Jan 20, 2018

Laarni, 25, Master’s (M.A.) student
Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines

—
Dear Sir Alex/ Sir John,

For the updates, as of today (6th day after the procedure) we are still bleeding but the flow is normal, some days just spotting. Last night, we had chills but it just lasted for about 6 hours. The last time we had a clump of blood expelled was this Wednesday (attached is the photo).

Please see also attached file of the short naration of our experience. We’re sorry for the delay.
Thank you very much for your assistance.

—
We named our baby SKY…
It was difficult deciding whether we would keep Sky or not. It was tough, we never thought we’d come to this point. We both love children, which is evident in the way we take care of our nephews and nieces, and some kids we barely even know. I and my partner are young professionals. In fact, we’re already at the right age to settle down. But having one of our own at this time would put a halt to our careers. We are both aspiring scientists. We both know we are not yet ready.
So we looked for ways online to induce abortion. It wasn’t good and with no scientific basis. We risked on trying a few such as parsley tea, parsley pessary, and Dong Quai Root capsules. It cost us a lot of time. We had no idea how difficult it was, both physically and emotionally. By then, we were about to end our first trimester and still pregnant.
We panicked. A lot. We remembered this PLAN B recommended by someone online. The medical abortion by Project 486. We had our doubts, and who wouldn’t? But we took the risk, since it is the safest method available.
It involved a lot of emails and text messages and phone calls. For us, it made the transaction reliable. The measures they take to let us keep our identity and for them to keep their anonymity made us feel safe. The steps for the procedure were sent to us to be read, and a conversation over the phone for queries and modifications for my health issues were made. The whole process was very straight forward that it became easier in our part.
In our case, we were given Package C1 for 9-12 weeks. We started the low-folate diet on Day 1, took the Mife (the abortion pill) on Day 2, and the Miso tabs on Day 3. The intense pain started right after the vaginal Miso tabs. It felt like my insides were being torn apart. It’s nothing compared to dysmenorrhea or the usual menstrual cramps. If pain levels were scaled with 10 as the highest, its somewhere between 7-9. I could feel my body temp dropping and the chills started.
Four-hours after the buccal Miso, I had the urge to defecate, so I did it on a spittoon (arinola) as advised. I had diarrhea, and then I felt something came out of from my vagina. Something big and whole. It was so sudden I didn’t realize it was already Sky together with its placenta, still intact.
By then, I can’t even bear to look. It was my partner who comforted me. That very moment was so painful, but he remained strong for the both of us. I asked my partner to do the documentation protocol. And then we were told that the process was a success and that we were on the road to full recovery. But we can’t… Maybe never will. It was a tough decision to make and it took a huge toll on us.
We named our baby SKY so wherever we go, He or She is there. No matter how painful it was for us, we do not intend to forget. There is a sense of relief after. I am very fortunate to have my partner by my side. But if you’re alone in this journey, be stronger. I won’t guarantee it to be easy, but it’s going to be.
We are thankful for the service of Project 468. We have a very limited number of options for a safe and successful abortion, and they service they provide is one of them. Do it as soon as possible so you won’t go through our ordeal.
We can’t judge since one case is different from another. We all have our reasons. We just need to be strong and brave enough to endure the consequences.

—-
A Patient’s Reflection on her Medical Abortion (pills used: Mifepristone and Misoprostol / Cytotec) in the Philippines (entry #58)