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Do No Harm

Peggy

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Hi, I'm Peggy, and I'm an R.N. If you were to ask me what the letters R.N behind my name means to me besides “registered nurse”, I'd tell you what my nursing instructor told me 17 yrs. ago. It means “Do No Harm”. Ideally that is done with faith, hope, love and courage. “Do No Harm”, with honesty and compassion. But above all, “Do No Harm”. My heart and my conscience demand it.

Thirty-five years ago my conscience was overridden by a stress filled life, and a law that made it legal to eliminate an inconvenient pregnancy. My two sons were never to know their little sister, because of the abortion that I had that ended her short life. I have never regretted anything more. My heart and my conscience screamed my guilt.

My husband was furious. Many reasons...mostly, we're broke and can't afford another kid.

I was scared and overwhelmed. Everyone advised abortion. No one tried to talk me out of it.

My husband drove me to the clinic and waited outside.

I was prepped, drugged with valium and then felt a very long and horribly painful cramp as I heard a vacuum cleaner sound. I remember sobbing as I dozed off. Then I was awakened, got dressed, and my husband drove me home.

I lied about it, rationalized, and justified it for 26 years.

But, the abortion not only killed my innocent baby, it damaged me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Because of the physical damage done to my uterus from the suction abortion, I had to have a hysterectomy three months later.

My inner despair and resulting depression made it easier to use and abuse myself in many ways, for many years.

I knew that God was angry with me, so I stayed away from church.

Through the miracle of a 12 steps program I became honest about my past, and through the priests for life website I saw the truth I’d been denying.

She was not a blob of tissue or a mistake.

She was an innocent human baby, nestled inside the very place where she should have been the safest. She was my little Ceci, and because she was inconvenient, I allowed her to be killed. If abortion had not been legal I would have made room for her in my life.

Truly, the words of my nursing instructor, years later, spoke to the depths of my heart. “Do No Harm”. The forgiveness and healing that I received through Jesus Christ during my Rachel's Vineyard Retreat post-abortion healing program, revived my conscience, and helped me to see that I had been duped and sucked into the lies and twisted morality that continues to try to form our conscience into a mere “choice” of convenience.

Not for me anymore! I am Silent No More! My conscience is my credibility! My profession is one of healing, NOT killing. My religious faith supports and defends life at all costs! I cannot allow the government to compel me to act against my conscience by providing drugs or participating in procedures directly opposed by my deeply held religious beliefs.

I am an R. N. and I will do all that I can in my profession to “Do No Harm”. And I will do all that I can to stand strong for my religious liberty to do just that!

And I pray that our nation will once again become a nation with liberty and justice not just for some, but for all, through Christ Our Lord. Amen! I AM SILENT NO MORE!

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