It'd be funny if it weren't so infuriating

Remember how I blithely typed the following on Saturday?

Of course, as long as it isn't like the first SA he did way-back-when that our local hospital forgot to analyze and we had to repeat, we'll be fine.

Yeah, I should know better by now than to jinx myself like that.  I swear we're cursed when it comes to this particular test.  Not in the results but in ever getting the damn thing done.

My DH, who is decidedly not a morning person, awoke without complaint at 6 am to leave the house at 6:20 to make the 90 minute drive for his "complete" semen analysis.  This was after coming to bed at 1 am after working late into the night to make sure that his students would have an assignment ready that I could give them in case he was late getting back to his 10:30 class.


I got to work at about 7:20 (rather late for me but his getting up at 6 threw off my whole morning schedule) to find that he called me at 7 am.  I called back, figuring he was just looking for company on the drive.  He said he'd happened to look at the appointment card they gave us on Friday afternoon and it says 9/13/11.  Oh, I'm sure it's just a mistake.  We stood there for five minutes with the receptionist specifically saying we needed the appointment on Monday.  The 12th.  We couldn't do Tuesday.  This was after they told us that the hospital only conducts SAs on Monday and Tuesday and they had to be done before 11 am.

I told him "Ok, I'll call them and let you know.  I'm sure it's just a mistake."

Yeah.  Not so much.

I spent the next 30 minutes on the phone to the clinic with them saying "yes, the 13th."  And me saying "no, what I'm telling you is that it has to be today.  He's already almost there."  After arguing the point multiple times, I hang up and wait for them to call the hospital.  Finally, I get a call from the nurse.  I'm assuming she will say "OK, we're all set, sorry about the mistake."  No, instead it's "Oh, well, there's no one working at the hospital today.  It can't be today.  I guess that's why she set it for Tuesday."

Huh? 

I was so angry I was shaking.  First of all, we were already frustrated that you made us schedule this appointment at the last minute without warning.  I understand that with IVF we're going to have to be flexible with our schedules, but this isn't something that has to be timed impeccably.  We could have done this two months ago when I called and asked "is there any kind of testing we can go ahead and get out of the way now?"  You know, back when we were on summer break and we had all the time in the world?  We live 90 minutes away and are both college teachers.  It isn't possible to just skip a class.  Three hour round trips have to be carefully planned.  (Not that it's any easier for those who have "real" jobs and have to take vacation time off of work to make these appointments.)

I don't even know what I said.  I tried to be as polite as possible in explaining why this situation was SO incredibly bad while making sure they knew how unacceptable this was.  I am REALLY not a confrontational person.  (I mean, this isn't some random lab I'm dealing with -- these are the people who are going to help get me pregnant (look at me being all positive).)  But, really?  I was furious.  They told me that we'd have to reschedule.  That the appointment would have to be either tomorrow morning (not possible) or next Monday morning.  They rescheduled it for next Monday and apologized. 

I had to call my DH, who was just getting off the highway about two miles from the clinic at this point, and tell him to turn around.  He was furious.  And he doesn't get angry.  It's not in his nature.  I mean, I'm not sure I've ever even seen him angry in the six years I've known him.

And then I typed up to this point to try to get rid of the anxiety and adrenaline coursing through my veins so that I could have a useful discussion with my students on how to deal with error and uncertainty in analytical measurements.  (You're jealous, aren't you?)  And then I went to class.

Fast forward an hour later.

He went to the clinic, anyway, to...um...communicate his displeasure.  Knowing him, he did it in the most civil, polite way possible.  But, he tells me, forcefully.  He even said to me "I never get angry.  I never talk to someone in anger.  It felt weird."  He asked to speak to the office manager.  "She's not in."  He asked to speak to someone, anyone, in charge.  (Poor receptionist was shaking her boots -- he kept telling her "I know it's not your fault, but I need to talk to someone.") 

The IVF nurse walks by.

"OK, the hospital has called in the supervisor and she'll run the sample.  Go ahead back to the room!"

(Because, you know when a man is most likely able to "provide a sample?"  When he's shaking with adrenaline and anger!  Yeah, that doesn't add any difficulty to an already difficult situation!)

But, you know what?  What started as a rant against the clinic has turned into a rave.  (I didn't know it was going to when I started typing this post earlier this morning since I only just heard the final conclusion a few minutes ago after I got out of class.) They did what they needed to do to get it done.  They realized they made a mistake and they figured it out.  And, even if they think we're the ones who made the mistake, they were willing to go to bat for us.

(Of course, if my DH had actually turned around and not gone in like they told me to tell him to do this would have been a whole different rant...)

So, yeah, giant sigh of relief.  Thank goodness for nurses who understand and get things done.

And, thank goodness for my wonderful DH who, it turns out, can perform under pressure!  :)