If my friend hadn't rung the ambulance when he did, I wouldn't have made it

I thought I'd share my experience with my abortion (click for more abortion stories) to help other people feel as if they're not alone I suppose. I'm 17 years old and got caught pregnant after being with my boyfriend for over a year, yes we were using contraception but unfortunately, we just got caught.

That relationship was very controlling and as soon as we found out he made his feelings clear. I made an appointment with BPAS and chose the medical abortion as I felt it was a more natural method rather than the surgical abortion (more stories involving surgical abortion).

Even though I didn't want to go through with the abortion at all, I did anyway.

I was told that after I'd taken the first tablet and placed the other four vaginally, I would experience cramps and heavy bleeding about 3 hours after taking them.

So I went home and a couple of hours later I experienced minor cramping and a little bleeding and I passed a few big clots. I was also told that I would bleed for three weeks afterwards, but the days following my abortion there was no sign of any bleeding or cramping. I called the clinic three times concerned that something had gone wrong and each time they brushed it off and told me it was normal.

8 days later, I woke up in the most horrific pain I have ever experienced, I was soaking a maternity pad every ten minutes and passing huge clots constantly. Luckily my friend had the sense to call an ambulance and they were with me within minutes. I passed out after this due to blood loss.

I woke up in majors in A&E and was taken straight to a gynaecology ward and examined. Straight away they saw I had a very serious infection in my womb and that the abortion hadn't worked. After this, I had to have the loose tissue and the baby pulled out of me while I was awake, then followed by an emergency D&C that due to my state, put my life in danger again.

I was in the hospital for a further 5 days and they finally let me go home, though I was still in severe pain. I was told that if my friend hadn't have rung the ambulance when he did, I wouldn't have made it through to the afternoon.

I would not recommend going to BPAS for any sort of abortion as I feel as soon as I'd signed the forms they brushed me off and I wasn't their problem anymore.

I cannot stress enough that if you have a medical abortion and you do not bleed, you must get seen before your life is in danger like mine was.