unPlanned by Abby Johnson

[lilwriter85]

I haven't read this book. It is about a woman who worked for Planned Parenthood in Texas and became anti-choice after witnessing an abortion. Heather from Paralyzed with Joy gave a review.

paralyzedwithjoy.blogspot.com/2013/08/unplanned.html

I recently finished reading an interesting book with my mom called "unPLANNED." This book is written by Abby Johnson and she tells about her experience working as the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Bryan, Texas. Abby loved her job and really enjoyed the helping women/educating women aspect of the job. As director of Planned Parenthood, Abby ran the clinic and met with women who were pregnant and contemplating getting an abortion.

One afternoon the clinic was short-staffed and Abby was called into one of the procedure rooms to help out. The abortionist (doctor who performs abortions) was performing an ultrasound-guided abortion and Abby was asked to hold the ultrasound probe to the belly of the woman having an abortion. What Abby witnessed next was so sickening and gut wrenching that it would change her views on abortion forever. Even though Abby was pro-choice and had worked for Planned Parenthood for 10 years AND had had two abortions of her own, she'd never witnessed an abortion. Actually watching the abortion happen, coupled with the abortionist's cavalier attitude made her absolutely sick.

I really liked this book and it gave me a lot to think about. Even though I don't personally agree with abortion, I enjoyed learning more about some of the things that go through the minds of women contemplating having one. I also enjoyed learning more about Planned Parenthood, since it's an organization that I don't know very much about. One of the things pertaining to Abby's job at Planned Parenthood that I found troubling was that as the economy started to go down she said that the higher-ups at Planned Parenthood started pressuring her to push women into getting abortions when she met with new clients who were pregnant and considering abortion. (Performing abortions is how Planned Parenthood makes most of their money.) Another thing that was difficult for Abby was that a new 5 or 6 story Planned Parenthood facility had opened up where late-term abortions on babies as old as 24 weeks were performed That really didn't sit well with her.

This book was a real page turner and got really intense at parts. I liked it a lot and definitely recommend it to people that enjoy interesting reads.

abbyjohnson.org/

unplannedthebook.com/

[JMarie]

I seem to recall something similar. Where oh where could I have read something similar? Oh right, here on FJ:

http://www.freejinger.org/forums/viewto ... =8&t=15525

[Wenny]

:angry-banghead:

I hate being from the same town as her, 40 days of life and Hope (aka Dope).

[darkplumaged]

One might also say that heart surgery, organ transplants, and amputation of limbs are pretty horrifying to watch if you're not accustomed to doing so. I realize that abortion is different from those procedures in at least one very significant way, but "abortion is icky" is not a reason to outlaw or place draconian restrictions on it.

[bananacat]

One might also say that heart surgery, organ transplants, and amputation of limbs are pretty horrifying to watch if you're not accustomed to doing so. I realize that abortion is different from those procedures in at least one very significant way, but "abortion is icky" is not a reason to outlaw or place draconian restrictions on it.

You know what else is horrifying? Watching a live baby rip its way through a vagina, AKA childbirth. Sometimes life is messy.

[GolightlyGrrl]

You know what else is horrifying? Watching a live baby rip its way through a vagina, AKA childbirth. Sometimes life is messy.

Seeing a woman die from a botched illegal abortion is pretty horrifying, too.

Considering I've been writing book reviews for my "I Read It So You Don't Have To" series, I just might have to read "Unplanned." Ugh.

[knitwit]

What do you want to bet that the doctor's "cavalier" attitude was simply just the doctor being calm and neutral about the procedure so as to try and make the woman undergoing the procedure more comfortable?

[GolightlyGrrl]

What do you want to bet that the doctor's "cavalier" attitude was simply just the doctor being calm and neutral about the procedure so as to try and make the woman undergoing the procedure more comfortable?

This! When I was in the ER after being mugged and beaten I was very comforted by the calm and focused attitudes of the doctors and nurses who attended to my wounds. I was upset enough; I didn't need any hysteria from the hospital staff. That would have been pretty horrifying.

