I finally heard from the Denver clinic at 7pm EST - and boy do they have timing.
By around 6:30pm, I had given up on them reaching me at the office, forwarded my phone to my cell, and left to attend my work-related cocktail party. The head of my department had just begun introducing the various faculty in my department to the new intern class. She gets to me, says my name and begins a short introduction about my clinical and research work and guess what - THIS EXACT MOMENT is when the Denver clinic finally decides to call. So I'm standing there with a group of like 50 people looking at me and my phone begins ringing. I don't want to walk away, but I'm not about to "reject" the call either....talk about awkward! I ended up turning beet red and walking out hastily to make sure I got to the phone in time.
So anyway...the news...
It's not great.
But it's not completely terrible either.
Out of 18 fertilized embryos,
we have 6 blasts to biopsy. And of those, we were told that one is of "poorer" quality (e.g., grade 3BC), so less likely to make a baby if it turns out to be normal.
The other five were graded as follows (using this blast grading system):
6BA
4BB
3BB
3BB
3AB
There was also one that was a 4CC that was such poor quality they didn't even biopsy it. Basically no inner cellular mass or trophectoderm.
All the remaining embryos are still in culture and they will check on them tomorrow and see what they can salvage of those. At this point, two are early stage blasts (so maybe by tomorrow they'll be ready to biopsy...), three are morulas (which is usually a day 4 embryo) , and two are grade one blasts of poor quality (so probably toast). Four more are still cleavage-stage embryos, which basically means they have arrested.
Phew, follow all that? I'm not sure I did.
More news to come on Friday. Here's hoping the cohort grows a bit, because we need every single chance we can get. Ugh. This is not for the fainthearted.
Mo
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I think 6 is a good number, even though I know you were looking for more. Lets hope you have a good number of normals because that is what's important.
ReplyDeleteOK. Hang in, Mo. I know this is crazy-making, but all it takes is one. So 6 is a good place to be. Fingers crossed and waiting with you.
ReplyDelete(((HUGS)))))
ReplyDeleteWhat timing! :-( I've noticed they usually seem to make all their calls around 4 p.m. Denver time.
ReplyDeleteI know you were hoping for more blasts at this point, but 6 is still a good number, and it's not necessarily the final number. Hopefully there will be additional ones tomorrow.
Also, JMO, but I'd push them to biopsy anything that could remotely be worth biopsying. The cost of CGH/MA is a flat fee regardless of the number of embryos, and there have definitely been poor-looking embryos that have produced lovely children. Two of my friends have three children between them that are testaments to that. One of those three is the result of an embryo created at CCRM that was a poor grade but my friend made RE stick it back in just for the heck of it along w/2 donor egg embryos.
(I realize that at some point stories like that cross the line from encouraging to annoying, but since it relates specifically to CCRM, I felt compelled to mention it this time.)
Ack! What timing, indeed:)
ReplyDeleteOK, so could have been better... could have been worse. Pulling for the ones still culturing!
Hoping for a good few normals for you in this bunch! Wish you'd ended up with more to biopsy...
ReplyDeleteYou sound discouraged, and I'm sorry for that - 6 is a nice healthy number, but still, I can see how it would feel like a letdown after 18. Here's hoping they're all genetically perfect and that your biggest problem from here on out is trying to decide how many babies to make out of this wealth of embryos. Thinking of you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nail-biter!! I am thinking about you and sign on every day for updates!
ReplyDeleteTry to hang in there... this is all so dizzying!
Six is great! Hoping some of your Day 7's keep growing!
ReplyDeleteI think that's great - it is more than I ever got in a single cycle! And don't put too much weight in the grading - my euploid blasts were not "pretty" i.e. AA - they were all BB. I'm pregnant with a 4BB right now. So I'm very hopeful for you!
ReplyDeleteI totally know what you mean about the awkward timing, and the things they make us do with our cell phones grasped in our hands. I had mine on vibrate stuck in the top of my dress up until 5 minutes before the start of my friend's wedding ceremony as I waited for my Day 3 report. I finally turned it off at that point for the duration of the ceremony, but then promptly turned it back on. Of course they didn't even call that day, even though they said they would!
ReplyDeleteI think you've got some good things to work with. I know this is the hardest point of the waiting, especially in the next weeks waiting for the results. I hope it goes quickly and you get some good ones!
I think six sounds like a fabulous number...and it might even go up!
ReplyDeleteTotally not for the fainthearted. I can only imagine the anxiety. May I suggest some chocolate therapy? Have you tried the handmade ice cream at Jacques Torres? It can't hurt.
ReplyDeleteThinking of you.
Congrats on your 6! That's a great number!!
ReplyDeleteSuch torture! Still, you have chances. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteYou still have a chance and I'm praying that some will be good enough to make babies! Friday is too far away!!! Hang in there!
ReplyDelete