You may be thinking, “I’ve already made up my mind to have an abortion. Why would I need an ultrasound first?” In fact, an ultrasound is a very important step before going through with an abortion procedure.

One out of every three known pregnancies ends in miscarriage. An ultrasound can determine if a pregnancy is viable, meaning likely to carry to term.

A positive pregnancy test can indicate that you are pregnant, but it does not determine if your pregnancy is in utero, that is, in the uterus. Ectopic pregnancies (sometimes called “tubal pregnancies”) are when the pregnancy implants and grows in the fallopian tubes rather than in the uterus. With an ectopic pregnancy, you can get a positive pregnancy test result, but it can’t be detected as ectopic without an ultrasound. Ectopic pregnancies are not viable (likely to carry to term), and if they are not detected, they can be life threatening to the mother. You can have the abortion procedure, but if the pregnancy is not in the uterus, the abortion will not be complete – you may think that the pregnancy has been ended, but the baby continues to grow in the fallopian tubes, posing a continually increasing threat you, the mother.

There are various abortion methods, and they can be dependent on how far along your pregnancy is. An ultrasound can determine how many weeks pregnant you are.

At Collage Center, we can provide a free limited OB ultrasound to determine if your pregnancy is viable. If it isn’t, you can avoid the risks and costs – physical and emotional – that are associated with abortion. Remember that you have time to get all the facts before rushing into anything. We are here to provide a safe, non-judgmental environment for you to process through this big decision – no matter what. 

Jill Johnson joined our staff in 2012 as our part-time office manager. Not only is she a joy to have around but she helps Gaye with all things administrative. We’re thankful we get to hear frequent laughter coming from their office. Jill also enjoys spending time with her 10 grandchildren and family! 

Here are some fun questions we asked Jill to answer:

Have you always been a Kearney girl?

I grew up in western Nebraska but moved to Kearney when I was 20 years old to go to Kearney State College. In 1975 I married a wonderful man, Russ Wolford.  We had 4 children (1 boy and 3 girls) and were a part of his farm family and lived east of Kearney. After Russ died in a farm accident in 1987 the children and I moved into town for a short time.  A few years later I married another wonderful man, Keith Johnson. We moved back to my farmhouse and continued to finish raising our family. 

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

It doesn’t get any better for me than hanging with my handsome hubby, adult kids and my 10 adorable grandkids. If I get to read a grown-up book once in a while, I’m a happy camper. 

What are some of your favorite books?

One of the sweetest books I’ve ever read is, Kisses from Katie. As a retired RN I also read a lot of medical articles to stay up on medical advances.  

What do you love about your job at Collage Center?

I love the role I have here but mostly I love the women I get to work along side. These friends help create one of the best team oriented environments I’ve been a part of.  

I was from a really small town where everyone knows everyone. I was very active in my youth group, in extracurricular activities and I was a three-sport athlete in high school. I prided myself on being a good kid and having a good relationship with my parents and friends. I had always planned on saving sex until after I was married, but I found myself falling into compromising situations with my high school boyfriend. My senior year, I found out that I was pregnant.

After seeing the positive result of the test, I was shocked and felt like I had no place to go. After confiding in a friend and to my boyfriend, I honestly felt like abortion was my only option. I read about the procedure and started to get scared about what could happen if I went through it. So, I decided to tell my mom.

She was in disbelief and didn’t know how to respond. She told me that she would go along with whatever I decided. I told her that my boyfriend and I had decided that we were going to get an abortion.

A few weeks later, my mom and I travelled to the clinic. I felt so alone sitting in the waiting room even though there were others there. I never dreamt I would be in this situation. It wasn’t until after the procedure was over and I was being escorted back to the waiting room that someone finally asked me if I was doing okay. Why didn’t someone ask me before when I really needed it? Why didn’t someone ask me before and tell me I had other options? It was then that everything became real to me and I fell apart. I had never felt more ashamed or broken in my life.

My abortion happened toward the end of my senior year. All summer I felt that if I ignored my feelings about my experience, then I wouldn’t have to deal with them. I began to grow distant from God, family and friends. This continued until I met a friend during my freshman year of college who saw how broken I felt. He encouraged me to seek help.

That’s when I found myself contacting Collage Center. The staff was so welcoming and non-judgmental. They cared about who I was, not the decision I had made.  It was there that I learned that I was not alone. I realized that other women were dealing with my same struggles. Deciding to go through the After Abortion Support Group that Collage offers was one of the best choices I have ever made.  Today, I feel freed from the anger, guilt, and sadness that once weighed me down. Thanks to the support group I was able to reconcile all of the relationships in my life and truly start over again.

If you find yourself relating to any part of my story, remember that you don’t have to through this alone. Whether you just took a positive test or have already experienced abortion, Collage Center can help.