And I just found out my library system has this book. I guess I know what I'm going to pick out soon.

[PennySycamore]

Seeing a woman die from a botched illegal abortion is pretty horrifying, too.

Considering I've been writing book reviews for my "I Read It So You Don't Have To" series, I just might have to read "Unplanned." Ugh.

There is a famous picture of a woman in the 1950s. She is lying on the floor, prone and naked with her face blocked out. The picture as I saw it DailyKos a few years ago was captioned "Does this picture offend you because the woman is naked? Or because she is dead from an illegal abortion?

I'll post the a link to the photo if I can find it again.

[GolightlyGrrl]

There is a famous picture of a woman in the 1950s. She is lying on the floor, prone and naked with her face blocked out. The picture as I saw it DailyKos a few years ago was captioned "Does this picture offend you because the woman is naked? Or because she is dead from an illegal abortion?

I'll post the a link to the photo if I can find it again.

Would this be it? You'll have to scroll down a bit.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021189621

I remember seeing this photo when I was a kid. That was when I became totally pro-choice.

[PennySycamore]

Would this be it? You'll have to scroll down a bit.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021189621

I remember seeing this photo when I was a kid. That was when I became totally pro-choice.

That's not it, but it is similar. It does get the point across though, doesn't it?

eta: I don't know why the quote function didn't work this time.

[GolightlyGrrl]

That's not it, but it is similar. It does get the point across though, doesn't it?

[mockingbird]

What do you want to bet that the doctor's "cavalier" attitude was simply just the doctor being calm and neutral about the procedure so as to try and make the woman undergoing the procedure more comfortable?

Yeah, I wonder that too, as well as just not treating it like anything special because that's the doctor's job/what they do every day. (Of course the doctor should be sensitive to the patient and have good bedside manner, but I think sometimes people are surprised doctors/other health professionals can seem so non-chalant about things that in the rest of the world would be a big deal... because that's their job. And you need to be calm in stressful/emotional situations to be able to do that type of job!)

[Stephanie66]

I read this book a few years ago. It was actually fairly well written, probably because it was written by Abby Johnson WITH (the real writer).

I used to be a lot more pro-choice before I had kids. My dad used to be a Republican. People change their minds. It doesn't make it worthy of a book.

[singsingsing]

People change their minds. It doesn't make it worthy of a book.

Sure it does. Anybody can write a book about anything. Abortion is a huge (inter)national debate. If someone writes a book, and a company publishes it, and people buy it and read it, it obviously has an audience.

I'm glad she can share her perspective. Doesn't matter who agrees with her or not. Do we really want to stifle the voices of people with dissenting views? The 'downside' of living in a democracy is that you have to allow views which you might find annoying, distasteful, abhorrent, or even dangerous, to be voiced as freely as your own.

[lizziesmom]

One thing that is lost in all the pro-choice vs pro-life battles is that the issue is WHOSE CHOICE is being made. This woman had the right to change her mind. If pro-lifers have their way, government will control the choice and individuals will have no say so in the most fundamental of private decisions.

[Maul the Koala]

It wasn't so much a change of heart but the fact she got fired by Planned Parenthood. This is her giant FU to them.

I highly doubt she's 'pro-life'. She's pro-cash, and lots of it. I almost feel sorry for the sheeple since Abby J is a fairly big scam artist but none of them seem to question. Hope they enjoy subsidizing her vacation, I mean "speaking tour", to Europe in December.

[darkplumaged]

It wasn't so much a change of heart but the fact she got fired by Planned Parenthood. This is her giant FU to them.

I highly doubt she's 'pro-life'. She's pro-cash, and lots of it. I almost feel sorry for the sheeple since Abby J is a fairly big scam artist but none of them seem to question. Hope they enjoy subsidizing her vacation, I mean "speaking tour", to Europe in December.

Oh, innnnnteresting. Where did you find this out?

[Stephanie66]

I was unaware that she was fired. She says in her book that she quit.

