Ectopic Pregnancy (Dec 2012-Jan 2013)- The Storm

Imagine driving down the highway through a blizzard and not being able to see 10 ft in front of you. Now picture you are driving through this blizzard in a car packed full of your limited moving items squished in like a sardine. Now imagine that you, your spouse, or another traveling companion has a health condition that requires them to find some way to be reclined with their feet up as much as possible. This was the situation we found ourselves in when we started our trek from Utah to Savannah, Georgia in December 2012.

We were on our way to Georgia so my husband, David, could start graduate school at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). I had also just found out that the fertility treatments we had done worked and that I was pregnant. Although it was confirmed through blood tests that I was pregnant, something wasn't quite right. I had been bleeding, was on progesterone, and was told to recline and keep my feet up as much as possible. I was quite worried about my condition and very anxious about having to ride in a car for numerous hours over multiple days.

Our trip had already been delayed because of the weather, but the snow fall had slowed enough that we felt comfortable starting the drive. The snow hadn't been too bad and the roads had been fairly clear until we got down farther into southeast Utah. Luckily my cousin, Nikki, felt comfortable driving in the snow and was safely guiding us through that crazy, scary blizzard. After driving around 15 miles an hour for an hour or two, the storm finally subsided but by this time it was already getting late. Since we were all starting to get tired we decided to stop for the night just outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

I don't know where all the modest, clean cheap hotels were. I really don't remember seeing any nice budget friendly places like Days Inn or Super 8 in the area.  Seeing that we were on a tight budget, we didn't want to pay an outlandish amount of money to stay in a place for just a few hours. The sketchiness of the area we were in should have been an indicator that the hotels might not be that great either. We found a place that was very reasonably priced which we were excited about, until we saw the condition of what we were staying in for the night. 

I was shocked when I saw the state of the room. It didn't look very clean and there were holes in the bathroom wall. (Oh boy was it fun having to use those progesterone suppositories while in this nasty place. I'm glad I didn't catch any diseases that night.) As uncomfortable as it was to be in that room, we were all so worn out from the drive that we were too tired to leave and find another hotel. Thank goodness the exhaustion overpowered my disgust for the room's condition. I fell asleep without much of a problem. 

The next day's drive seemed much more promising knowing we would be driving through parts of the country where it doesn't usually snow. It was also exciting to know that we would be making it to my sister's house in Mansfield, Texas and would be staying there for a few days. The ride was pretty uneventful until we got into Texas. Nikki had quite the lead foot that day. I think she was going over 100 mph when all of the sudden she starts panicking after passing a police officer. She quickly lowers her speed and asks what she should do. Surprised that we hadn't heard or seen and sirens behind us, we wondered if we somehow scraped by unnoticed. I suggested that we pull off the highway. I really needed to use the bathroom and maybe if the cop was far enough behind us he wouldn't realize we exited and would just keep driving. 

Thinking we somehow managed to get out of getting pulled over, we started looking for a place with a restroom. Unfortunately the exit we got off on had limited services and we were having a hard time locating something. As we turned down a quiet road, we suddenly heard sirens and saw the flashing lights of a police car. "Trying to run away from a cop are we?" came the response from the officer as Nikki rolled down her window. She started explaining that we were trying to find a restroom. I totally pulled the "I'm Pregnant" card and said that I really needed to pee. Either he didn't buy it or he really just didn't care, because he slapped Nikki with a hefty ticket. We may not have thought it very funny at the time, but we now get a pretty good chuckle out of that story.

Sister's House in Texas 

We were so excited to reach my sister's house that night. I am grateful that David and Nikki had my sister's family to hang out with because I spent the whole time either in bed or on their futon. While we were there I talked to my sister a lot about my condition and the concerns I had about the bleeding that I was still experiencing. I also told her that I had been noticing a bit of cramping happening on my left side. She told me that the baby had probably implanted on that side (she said her babies implanted on that side when she was pregnant) and that a bit of cramping isn't unusual. I also said that I did seem to be a bit constipated. So I thought that those two things were the reasons why I was feeling that discomfort. I even started calling them poop cramps. 

One of the nights we were there the cramps seemed to be particularly painful and uncomfortable. Since I really didn't feel good, I went upstairs and just lay crying there in a state of worry and discomfort. Looking back on it now I wonder what in the heck was I thinking? Why on earth did I not go to the emergency room or something?! The pain should have been a huge red flag. (*Side Note: Pregnant ladies-If you are feeling any cramping at all, especially if you are bleeding, go to the doctor right away! Better to be safe than sorry!)  I guarantee I prayed a lot that night and the Lord definitely helped me through it. One thing that is interesting is that I don't remember really having cramps other than during the time we were at my sister's house. I now know, as you will find out why later in the story, just how much the Lord is aware of us, watches out for us, and answers our prayers.  

After a fun few days, for my family members at least, it was time for us to continue on our way to Savannah. We left the morning of New Year's Day. We were sad to leave but were also anxious to get to our next stop, my Aunt Sara's house in Monroe, Georgia. We had only been driving for less than two hours when the car started acting strange. It started to decelerate even though David was pushing the gas pedal. It also started to smell a bit funny. We pulled over and David pulled open the hood to look at the engine. Nikki was currently an employee at Jiffy Lube and was a little familiar with cars. She and David had some ideas of what the problem could be but we realized that we may need to take it to a shop to get it looked at. We were blessed to have stopped not far from an exit. I prayed that we would be able to make it to a town with the appropriate services we needed as we started the car and slowly started driving towards the exit. 

Hotel Where We Stayed in Tyler, Texas 

Our prayers were answered and we were able to make it to a small town called Tyler, Texas. Reality struck when we remembered that it was New Year's day and most places would be closed for the holiday. We also wondered what to do if the repairs would need multiple days to fix. Our family in Monroe was expecting us and Nikki had a flight to catch in Savannah in a few days. So we couldn't afford to sit around and wait for our car to be repaired. After weighing our options, we decided to rent a U Haul truck and tow the car the rest of the way to Savannah. We would, however, have to stay the night in Tyler since the U Haul place was closed for the holiday. 

I was so frustrated, grumpy, and annoyed that we were stuck in this small town. Why couldn't we have broken down closer to Dallas where we could have stayed with family while our car was being fixed? Nikki on the other hand was such a good sport and a great example of being patient. She totally went with the flow and wasn't upset about being stranded (or if she was she didn't show it). She said it was all part of the adventure. She was so patient with the emotional, grumpy monster that I was and tried to keep all of our spirit's up. What a blessing she was to us on that trip. I will forever be grateful to her for helping me through one of the most difficult journey's I have ever experienced in my life. 

So there we were, stranded in the middle of nowhere over 900 miles away from our final destination of Savannah, Georgia. In spite of all that had already happened, the craziness had only just begun.