Three days ago I took the abortion pill.

I had been friends with the nicest, sweetest guy I've ever met for the past eight months... but I had a long term boyfriend, and although there was some sort of attraction there, it was never something I acted on. Eventually, my boyfriend and I broke up, and it turns out this friend of mine ended up being so much more than just a friend.

Although I had always been so careful with protection in the past, for some reason he and I just weren't as careful as I know we should have been. It was time for my period, and although I was getting the normal cramps, I just wasn't bleeding. I waited for a few days without worrying, as my period isn't always perfectly on schedule, but soon enough I knew something was definitely wrong. I checked online for symptoms of cramps without bleeding, and every website I read pretty much assured me that i was pregnant.

I was terrified of telling my boyfriend, although I knew he wouldn't get angry or overreact, I just didn't know what he was going to think. Turns out I didn't have to tell him. He decided to clear the history off of the computer a few days later and saw what I had been looking up and found out for himself. He couldn't have been more understanding and loving and just amazing about the whole situation, but we were both very, very scared. We both have jobs, and although I'm 27 and know plenty of people my age with kids, I just didn't feel prepared at all, and neither did he.

I pretty much knew from the beginning that abortion was what I needed to do, and luckily for me he was there to support me no matter what I chose. About a week later we went to Planned Parenthood where I took a test that confirmed what I already knew. I was five weeks pregnant. the lady who gave me my test results and talked with me about my options couldn't have been nicer... the whole staff there was so kind throughout my entire experience. They listened to what I had to say, answered any questions I had, and explained the two options I had for an abortion.

I decided to go with the medical pill version of the abortion, as I hate hospitals, doctors offices, and anything like that, and the idea of having any sort of procedures performed or being put under anesthesia scared me to death. I was terrified to go back and actually go through with it, and put it off as long as I could, but by the time I was about eight weeks along, I had to go in and just do what I knew I needed to do.

Again, everyone at Planned Parenthood the day I went back was so nice, understanding, and never made me feel bad or uncomfortable about my choice at all. I got shuffled around to a few different rooms, but everyone was so helpful and supportive. I had blood taken, had a vaginal ultrasound, and finally went to see a counselor who explained everything I needed to know about taking the pills. My boyfriend was with me through it all, and he will never know just how much i appreciate him being there that day.

The first pill I took at the office, and the next evening I took the four pills that would end my pregnancy. i let them dissolve in my mouth for a half hour as instructed, and as soon as I swallowed what was left I began feeling the cramps. I get really bad cramps during my period normally, so I was hoping this wouldn't be too much worse than what I already deal with every month. Well, I was wrong. The pain was almost unbearable. I don't want to say this to scare anyone off of this method of abortion, but it was bad. I couldn't get comfortable in any position-- I was vomiting, and the cramps just felt unlike any pain I've ever felt before. Thankfully, the doctors prescribed me Vicodin, and about a half hour after taking one of those, the pain finally began to wear off. I slept for about two hours, and woke up again to horrible pain, and the bleeding started then as well. This happened on and off throughout the night, and all in all the really bad pain was gone after about eight hours. I continued bleeding a good amount the entire next day, and although I'm still bleeding now, it has slowed down to even less than a regular period.

I wouldn't recommend this method to anyone who doesn't have a trusted support person to stay with them for those first 12-24 hours.. I know I couldn't have gotten through it without my boyfriend there to take care of me and just be there for me through all of it.

The day after I felt tired, and still a bit achy, and by the next day I felt just about back to normal. Today is the third day after I took the pill, and although I physically feel a lot better, emotionally it's definitely taking a toll on me. Tonight is the first night I've been alone since it happened, and it's really tough being alone with my thoughts. I've done a lot of crying, and a lot of thinking, but I don't regret my decision at all.

Writing this and sharing this has helped, and reading other stories of people with similar experiences has made me feel much less alone in all of this. I know it's something I'll never forget, and I know this sadness isn't going to just go away, but I have faith that eventually I'll be okay again.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for sharing.