FISH results are back

We got the FISH results back today from the Denver clinic.

This was the test looking just at the X and Y chromosomes, because the Denver clinic worried we may be more prone to polyploidy than, well, regular infertile people.

And while the results are not at all what we were hoping for, we are also not out of the running yet.

In sum, we got three normal, one no result, and three abnormal.

So in only 48 hours, and testing only one pair of chromosomes, we're down to (gulp) half of our blastocysts.

Here's the detailed version:

Embryo #03: Day 6 blast, 4AA: Fertilized with Day 2 ICSI: No diagnosis
Embryo #05: Day 7 blast, 4AB: NORMAL!
Embryo #06: Day 7 blast, 6BB: NORMAL!
Embryo #07: Day 6 blast, 4BB: NORMAL!
Embryo #10: Day 6 blast, 3BB: XXX
Embryo #15: Day 6 blast, 4BB: XXY
Embryo #18: Day 6 blast, 3AB: mosaic (6 cells normal, 1 cell XYY, 1 cell XXY). Mitotic error

All seven blastocysts will also be tested using microarray to check all chromosomes, so hopefully the no result will have a result that way.

There is no way to tell with the XXX or XXY if these are trisomies (just one extra X on each) or polyploidies (a full extra set of chromosomes, including the sex chromosomes). We'll have to combine these results with the microarray results down the line to determine that. But it doesn't matter; they are out of the running either way.

So how are we feeling? I want to tell you I'm happy with these results. That Will and I did fist pumps and are looking on the bright side and know that all will be ok.

But I'll be honest with you. Will and I were crestfallen at the news. We both (obviously, erroneously) thought that these results were going to be almost certainly good and that it would be when we got the the bulk of the chromosomes with the microarray that we would be facing longer odds. We hadn't discussed it ahead of time, but it turns out we were both expecting to get all normals, or maybe one abnormality in the bunch.

You gotta watch those expectations because they will come back to bite you in the ass every time. You would think we would know this by now, wouldn't you? Do we never learn?

As I listened to the genetics counselor's voice message detailing the news, I felt my face drain of color and tears well up in my eyes.

In a desperate attempt to avoid despair, I called her back and she reminded me that sex chromosome aneuploidies are among the most common aneuploidies. OK. Good point.

And she also reminded me that we're not really facing down the prospect of needing 22 more chromosome pairs to be normal (which seems impossible to Will and I since already just looking at one pair, we've lost half of our cohort). She said she's never seen chromosomes 1, 2, or 3 come up abnormal in the results, because these embryos would most likely not even make it to blast stage, so hey, at least there's only 19 more pairs that we need to hope we somehow beat the odds on. Ugh. Not so reassuring, really, but I guess it's something.

I'm extra worried because two of the three normals we got are the Day 7 blasts. While I am so, so appreciative that the lab went the extra distance and cultured and biopsied these (otherwise, we'd have ONE normal right now), I also can't forget that the head embryologist told me to really not count on those two because they were so slow growing and that they were likely abnormal and that even if they are normal, they are basically unknowns in his book (since even Denver doesn't work with Day 7 blasts), and probably less likely to implant after a transfer. Sigh. If that's true, then we're really down to ONE blastocyst that could be our golden child.

Strangely enough, the genetics counselor was actually pleased with the results. She told me that with our history, she'd expected we'd have a number of abnormalities crop up and is thrilled we still have three normals to work with (although she didn't know that two of our three normals were the day 7 blasts).

So despite my tears, I will try to see the world through her eyes. We are not out of the game yet.

All it takes is one. But damn, we are disappointed. Can't we catch a break already?

Mo