I hate to say it and jinx myself, but there aren't many other ways to put it: this has been a good week. On Monday, mid-girl-chat-text-message, a 415-area-code call came up on the phone. It's hard to ignore the 415s and 510s as they actually might not be spam, so I finished typing, hit send, and picked up THE call. A week ahead of schedule (because the new lab takes extra time), our cycle 6 embryos' genetic report was ready. I nipped off to a call booth, braced myself, and was blown away by the news: All. Three. Embryos. Are. Healthy. And just like that, not only had we met our embryo banking goal of 6 euploids, but even exceeded it. And the cherry on top? Two of those embryos were girls! We now have 3 euploid girls and 4 euploid boys plus a low-level segmental mosaic girl (statistically performs almost as well as a euploid upon implantation), plus any back-ups that might be revealed by the re-testing of our cycle 5 no-calls, plus any embryos we might get from this week's retrieval. Suddenly all the pressure was removed from my upcoming surgery.
 |
| Three whole euploid embryos in just one cycle. Two of these are even day 5, the sort of fast-developing embryos normally reserved for youthful non-advanced-maternal-age ladies, thank you very much. That's nearly half of my euploid population in just one single retrieval, and not just any retrieval but the one that had appeared poised to potentially be my worst. Nothing in the world of fertility makes any sense but for once, I'll take it! |
 |
| Who has two thumbs and can finally stop stressing about whether she's banked enough embryos? (Knocking on wood that I don't regret this statement in years to come.) Table pulled from this scientific journal article. Note: LB = live birth; FET = frozen embryo transfer. |
On the topic of the aforementioned upcoming surgery, my body somehow pulled through like a rock star this month. Despite kicking off the cycle with my lowest-ever baseline antral follicle count (the little bubbles spotted in my ovaries that look poised to each yield an egg that month), I power-housed my way up to nearly my highest-ever follicle count at my final monitoring appointment. And my estradiol (estrogen) levels magicked their way into my strongest and best-sustained. Way to go out with a bang, body.
 |
| Higher estradiol levels are indicative of a greater number of potential eggs and/or higher egg quality. Feeling like a rock star after Tuesday's final estradiol measurement for this cycle (starred) came in. |
And you know what? Today's retrieval—my FINAL egg retrieval—yielded 17 eggs (my new record), 14 of which were mature (also a new personal record). And yes, yes, before I get ahead of myself, high numbers are no guarantee of embryos; if anything, they can just mean a higher height from which to watch your hopes fall. But you know what? With 8 perfectly implantable embryos in the bank with a lovely gender balance, this is all just icing on the cake. It's now time for me to recover—physically, financially, professionally, and administratively (okay, well that last bit will still take a couple months).
 |
| Just like that, one day shy of the anniversary of signing my first intake form with Spring, it's a wrap on fertility treatments. |
Gotta hand it to him, Santa really delivered just in time for Christmas this year.
