In 1975, I was certain that I was pregnant. I already had a one-year-old son, and I knew my body well enough to recognize the signs. At that time, home pregnancy tests didn’t exist, so I went to my doctor to find out for sure. He ran a pregnancy test, and it came back negative. Based on that result, he gave me some pills to “start my period.”
Even though the test said I wasn’t pregnant, deep down I still felt that I was. I took the pills as instructed, but my period never started. Because of this, my doctor decided to run another pregnancy test. This time, the result was positive—I was pregnant after all.
About eight months later, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. We named her Nichole. From the very beginning, we learned that Nichole was born with Spina Bifida. This meant a lifetime filled with doctor visits, surgeries, and many difficult moments. She was also deaf and had developmental disabilities, which added even more challenges to her life.
Years later, I began to wonder if the pills I had taken to restart my period—before we knew for sure that I was pregnant—could have played a role in Nichole’s medical conditions. It’s something I’ve thought about many times, but I know I will never have a clear answer.
Nichole was a sweet and beautiful soul, and she brought love into our lives despite all the hardships. She passed away in the year 2000, and not a day goes by that she isn’t missed.
I am deeply grateful for the kindness and compassion people have shown after hearing my story. There truly are so many wonderful people in the world. I never expected so many to listen, understand, and respond with such warmth. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
0 Comments