Bleeding because “it’s the law”
I have had sex within the past two weeks, so I’m not allowed to have a biopsy.
At least four women have now told me no—they will not take a piece of my uterus, yet.
Let me state this outright: I hate pain. I would never want anyone to pull a piece of my body away from the rest of it— especially not my uterus.
But my doctor recommended it, and she refuses to offer any medication to stop my 23-day (and counting) period until I get this biopsy.
When the nurse first called to explain the procedure, I asked if I could skip it. Uterine cancer is unlikely at 32.
It seems far more likely that I’m having hormonal bleeding because of the miscarriage I had three months ago.
I’m told that by three months post-miscarriage, my body should no longer be bleeding like this. Instead of caring for my current bodily needs, they want to check all their boxes.
After my appointment—where she sent me home the moment she learned I had sex last weekend—I messaged them. I asked if I could still give consent for the biopsy even if there was a slight chance I might be pregnant, fully aware that it could risk losing a (not yet existent) pregnancy.
I told them: this uterus is already a hostile environment for a young embryo just trying to survive. I want to get pregnant again as soon as possible, but I need a healthy, stable uterus for that embryo to grow in—not one that is building and shedding its lining day after day, heroic in a Sisyphean way.
They still said no. They will not honor my choices for my body.
So now I wait.
I wait, not because it makes sense, but because I have no other option.
I wait for hormones I could take to stop the blood that leaks around my DivaCup within two hours, over my pad within one hour, and down my leg in the middle of Yom Kippur services.
I stand in synagogue and hear the words, “Who will live, and who will die,” this coming year—knowing I could have had a biopsy that might tell me something vital before the closing of the Book of Life, if only I lived in another state.
Afterward:
I had my biopsy, and it came back normal. While at the appointment, I asked more about why I had to wait. I was told that my doctor's practice considers birth starting at potential fertilization, based on Ohio's Law Section 2919.16, which was last revised in 2011. They acknowledged the risk of uterine cancer was low, and the chance of a healthy pregnancy was low, but they were unwilling to risk legal complications while making decisions on the way to care for my body. I considered looking at other practices in the area, but I have decided to stay with this practice because I don't know where I could go in the area to get doctors who would prioritize my priorities related to my reproductive care.