I don't know how to relax. I don't know how to take "vacations." As hard as I try, I always need a second vacation to unwind from my first vacation. This trip to Utah was no different. When we left Maryland we were confident that we had done everything we needed to do in order to start the next cycle of IVF. All the required tests were turned in (again), we went to orientation, we paid our deposit, and I had the saline sonogram scheduled for the third day of our vacation at the same hospital I was born at. This was gonna be great.
We left Maryland on May 10th. We had a scheduled layover in Dallas, and were supposed to arrive in Salt Lake around 1am on the 11th. We'd drive to my parents and spend the night there, then check-in to our hotel and sleep! But as we've seen over the past few months, things are never that easy for us.
We hit a storm over Dallas. The pilot circled for about an hour, then decided to fly to Tulsa to re-fuel. We made it back to Dallas by midnight, but by that time we'd already missed our connecting flight. American Airlines was nice enough to get us on a flight 12 hours later. Thankfully the USO opened at 8am, and I didn't have to sleep on the child's play area bench any more. We were able to sleep for a few hours, I found toothpaste, and they fed us breakfast. God Bless the USO.
Anyways.... We flew out of Dallas and arrived in Salt Lake. We figured it was easier to get the car and check in to our Hotel. At this point it would be good to know that I am super Cheap. I always look for the best deal, I never pay full price, and spending money gives me anxiety. I've stayed in some pretty sketchy motels and I'm still alive. I figured this one couldn't be that bad. Wrong again. The first room they put us in didn't have running water. The second one had drywall on the floor and a random door on the bed. Nope. Nope. And Nope. I don't care what Dale wants, we're staying with family. We walked out (and I think we passed a few prostitutes on the way).
I love Utah. I love mountains. I love my family. I needed all three. When we arrived I called the Hospital I was scheduled to have the procedure at to make sure everything was still good to go, the nurses were concerned that the test I had requested wasn't the right test for for IVF. That's not what I wanted to hear. So I emailed WR to confirm, they told me to go ahead with the Sonogram. The nurses were questioning it, but did it anyways. They said the results would be ready the next day, and that they would send them to WR. That's good, because I'm going camping.
The next morning I called the hospital just to confirm that they had the results and that they had sent them off. More miscommunication. They didn't have authorization to send the results because my primary healthcare physician in Utah would need to request them and then send them off themselves. Ugh. It's fine, I don't leave for Southern Utah for another 30 minutes. I drove to my clinic, explained the situation and asked for a release form. The awesome woman at the desk wasn't quite sure what to do. She told me she couldn't send any paperwork that my Doctor didn't request. At this point I might have started crying. Apparently that works, because she pulled me into the back room, printed out my results (which were all on the same database), and asked if emailing them in was a possibility. That'll work. I went home, scanned and emailed the paperwork and waited for a confirmation from WR that they were received. They responded and told me I had everything submitted, and they would contact me soon to schedule a baseline date for the IVF. I could now hike in peace.
The next few days were amazing. We hiked, we fished, we hung out with friends, and we ate at all of our favorite local spots. It was exactly what we needed.
My dad's favorite thing to do is fish. So when we go to Utah, of course I'm going to drop everything and go fishing with him. It was May 18, and we had been there for a week. We headed up to my dad's favorite fishing spot and launched the boat. I love fishing. To quote Ron Swanson- "Fishing is like Yoga, except I get to kill something." The fishing wasn't very good that morning, but I could care less. I was just happy to be there.
It was about the middle of the day when I got a phone call. It was WR, calling to tell me that they were missing the results from two blood tests and a physical. Tests that I never even knew I needed. "How is this possible? You gave me a list of everything I needed, and these weren't on the list. You told me I was done."
I lost it. I lost it in the middle of Strawberry Reservoir while fishing with my dad. I was done. I couldn't do it anymore. I had done everything I had been asked to do, and it still wasn't good enough. It was all over.
Dale and I stared at each other. Speechless. There was nothing else to say, nothing else to do. It was my dad who finally had something to say. "Well, you better call and make the appointment for those tests. You need to finish this."
If you've never met my dad, that's really all you need to know about him. Buck up, and do what you need to do. He didn't say much else, but with a few simple words he was able to inspire me enough to keep going. To remind me that the Lord doesn't go back on His promises, and that He wouldn't ask us to do something without providing a way to accomplish it.
I don't remember much of the rest of the trip. I called my doctor in Maryland and made the appointment for the physical and blood tests. I put on a happy face for my family and friends. Then we got back on the plane, and left.
