something Greater, for something Greater...Instead, we have: "Feel good? Do it! Want it? Get it!"

Life is not about us, dear Duck. It's about living the truth. The Truth saved my life - in every way possible - and I refuse to be intimidated into silence by 'self-satisfieds' such as yourself, no matter what epithet you sling my way.

So, to answer your original question - my beliefs about late term abortion: for the most part I believe that American women, steeped in traditional feminist culture, choose to abort babies who could otherwise be saved. I'm just glad my mother wasn't one of them.”

~~~

19 comments:

BetteJo said...

You'll need a radar gun to time the speed of that fast ball! :)

I'm glad you and your babies made it through each time. Such arduous and perilous pregnancies!

I know someone whose 7 month pregnant daughter unexpectedly lapsed into a coma (this was just a month ago)and in the scramble to save her - and hopefully the baby - they did an emergency c-section. It was too late for the baby, but they were able to save my friend's daughter. Turns out she had a rare condition having to do with the liver and the pregnancy was literally killing her. But I know these people, if they had known that at the time - they still would have chosen to try to save that baby. So sad.

Z said...

Susannah, I'm glad you shared this here, too; it's so important. The truth is very difficult for some people to respect let alone understand. As you know, you did the right thing 3 times and have been richly blessed. I'm SURE glad your mother wasn't one of them, too.

BetteJo, I'm so sorry about your friend's situation.

Blessings to you both! Z

Unknown said...

I'd like to hear his response to your answer.

Thank you for sharing those experiences with all.

Sorry about your friend's daughter, BetteJo.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing your story.

Joe said...

Looks like the Duck is swimming in a pond of slime of his own making.

His response will be interesting, since he has never been stymied by facts before.

He won't be this time either.

Susannah said...

BetteJo~ I'm SO sorry about your friends' daughter & that little baby. Those are the situations I was talking about when I said women arrive @ even worse places every day. What a tragic thing!

Pregnancy has been the biggest humbling experience of my life. No one would've ever been able to convince me (prior) that my body would 'fail' me like it did, or that my mortality would stare me down. To God be all the glory, sister.

Z~ re: doing the right thing - we were trying to save lives! There was nothing else to even consider!!

My Mama would be pleased that you speak so lovingly of her daughter! :)

Bluepit~ The whole exchange (including Duck's response) can be found @ Z's blog post:

http://gollygeeez.blogspot.com/2009/07/marriagerepublican-style.html

There's around 60 comments, & our thing starts in the latter 1/2. It's kinda cool, b/c my husband even posted a comment! There truly IS a first time for everything!

Fuzz~ You're welcome. I held onto it for several days b4 deciding to post it. Very personal, but maybe worth it. I can hope.

Joe~ Copy & paste the link I gave Bluepit. I'd like to know what y'all think of his response.

btw~ Can anyone tell me how you create a hyperlink in the comment box?? I can't figure it out... Thanks all!

Joe said...

The Duck calls "right wingers" hypocrites. He seemingly does not know the meaning of the word.

The definition of "hypocrite" is NOT someone who does not live up to his/her ideals, it is someone who pretends to be something he/she is not (from the Greek hypokrites - actor).

Sort of like pretending to "minister" at a wedding.

Anonymous said...

Wow. I'm in awe of your dedication to your children and to God. We've had a couple "miracle" babies in our church and it's so difficult to watch the mother go through the pain of disease and the fear of what may come. But with faith, all things are possible and they, just like you, got through those times and now have an awesome testimony of God's love and mercy that us men can never have.

God Bless!

Susannah said...

Joe! EXCELLENT observation! Love the point about pretending to be a minister...wow. I really would like to hear more about our friend's credential in that regard. Reckon he'd come by & tell us?

Kris~ Thank you for your kind words. Please, though, reserve your awe for God alone. The 'story' is even bigger & deeper than I had space for in this post. Suffice to say that God dealt so tenderly w/ my husband & me during these times. There was not one moment, that I can remember, of thinking He was absent - so real was the presence of the Holy Spirit. Praise Him!

Interestingly, we did a little family history (b/c nobody in present generations had this 'syndrome'). We learned that my Great Grandmother on my Dad's side had died, not in childbirth, but 3 months post-partum - from what they then termed 'dropsy'. When I looked it up - Bingo.

"Waves of mercy, waves of Grace. Everywhere I look, I see Your face..."

Anonymous said...

Susannah, Thank you for sharing your powerful, bold story with us. We all have our own reasons and yes not all are from a sermon, like Mr. Duck thinks.

Thank God you are here today to share such a story! We are blessed to have you blogging! WTG hubby for jumping in there too!

Mac

Susannah said...

Thanks, Mac. So many people have been gracious & supportive. Glad you came by, too.

Yep~ If you had a chance to read those comments, you can see that my sweetheart did a very fine job of commenting @ Z's. (His first, only, & maybe last comment @ a blog site!)

Anonymous said...

And I thought I was your "Sweetheart"

Susannah said...

You are, DD2, you are! Just not in 'that way.' See, I've got 17 great years, 3 children & some lovely, sparkly jewelry on my left hand that says I've got one who trumps anybody (& everybody). So sorry! :)

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry also.. :)

Cappy said...

You don't need a fast ball for a target that slow.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for this wonderful post. Your blog certainly lifts the literacy and passions levels of the Internet up a few degrees.

Keep up the great work (Both here and out there!)

Susannah said...

Hey friends!
Been @ the beach (nothing like the SC coast!) this week - still here, actually, in a Starbucks. Just wanted to check in w/ my 'peeps'. (No. I didn't just say that...Did I?)

Cap~ "a target that slow..." I love it! Good to see you again!

Nickie~ My privilege; & thank you for your kind comments.

Take care all~ Back to blogging next week!

Euripides said...

Great post and response to the sorry arguments for abortion. The obvious problem with it, of course according to Ducky, will be the reference to God and His mercy. I'm certain Ducky can't stand the sight of religion - it's kind of a built in self-defense mechanism with liberals. After all, they can't hold themselves accountable for something they thoroughly don't believe in.


Have a great weekend!

Susannah said...

Eurip~ Very interesting thoughts here. I don't know about Duck himself, but you make a shrewd obsevation - the idea of God's mercy is absolutely a 'problem'. I wonder why that is...self-defense, like you say? The idea that we're accountable (& don't want to be)? Pride? ...Anyone?

Thanks for stopping by Eurip. You have a good weekend, too!