Water Before an Ultrasound
This is where my ultrasound story begins. This amusing true story clearly demonstrates why women shouldn’t drink a large quantity of water before leaving on a fifteen-mile journey for an ultrasound while in their ninth month of pregnancy. Don’t make the mistake of thinking it can’t happen to you!
To Drink or Not to Drink
I was instructed by my doctor to drink approximately thirty-two ounces of water before my scheduled ultrasound, but I couldn’t imagine chugging down four tall glasses of water one after another. I wasn’t at all fond of water, but I wanted the ultrasound to be a success. I had the brilliant idea to drink at least half of the water before leaving home, and the other half upon arrival. Even though the hospital was fifteen miles from home, I didn’t foresee a problem, but that’s how problems are. Problems sneak up on us and strike without warning, and I was about to encounter a huge dilemma I didn’t anticipate.
Who Needs Lines?
I was feeling pretty good after drinking the first two glasses of water, and traffic was moving right along – until my husband and I reached the two lane highway that led into the next town. Traffic was at a standstill, and it wasn’t clear what was going on up ahead. Minutes passed before traffic began to slowly crawl, and I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. I told my husband we really needed to hurry. I desperately had to relieve myself, and relief wasn’t in sight.
After several minutes of slow stop and go traffic, we realized what the holdup was. A highway truck was painting lines on the road. What a wonderful time to paint lines on the road! I had a very special appointment, and I wasn’t about to use the bathroom and ruin my ultrasound. Even if I surrendered to my predicament, there wasn’t a bathroom in sight. We were on a highway in between towns, and public facilities weren’t an option. I was becoming more and more desperate.
My dear husband had the bright idea of turning on the next road in an effort to bypass the paint truck and the long line of traffic up ahead. It seemed like a fabulous plan – until we actually turned. Upon turning, we discovered the bright yellow Dead End sign, and we were forced to return to the highway. After losing our place in line, many more vehicles were blocking the way to my appointment, and the bathroom I so desperately needed.
It’s a Train!
A courteous driver let us back in line, and we finally passed the slow moving paint truck. I was past the point of tears, and I knew that crying wouldn’t have solved my problem. Crying wasn’t the type of release I needed. I knew the hospital was only a couple of miles away, and I was still intent on having my ultrasound before visiting the bathroom – until I saw the train.
Just before reaching the train tracks, the gates lowered and a train blocked our way. I seriously considered jumping out of the car and bolting into a nearby lumberyard to find the relief I so desperately needed, but my persistence took over. There was no way I was going to ruin my ultrasound by using the bathroom. I held out this long, and I could surely wait a few more minutes. The hospital was just over the tracks and around the bend. Relief was in sight!
Driver’s Ed Disaster
The train seemed to take forever, even though it only stopped traffic for a few short minutes. After drinking all of that water, I was suffering in a way I had never suffered before, but we were moving once again – until we ended up behind a driver’s education car. I could have peed faster than the student driver was rolling, and I mean that in every sense of the word!
I was now at the point of disbelief and desperation. It didn’t seem that I was meant to reach the hospital without emptying my bladder, deliberately or accidentally. Maybe I still had a chance. The student driver finally turned, and I could see the hospital parking lot – and an old lady slowly crossing our path on a bike.
Run Her Over!
I was now past the point of desperation, and I ordered my husband to hurry in no uncertain terms. He informed me of the old lady clearly blocking our path, and without hesitation, I told him to run her over! I didn’t mean it of course, but I was just seconds away from saturating the seats of the car.
The lady finally peddled out of the way, and we were able to park the car. I wasn’t about to wait for my husband. I swung open the door, and as I bent forward to pick up my purse, I decided to leave it behind. The mere act of bending forward was almost enough to burst my bladder and expel the water I was trying so desperately to hold. I left the purse, and I quickly but cautiously waddled into the hospital where I immediately asked the location of the bathroom. Ah, what a relief that was!
More Water
After suffering on that long journey to the hospital, before I could have my ultrasound, I had to drink the water all over again. My suffering was in vain, but I was no longer in distress.
As I sat in the waiting room choking down my sixth glass of water, my husband informed me that he almost laughed and had to look away as we waited for the train to pass. My husband was very lucky he didn’t laugh or so much as smirk during my demise. In my state of desperation and frustration, I would have certainly said a few choice words!
My dreadfully uncomfortable ride to the hospital, as ridiculous as it sounds, made me realize how adults could actually reach the point of wetting their pants. I am now able to laugh at my experience, but while I was experiencing this absurd chain of events, I didn’t find it at all humorous.
Don’t Drink the Water
If you’re a pregnant women contemplating drinking a large quantity of water before leaving home for an ultrasound, you’d better reconsider. You could find yourself stuck in traffic, caught by a train, slowed by a student driver, or blocked by an old lady riding a bicycle across the entryway of the parking lot. Drink the water after you arrive for your ultrasound. If you’re fortunate enough not to wet your pants as I almost did, you might find yourself drinking the water all over again!
