Therapee

I love Las Vegas.

I love the food, the shopping, the pools, the poker, and the escape from reality.  So, to celebrate Ari's first birthday, we gave him a gift of 4 days with his grandparents and we forced ourselves to get out of town.  Happy Birthday to us!  Err, I mean, happy b-day Ari! 

And hello Sin City!  Oh how I missed you.

But little Ari, I missed you too!  So, to help me relax and stop sending check-in text messages to my mom, I booked a treatment at the spa.  I arrived early to take advantage of the hot tub and sauna and the 8 different rooms with water features, temperature changes, heated chairs, light shows, aromatherapy, and more.  And in each room, I sampled a different iced beverage.  I had a cup of pineapple tea, raspberry tea, cucumber water, lemon-lime water, fresh squeezed orange juice, and finally, I ended my hydration vacation with a cup of warm chamomile tea.  And then I sat and waited for my treatment.

As my therapist led me into the room where I would receive my scrub and rub, I realized I may need to pee.  Nah, I thought, I can hold it.  So I undressed and lay on the massage table.  The masseuse came in and began to exfoliate my skin with a mango-scented scrub.  Half-way through the best back scratch of my life, the masseuse walked over to the jacuzzi tub in the room and turned on the water to fill it for my soak.  The sound of the running water made my bladder ache.  I suddenly regretted the 6 cups of water I had consumed (plus the large coffee earlier in the day).

But what should I do?  I could tell her I needed to go to the bathroom.  It would surely only take a minute.  But right as I was about to say something, she said, "Okay, time to get out and go sit in the tub for 10 minutes."  My lips were suddenly paralyzed.  I need to pee.  Like, badly.  But, for whatever reason, I kept my mouth shut.  I stepped inside the warm bath water, lay on my back, put my head down, and tried to enjoy the strong bubbles enveloping my body.  As my bladder continued to fill, I realized I had only 1 option.  I would get out of the tub, dry off, go outside, find my therapist, and ask to use the bathroom.

Or, I thought, this probably isn't an option, but maybe I could tinkle in the tub?  Would she know?  Is that against the rules?  Would the water change color?  Are they going to laugh at me? 

The heck with it, I thought, I paid good money for this, and I'm going to pee! 

I inhaled and pussshhhed.... (and the strength of the bubbles made this very difficult, plus who knows when the last time I tried to pee in the water was, not to mention laying down, this is hard work) and I pushed...there it goes I think I'm peeing...and pushed some more...and I half peed.  I felt a bit of relief.  I looked down, no change in color, and no way could she tell what I had done. 

Because that went well, I figured, maybe I can get the rest out?  (Repeat above actions.  And...success!)  Wow, my bladder was empty and I felt good.  I laid back, put a cool compress on my forehead, and chuckled.  I may be laying in a pool of my own urine, but at least I can now enjoy it.

After the therapist returned, I dried off and lay back down for the massage.  And it was relaxing and wonderful.  I thought about my beautiful boy and all of my worries disappeared.  I could truly relax.

I left the spa feeling refreshed and renewed, calm and content.

And happee.