It's all in HIS hands

Well, the transfer took a little longer than we expected for a few reasons.

1. The genetics lab didn’t have the results to the hospital at 10:30
2. As we expected…we had some difficult decisions to make

We arrived at 9:00 on the dot even though we were set for a 9:30 transfer. On transfer day you are supposed to have a full bladder…very full! So, like a good little patient I drank and drank my liter of water I bought with me. At 9:30 they called us into our room even though the results weren’t there yet and for 2 excruciatingly long hours we waited…and waited…and waited…listening to the cheap clock on the wall “tick, tick, tick.” It was freezing cold and I couldn’t even lay down because I had to use the bathroom so badly.

Finally, at 11:30 we had the results. I got into my gown, booties and cap and B got into his surgery gear. We went back to the procedure room and waited for the doctor. I am going to be honest I don’t remember what our conversation was word for word, so I will give you the gist. He said we had some beautiful grade 4 blastocysts ~ unfortunately all but one of our embryos was affected with CF. There were three that have the R117H (7T deleation) and PS686Y (Ellie's mutations). So, our options were very limited. Our one carrier embryo was only a grade 2 embryo…they grade them 1-4 with 1 being the lowest grade. We knew this was a possibility, but to be perfectly honest I was not expecting this to be our case. So, that is where the difficult choices come in. We know we can’t transfer any of the DeltaF508 b/c that mutation typically causes a more clinical representation of CF and we don’t know how it manifests itself with the PS686Y mutation. However, we talked to several specialists about transferring embryos with Ellie’s mutations. It is all so scientific and I WISH I could explain exactly what he said to us. Those three embryos with CF would be classified as having CF by their DNA(genotype), but there was a slim chance they would have clinical CF(phenotype). Out of those three with CF we had a grade 4, 3, and 2. So, we transferred the grade 2 carrier with roughly 30% chance it will result in a pregnancy and our grade 4 with a 50% chance it will result in a pregnancy. The most amazing part of the grade 4 is that it had already started hatching and we got to see a picture of it and our other little embryo right before they transferred them. Truly amazing! We froze the remaining 2 embryos; however all of the embryos affected with the DeltaF508 had to be destroyed.

So, now we wait and pray. I am almost at a loss for words. I am totally emotionally and physically exhausted. I was just lying on the hospital bed in silence and poor B said, “Hey, how about thinking out loud.” When I get scared or nervous I clam up and internalize everything. So, now B and Biddy are out with Ellie and I am in bed praying that one of our perfect little creations wants to make its home inside of my uterus for the next 9 months. I know all of you have been praying for us so diligently and we thank you. I go back in 10 days for a blood test, so please call all of your prayer warriors and tell them our story. We know God’s plan has already been determined, but prayers for our acceptance of whatever may come are greatly needed.

Blessings,
Angie