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Posts by Megan Reed

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Organ donation after death: thoughts and experiences? in Health · Jul 9, 2005

Amanda Turner70 said:The point is, it doesn't matter if they donate an organ or just get rid of it some other way; what matters is that you don't end up being "fully intact" in a race against time. I think it's better to give it to someone than to just let it go to waste...

Look, you really need to read what Scott Allen10 wrote. Harvesting organs isn't some simple thing where you just get hit by a bus, rushed to the morgue, and suddenly all your organs are gone. Sure, if you wake up at an autopsy missing a few things, nobody's going to run an investigation, but using organs for actual transplants involves a much more complex process than that.

I mean, if you explicitly opted out during your life, they aren't going to take your organs to give to someone else. But if they end up somewhere else entirely... 😬

Scott Allen10 said:I’m only bringing this up to emphasize that if someone passes away in any other department—like Neurology, Internal Medicine, or Surgery—it is physically impossible to harvest their organs. It’s just not how it works. Furthermore, it's impossible to "take" anything for a transplant from someone who is already deceased. Or even better, that whole urban legend people love to tell about "finding someone on the street and harvesting their organs"... that only happens in fairy tales.

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 9, 2005

Carl Hernandez2 said:If someone is looking to jump into the Mississippi River or slit their wrists, the government has a duty to stop them. I view abortion as nothing less than suicide or a criminal act—something a "normal member" of society simply shouldn't be doing. Since the state is responsible for preventing murder, it should also be preventing abortion.

Except abortion isn't a crime, so you can spin it however you want.

Another thing: I wouldn't even try to stop someone who wants to end their own life. If you want to die, then go ahead. It’s your life and your call. Besides, anyone who is actually determined to kill themselves will find a way when the time comes.

By the way, I had no idea suicide was illegal. What, if I kill myself, are my parents going to get slapped with a fine? 🤣

And that whole thing about the police showing up when someone is suicidal... please. That’s like calling the fire department because your cat is stuck in a tree. ☕

***

If we’re going to ban abortion, let's just roll out martial law immediately too. Because if you live in a country where you don't even have the right to choose, then it's hardly a "democratic or liberal" nation anymore. 🙄

***

One more thing. I get the distinct impression that people condemning abortion are really just condemning the women who undergo it. Basically, a father who doesn't want the child is held blameless. You see some guy say he doesn't want kids, then he goes out and shoots his girlfriend, telling her to deal with the consequences while he refuses to lift a finger to help the baby... what do you all think of men like that? Sure, no matter how terrible they are or what they do, they aren't murderers. 🙄Which means they can be the biggest losers on the planet, but in your eyes, they'll always be better than an unborn mother.

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 9, 2005

Carl Hernandez2 said:I figure people who view abortion the way I do just don't operate like the masses. Just because everyone else is speeding down the highway doesn't mean I have to floor it too...

Come on, that’s a bit of a stretch if you ask me. 😬

Plus, based on your logic, since opponents of abortion are in the minority, it's perfectly fine to allow it just because the majority decides—which isn't something that bothers me at all.

Just because "everyone else is doing it" doesn't mean you have to join in, but then again, most people actually *do* join in. 😁

So fine, you drive slow, stay out of the fray, and you'll never have any issues with abortion. 🙄

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 9, 2005

Amanda Lee42

It felt like Matthew Sullivan32 was being a little sarcastic in that last post of his.

Or am I just misreading the situation? 😁 ☕

Organ donation after death: thoughts and experiences? in Health · Jul 7, 2005

Amanda Turner70 said:so basically, fewer people end up being buried without their original organs intact🙂

I’m not entirely sure how a standard autopsy relates to organ donation these days😵, but some girl once told me that during her own autopsy, they actually moved the brain into the abdominal cavity to help with the donation process. 😬 When I was at an autopsy myself, we weren't even given the choice to stay and see if they'd put everything back where it belonged. 😳 Not that it really matters, though... once you're dead, what's the point?

Chest X-ray results in Health · Jul 6, 2005

Larry Torres7 said:Or I could just sit there for three weeks waiting for my primary care doctor to give me some wrong diagnosis—which isn't exactly a first for her—and then refuse to even send me for imaging.

Why on earth would you have to wait three weeks just to see a GP?

She can't just hand out diagnoses like candy, especially without a specialist weighing in. I mean, sure, she could make an educated guess... unless she's suddenly developed X-ray vision or something. 😎

What kind of doctor is she, anyway? 😬

I actually went to mine recently because I was feeling off, and she wrote me a referral for a chest X-ray right away.

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 6, 2005

Elvis Presley said:I kept thinking, "Well, he can buy condoms. He can use protection. He can just not go through with it. She could just walk away." I was completely lost 😕

But honestly, I don't even want to dwell on it anymore because I genuinely have no idea what goes through someone's head.

