Friday, July 25, 2014

"I didn't know I was pregnant..."

The longest I've seen a patient go denying her pregnancy is 23 weeks and 6 days. I'm sure there have women who have denied it much longer [see "I didn't know I was pregnant"on TLC] but it's not quite the same as seeing it happening. She was 19 and looked like she was 12. She came in for abdominal pain. "Something doesn't feel right down there," she said. I admit, I should have been listening more closely and I should have asked her more questions. I scanned her empty chart and checked her vital signs, no allergies, no medications. No recent labs. "Ok, well let's take a look," I said. I took my first full look at her, probably for the first time since she came into the office. She was wearing a brown corduroy jacket and tight jeans. Her abdomen was clearly gravid. I looked at her chart again, as if that would tell me any answers. No, Chloe, still blank.

Yup, she was pregnant. She later told me she had not had her period for 5 months. She wanted something to be done, but she didn't know what.

I talked to her about options. I laid them out for her and what she could expect, but honestly, I don't think I could prepare her enough. I don't think anyone is really prepared for their first child, much less someone who is a child herself. 

I got her an appointment with an OB/GYN, but she later ended up not showing for that appointment, and I never heard from her again.




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