'We Have No Choice': One Woman's Ordeal with Texas' New Sonogram Law
Halfway through my pregnancy, I learned that my baby was ill. Profoundly so. My doctor gave us the news kindly, but still, my husband and I weren’t prepared. Just a few minutes earlier, we’d been smiling giddily at fellow expectant parents as we waited for the doctor to see us. In a sonography room smelling faintly of lemongrass, I’d just had gel rubbed on my stomach, just seen blots on the screen become tiny hands. For a brief, exultant moment, we’d seen our son—a brother for our 2-year-old girl.
<snip>
My counselor said that the law required me to have another ultrasound that day, and that I was legally obligated to hear a doctor describe my baby. I’d then have to wait 24 hours before coming back for the procedure. She said that I could either see the sonogram or listen to the baby’s heartbeat, adding weakly that this choice was mine.
“I don’t want to have to do this at all,” I told her. “I’m doing this to prevent my baby’s suffering. I don’t want another sonogram when I’ve already had two today. I don’t want to hear a description of the life I’m about to end. Please,” I said, “I can’t take any more pain.” I confess that I don’t know why I said that. I knew it was fait accompli. The counselor could no more change the government requirement than I could. Yet here was a superfluous layer of torment piled upon an already horrific day, and I wanted this woman to know it.
<snip>
“I’m so sorry that I have to do this,” the doctor told us, “but if I don’t, I can lose my license.” Before he could even start to describe our baby, I began to sob until I could barely breathe. Somewhere, a nurse cranked up the volume on a radio, allowing the inane pronouncements of a DJ to dull the doctor’s voice. Still, despite the noise, I heard him. His unwelcome words echoed off sterile walls while I, trapped on a bed, my feet in stirrups, twisted away from his voice.
“Here I see a well-developed diaphragm and here I see four healthy chambers of the heart...”
<snip>
http://www.texasobserver.org/cover-story/the-right-not-to-know
This is beyond cruel. It serves no purpose except to torment women who are considering an abortion for whatever reasons.
How dare these immoral shites impose this kind of "law" on anybody? Many of these cretins have
skeletons in their closets that would at least raise eyebrows.
And these same assholes claim they want government out of everything.
Meh!
= new reply since forum marked as read
That states a women can waive this:
The doctor, then, is required to give, "in a manner understandable to a layperson, a verbal explanation of the results of the sonogram images, including a medical description of the dimensions of the embryo or fetus, the presence of cardiac activity, and the presence of external members and internal organs," the law states.
There are some exceptions, including pregnancies that resulted from sexual assault, incest or other violations of law.
Women seeking abortions also are exempt if the fetus has been found to have an irreversible medical condition that will cause a disability.
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-20/politics/texas.abortion.sonogram_1_sonogram-procedure-abortion?_s=PM
OLITICS
No problem - I'm pro-abortion too. 
The reply below explained it, and it kicked me in the rear and I got it.
It's mighty hot in Chicago, and this apartment is pretty worthless without air conditioning - I don't understand why a senior living place would have no air conditioning system in place???
I'm not a senior - I'm 36 years old, but the senior living place has a few apartments for rent by the day and we're only staying 3 days. Nephew's bar mitzvah was today.
