Blasts and frozens news at last

So I finally heard from the embryology lab (drum roll please!!).

And the news is good - not great- but good. I'm not completely thrilled, but not devastated either (Note to self: Mo, don't get greedy!).

Generally, Denver quotes that approximately 50% of blastocysts are normal in my age range, but then again, they quoted that 50% of embryos get to blast in their lab and, well, our results are more like 25%. And we know that no one at the Denver clinic is expecting our embryos to be typical of their usual patients in terms of aneuploidy.

But we do have enough blasts that maybe, just maybe, we could have one - or if the universe is really smiling - maybe even two that are normal. Please? Couldn't we please? We've paid our dues!

First off, the fresh Denver cycle:
We started with 19 eggs
16 fertilized
12 survived to day 3
so far out of that, we have 4 blasts, which have been biopsied.
There is 1 more they are watching (one of the "late bloomers") that might make it to biopsy tomorrow.

For the detail-minded among you, here is the grading on the blasts, along with their day 3 grading...

Blastocyst #1 Day 3: 8-cell (3 plus grade), Blast grading*: 4BB
Blastocyst #2 Day 3: 8-cell (3 plus grade), Blast grading*: 3BB
Blastocyst #3 Day 3: 8-cell (4 minus grade), Blast grading*: 4BB
Blastocyst #4 Day 3: 8-cell (4 minus grade), Blast grading*: 3AB

So the 9-celled we had at day 3 arrested, along with FIVE of the 8-celled ones we had. Yowza. Just goes to show how hard it is to figure out what is best on day 3, for us at least.

*For those curious about embryo and blast grading, I believe they use the following system for blasts, in which the first number is how expanded the blast is, the first letter is the grade of the inner cellular mass, and the second letter is the grade of the trophectoderm. Click here for the link to the day 3 grading.

From the New York frozens:
We started with 6 embryos frozen at the 2pn stage (day 1)
4 of them survived the thaw
Tomorrow will be day 3...

Seems that four is kind of the number of the day, doesn't it? I hope some of the New Yorkers make it, really, truly do...let's see, if we do the math, given that we started out with 16 fresh and got 4 blastocysts...well, that would mean maybe we'll get 1 blast out of the New York Six. We'll take that, Universe, we will! And be grateful!

In general am trying to focus on the gratitude. If I didn't know we started with 19 eggs and 16 embryos, I'd be pretty damn happy. So maybe that's what I need to stay focused on. The petri dish is half full! Not half empty! Four is not zero. Four is WAY more than zero. It's enough that maybe there could be a living child in there. Maybe. Just maybe.

A small part of me feels that, geesh, this is a lot of effort for a few blasts! But if there's one baby in there, it will all have been worth it.

Mo, just keep repeating to yourself, Four is not zero. The petri dish is half full. Four is not zero. The petri dish is half full... A new mantra.

Stay tuned. Day three results on the New York Six coming tomorrow...

In the meantime, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the turnout. Would you be happy with results like this? Mildly disappointed? Thrilled? Chime in. I'm all ears.

Mo

Jumping out of my skin

I am so nervous today.

Dreams all night that we got no blastocysts. That we got two blastocysts. That they lost the blastocysts. Keep replaying what the embryologist said yesterday in my mind...trying to find more information in the words, like they are some sort of ancient rune or something.

She said yesterday there were two early blasts, but too early to grade or biopsy and that there were a few more even earlier stage (grade 1 and 2 or something, which I think means meansy, weensy, baby blasts?). And a couple of morulas in addition. Basically, she said we'll get between two and eight blastocysts (between TWO and EIGHT? That's um, a big range!). "But really, you won't get eight." Akkk! Then why even mention the number eight?

Meanwhile, have been willing the New York Six to stay alive through the thaw and keep on growing. Will find out how many of them remain today as well.

It's only 7:30AM in Denver, so no news yet...

I have a patient coming in momentarily and then will be attending (but probably not listening attentively to) psychology grand rounds at the hospital.

After that, you can just betcha I'll be calling the embryology lab, if I haven't received a message from them yet.

If only sheer will could make embryos divide fast and properly, you know?

More to come.

Tick.Tock.Tick.Tock.Tick.Tock.

Mo

The New York Six have arrived!

And are safely tucked into the Lonetree lab. Phew! That's a relief. They are just now preparing for their thaw, according to the embryologist I spoke to.

It's going to be a shocker, Embryos, but we hope that you manage to stay with us. We're nice. We promise. You'll see.

Tomorrow is a big news day - we will receive information on how many of the Denver Sixteen made it to blast and how many of the New York Six survived the thaw.

Hopeful. Scared. Hopeful. Scared. Hopeful. Scared. Hopeful.

Mo

Somewhere over the night sky

Somewhere over the night sky tonight, our New York embryos are flying, all six of them winging their way toward Denver, to meet their Western siblings.

Will and I have joked that these frozen six, being New Yorkers, are likely to be much crankier and more prone to irritation than the Denver Sixteen, their Colorado brethren, surrounded by friendly staff and beautiful mountains in the peaceful lab at Lone Tree.

We hope that the East Coast embryos and the Rocky Mountain embryos will all get along, that they will play nicely in the petri dish. We wish for them to grow together for now, and if we are lucky (oh, please, for once let us be lucky!) grow later inside of me and even later outside of me in our home.

Be safe, New York Six, and fly high. We will be checking in on you tomorrow to be sure you arrived safely.

Mo

Update on the Denver Sixteen, and a decision made

We talked to the head embryologist today to get the Day 3 update on the Denver Sixteen. And generally, they seem to be doing pretty well.

The embryologist said we want to see at least six cells for the Day 3 embryos and at least three cells on our late bloomers, the Day 2 embryos.

So, of the original 13, we have:

9 eight cell embryos

1 nine cell embryo

and then some that are probably no longer with us:

2 two cell embryos

1 three cell embryo

Of the 3 late fertilizers, which are basically on Day 2, we have:

1 three cell embryo

1 four cell embryo

and 1 one cell embryo (so, not dividing)

So there are still 12 embryos in the running for blastocyst. Whoo hoo!

I am so, so hoping we have a good number make it to biopsy.

Thank you so much for all of your thoughts re: whether to send the NYC embryos to Denver for biopsy or not. I was surprised that almost all of you agree with Will that they should be sent and biopsied.

After much thought (and a little surrendering), I have agreed to take the embryo plunge. Paperwork is signed and notorized at both clinics, metal mushroom has been shipped from Denver, and tomorrow, our six NYC embryos will begin their journey westward, arriving in Denver Wednesday.

Fed Ex, Please be careful with our precious cargo!!!

Stay tuned, more updates to follow.

Mo