[Wenny]

Something I've always wonder is why did they call in someone who wasn't a CNA, RNA, LVN to help. It would seem unethical to pull someone with no medical knowledge to assist.

[Stephanie66]

Something I've always wonder is why did they call in someone who wasn't a CNA, RNA, LVN to help. It would seem unethical to pull someone with no medical knowledge to assist.

I don't know who is telling the truth here, but PP claims they did not do any ultrasound guided abortions on the day that Abby claims it happened. She could have had the date wrong and/or I don't know if PP can divulge specific information, anyway.

According to Wikipedia, PP denies pushing for more abortions, and Abby has no proof (emails, etc) that this happened, and they would not have had a non-medical person assist. She was given some sort of write-up a few days before her resignation (whcih she says was due to her not shilling for more abortions) and PP requested a restraining order, which was ultimately denied.

I have no idea who is telling the truth, as both have motivations to lie. I am not a huge fan of PP, but I am also not a huge fan of Abby Johnson. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. I do remember seeing (or hearing) an interview with Abby and found her to sound credible, but she could be a good liar. I really do not know.

[Wenny]

I don't know who is telling the truth here, but PP claims they did not do any ultrasound guided abortions on the day that Abby claims it happened. She could have had the date wrong and/or I don't know if PP can divulge specific information, anyway.

According to Wikipedia, PP denies pushing for more abortions, and Abby has no proof (emails, etc) that this happened, and they would not have had a non-medical person assist. She was given some sort of write-up a few days before her resignation (whcih she says was due to her not shilling for more abortions) and PP requested a restraining order, which was ultimately denied.

I have no idea who is telling the truth, as both have motivations to lie. I am not a huge fan of PP, but I am also not a huge fan of Abby Johnson. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. I do remember seeing (or hearing) an interview with Abby and found her to sound credible, but she could be a good liar. I really do not know.

It is all around fishy, I am more to believe PP only from what happen when I went there. Got a blood test, saw I was pregnant, asked if I need help getting on Medicade and they helped me get on that. There was no insane pressure to abort. I think there was more pressure at the "crisis center" then PP, honestly.

[latraviata]

What do you want to bet that the doctor's "cavalier" attitude was simply just the doctor being calm and neutral about the procedure so as to try and make the woman undergoing the procedure more comfortable?

When I had an (legal) abortion 40 years ago, the doctors and nurses were very caring and gentle and I was very grateful for that. After the procedure when I was in the recovery room, one older motherly nurse tucked us in served us tea and biscuits, calling us 'love' and 'sweethear't in Dutch of course. ;)

[slickcat79]

I don't know where this myth comes from that abortions are some kind of huge cash cow for Planned Parenthood. Most PPs offer services on a sliding fee scale, where you can receive discounts based on your monthly income. Added to that, a true surgical abortion like the one Abby describes has a lot of costs associated with it. The doctor's time, assistance from a nurse or tech, the ultrasound and other equipment, sterile instruments, disposal of biowaste, etc. Any person who's ever received a bill for any outpatient surgical procedure will know that costs can really add up.

PP could probably make a lot more money by convincing their patients to continue the pregnancy and return for multiple prenatal checks. The total cost of 3+ prenatal visits would be more than the cost of most abortions, and insurance is more likely to cover those appointments than abortion. But PP is not in the business of convincing patients to do things they don't want to do, but providing information about legal medical options and the services they offer. Like with any medical facility, PPs are not exempt from negligence or accidents. But I think they offer a wonderful service to (mostly) low-income women, and I personally know several people who have had good experiences there. They are not the enemy, and Abby Johnson is a lying liar who lies (for money).

[FreeJosie]

Something I've always wonder is why did they call in someone who wasn't a CNA, RNA, LVN to help. It would seem unethical to pull someone with no medical knowledge to assist.

Yeah, I question the credibility of the story because of this and some other things that don't add up. She'd had two abortions of her own and had no idea of what the procedure entailed until she watched someone else's? Wouldn't that have been explained to her somewhere along the line?