I’m having the exact same reaction. You can't just rationalize that kind of behavior.

What kind of twisted logic is that—thinking you'll just be careful one day, end up pregnant, and then deal with an abortion the next?

An abortion should be the absolute last resort, the final option when everything else fails... at least, that's how it's supposed to work. When I hear stories like this... 😢 👎 🙂 ugh.

*Or maybe I'm just being idealistic. It isn't like grabbing a glass of water, for crying out loud. 😠 The saddest part is that I've actually heard similar stories before, much like yours. Every woman knows at least one person who has gone through something like this. It's scary. 😲

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 6, 2005

Look, if someone has actually convinced themselves that their best, most logical, or only viable option is to just get an abortion after every single sexual encounter...

there’s really nothing left to debate here. 🙂

***

And besides, who is actually footing the bill for all these constant abortions? 😳 😳 😳 Where is that money coming from? Or is this some kind of scenario straight out of a movie like "The Truman Show," where everything is being manipulated behind the scenes?

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 6, 2005

Look, any sane woman is going to try to avoid an abortion at all costs. And don't even get me started on doing forty-five... if she’s already gone through forty-five, it means she’s just going to keep going. How many more? Another forty-five? Ninety? It’s honestly stomach-turning.

Generally speaking, I’m FOR women having access to abortion under certain circumstances, but cases like this just feel wrong to me. I can't wrap my head around it, and I can't justify it to myself. You know, even if she’s otherwise a great person, whatever—I just can't stomach it.

AN ABORTION IS NOT A CONTRACEPTIVE METHOD; IT NEVER WAS, AND IT NEVER WILL BE. Because of that, I simply cannot support using it as a way to prevent pregnancy. :-/

But like you said, this specific example is EXTREME, even if it isn't the only one out there.

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 6, 2005

Sean Grant85 said:But what if they’re wealthy and highly educated? I don't see a valid reason for an abortion in those cases.

Look, money and degrees aren't everything. You have plenty of wealthy, highly educated women who would never choose to have kids simply because they don't want them. (And honestly, I'm not interested in digging into their personal motivations. 😁)

Just as poverty or a lack of education doesn't give a woman a free pass to seek an abortion, someone else's bank account or Ivy League degree isn't a sufficient reason for her to be forced to carry a child. 🙂 It all comes down to the individual. 😁

At the end of the day, I can only mind my own business; I have no right to stick my nose where it doesn't belong or lecture other women on their choices. I don't get to tell anyone whether to terminate or continue a pregnancy. (It always circles back to that "my body, my choice" argument—her life, her decision... while the father's role is almost always treated as an afterthought... 😳) Everything else is just a massive "what if" scenario.

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 6, 2005

Sean Grant85 said:By 56 days, you're looking at something that's already transitioned deep into the fetal stage.

Look, the text explicitly states this isn't an accurate representation for the 56-day mark. We're talking about a late-stage embryo or an early fetus—basically the tail end of phase 23. That image is just flat-out wrong.

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 6, 2005

Jessica Perez93 said:YOU CAN'T JUDGE PEOPLE YOU DON'T KNOW.

Look, regardless of how you slice it, I’m just not going to lump a woman who’s had one partner in with someone who’s been with forty-five. They aren't the same thing.

My moral compass isn't exactly flexible on this one. 😳

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 6, 2005

Sean Grant85 said:It’s a total myth that the procedure is reversible for men. You're looking at maybe a 45% chance at best. That’s why you need to think LONG and hard before getting a vasectomy!*

And what happens if your birth control fails? What then?

See, there you go... the questions just keep coming. Sure, it might be reversible for some guys, but sterilization for women isn't a thing you can just undo.

*In an extreme scenario like this, if I were in that woman's shoes, I wouldn't give it a second thought... unless she was actually planning on having kids with some alcoholic jerk. 🙄 The only real hurdle would be convincing her husband. 😁

As for me, I'm still a college student living at home with my parents, no income or anything. So, yeah, nothing beats a conversation starter. I know no method of contraception is ever truly 100% foolproof, but obviously, you have to be as careful as possible. That’s just my take, given where I am in life right now.

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 6, 2005

Sean Grant85 said:I’m not saying you made it up, but we really need to take a second look at the age listed for that 56-day embryo. To me, that doesn't look like an embryo at all. It’s got to be some kind of glitch on the website.

Look, it says 56 days. That means eight weeks. But let's be real, that's post-ovulation eight weeks.

And they actually have this note right there for stage 23: NOTE: This specimen is late stage 23 or possibly an early fetus. An example representing stage 23 more accurately will replace this specimen when available.

