My experience with moderate sedation SA as a highly anxious person (5weeks+3days)
I am a highly anxious person when it comes to getting anything done revolving around my vagina - like HIGHLY. I hate pap smears, routine exams, etc. When I found out I was pregnant, my first choice was going to be the pill so that I could just skip anything have to be in that area. After doing more research, the procedure felt like a quicker and less painful approach for me so I decided (although I was horrified) to go with that one.
I got my procedure done at Planned Parenthood (I live in Massachusetts and was able to get the procedure FULLY covered through the EMA fund which was such a financial relief).
I arrived with my partner because I chose moderate sedaration and I would need someone to drive me home. Initially, I was very convinced that I did not want him anywhere in the room with me before or after because I am the suffer in silence type lol. I peed in a cup and waited for them to call me in to my ultrasound where they asked me a couple of questions about my medical history. Then, my clinician told me that they would be doing a vaginal ultrasound since I was too early on. That means they would have to go inside of me to do the imaging. I immediately teared up and explained that while i have no trauma, anything medical in that area makes me very anxious. She was so kind to me and reassured that she would not do anything to me without telling me beforehand.
The vaginal ultrasound was uncomfortable, but pretty painless. I just stared at the ceiling and took deep breaths. After the imaging was over, the same clinician took my blood to make sure that my iron levels were stable that day since I have a history of anemia. After this, I met with another clinician who asked me more extensive questions about my medical history, and I watched a video where the process and risks of the procedure were very well-explained. At this time, I also scheduled a follow-up to get an IUD inserted which they now offer sedation for! :)
The next thing they did was bring me to the pre-op room where I changed into my gown in a private bathroom. A nurse then sat me down in a chair and gave me a heated blanket and inserted me with the IV that they would use to give me the moderate sedative and the Zofran they offered me for nausea which I was more than happy to accept (nausea has been my most persistent and uncomfortable pregnancy symptom). They orally gave me 800mg of Ibuprofen for pain and an antibiotic as well to prevent infection.
I was then brought to the operation room where I met the three people who were going to be doing the procedure. They were all so kind (this is a common theme). I found my anxiety starting to peak at this time, and I practiced the 5 senses mindfulness technique to calm down (5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste). They administered the moderate sedative, and I don’t remember much after that. I was awake, but completely relaxed. The procedure was uncomfortable for me and I could still feel a little bit of what was happening, but the sedative relieved any anxiety and heightened pain that I absolutely would have been feeling without it. At some point, they put me in a very comfy pair of underwear with a pad.
After the procedure was over, I was brought to a room where I was monitored. At this point, I asked for my partner to be brought in because I realized I didn’t want to recover all on my own. They gave me crackers, water, and took my blood pressure which was really low. I began to feel like I was about to faint and they laid me back down and gave me fluids through my IV. I felt better within minutes and soon I was ready to go home.
It has been over 24 hours and I have had no cramping and extremely light bleeding that I only see when I wipe (and it mostly looks like flecks of dried blood). I couldn’t be more grateful for everyone’s kindness at the Planned Parenthood. I felt so safe, taken care of, and I know that I made the right decision even if it was absolutely terrifying. I spent the days leading up to the procedure extremely depressed, in bed, crying, and unsure if I could handle it. I can now confidently say I am so proud of myself and for this decision because I just know it is not the time for my partner and I.
I hope this helps any of you extremely anxious people out there. When I learned I was pregnant and knew I wanted to have an abortion, I spent hours on Reddit reading other peoples stories to comfort me so please feel free to ask me any questions at all about my experience. <3