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 6, 2005

A fetus is essentially an unborn human being from the conclusion of the eighth week of pregnancy—once those primary biological structures are established—right up until the moment of birth. Before that developmental milestone, we're looking at an embryo.

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

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 6, 2005

Jessica Perez93 said:I know a woman who has had 45 abortions. Why? Because her husband is an alcoholic and does whatever he wants without ever asking her first.

Excuse me, but in my book, that woman has absolutely zero excuse. An abortion once? Fine. Twice is pushing it. But after that, I’d be tempted to just surgically remove her ovaries and uterus myself. She needs to get a divorce, take control of her contraception, or just have her husband sterilized. 😈

Sure, protecting the right to choose is one thing, but you can't just use that right as a loophole for total chaos. 😠

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 6, 2005

Sean Grant85 said:Someone actually claims this isn't a big deal because they just don't want any more kids and feel like their family is already complete.

Oh, sure. Like abortion is murder one minute but totally fine the next? That’s some incredible logic right there. 🙄

Personally, I find it much more practical to invest $17 monthly into reliable contraception rather than gambling with my entire life, my health, my future, and a massive weight on my conscience. And $533. 😉

As for married couples... if they're already struggling that hard financially and want to enjoy intimacy without the fear of more kids, they should just save up a lump sum and have the husband get a vasectomy.

If they ever change their minds down the road, the procedure for men is reversible.

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 6, 2005

The main thing is that these eighteen-year-old kids here finally read the fine print... yeah, right. Sure, let’s all just march straight into hell because we're such pathetic losers who'll hook up with anyone who happens to pass by. Oh, absolutely. 😈 😈 😈

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 6, 2005

There’s one specific fact that we really ought to be more concerned about, though it seems to have been glossed over in this discussion... if these pro-life activists are already this worked up, I'm honestly surprised nobody has brought this up yet.

Which demographic of women is responsible for the highest number of abortions?

Back in 2003, the number of reported abortions hit 10,999, marking yet another steady decline compared to previous years. The numbers tell a pretty clear story if you actually bother to look at them: we saw a steady decline from those 19.9 million peaks back in '95 down to just 12 million by 2002. It’s like watching a slow leak in a tire—it doesn't happen all at once, but you can definitely see the pressure dropping year after year. (See Table 1 and Graph 1 for the full breakdown).

(...)

The number of young women under 19 seeking abortions is on the rise. Back in 2002, that figure sat at 7.8%, but by 2003, we saw 494 adolescents undergo legal procedures, which bumps that percentage up to 8.3%.

Looking at the data, the women seeking abortions fall most heavily into the 30 to 39 age bracket (see Table 2). It’s also worth noting that a significant majority—66.1%—are actually married. When you factor in that 34.9% of those seeking the procedure already have two children (that's 2,066 individuals, according to Table 3 and Graph 3), it really drives home the reality that abortion is being utilized essentially as a method of birth control.

***

So, according to the data, teenagers are being scapegoated for about 8% of all abortions. In reality, the lion's share—roughly 66%—comes from women in their 30s who are typically married and already have two kids at home.

Let’s say we’re looking at a group that's largely well-educated, holds steady jobs, is financially comfortable, and identifies as Catholic.

You know, there’s always that specific group of women who act like they’re still stuck in high school, trying to pull all those teenage antics even though they’re well into their thirties—usually dragging their husbands along for the ride. 😁It’s pure madness when people act without a single thought for the consequences. How does a mother, already struggling with two kids, just decide to end the life of an unwanted third child? Someone please try explaining that logic to me, because I certainly can't make sense of it.

And then you’ve got these self-righteous moralists lecturing eighteen-year-old girls who have no high school diploma, no job, no money, and absolutely zero support system... honestly, it feels like they're shouting at the wrong target.

If they’re willing to force a thirteen-year-old victim to carry a child against her will, I can't even begin to wrap my head around how they'd handle these mothers. 😠

Let's not forget that in America, only about 6% of women actually use oral contraceptives. God knows how many others aren't using any form of birth control at all. Then we act surprised when the abortion numbers climb so high. It’s pretty obvious, isn't it? 😳

And there you have it—those are the cold, hard facts that just tear everything down.

Emergency: My friend is pregnant in Health · Jul 6, 2005

Eh, look, that’s just a legal technicality. Ten weeks.

http://winter.home.texas.net/embryo57d.gif
http://www.ob-ultrasound.net/images/scan11.jpg
http://blowthetrumpet.org/images/12week186x247.jpg

At 10 weeks (which counts as 12 weeks since the start of the last period)

The fetus measures roughly two and a half inches from crown to rump.
Fingernails are starting to take shape.
Around the 8 to 10-week mark, the fetus starts making tiny, erratic movements, though you won't feel them just yet.
You can pick up the fetal heartbeat using electronic monitoring.