Title

Did we have any theories as to whether my head would go with a bang or with a whimper?

It was a whimper.

Briefly (because I honestly cannot stand to sit here within a fingernail of google for one more second):

the genetics counselor called to say that the lab has requested additional information. They need to know where the breakpoints are for Steve's translocation. I said that doesn't sound good. She said she had thought that, too, but the lab said not to read into it. I called her back with the breakpoints and she said she did not know when she would hear anything (today? tomorrow?) but that she would call when she did.

I waited as long as I could reasonably expect even the most dedicated of perinatology staffers to still be at work on a lovely summer's evening before posting this, but they are not calling again today. 

Not sure what this means. I have some guesses. Some are really really awful. Some are minorly worrisome. None are of a sort to have me breaking out the fireworks (which I am actually afraid of anyway) just now. I am trying to believe that they have not even looked at the samples yet but... meh.

Comments

[Barbara]

Fingers and toes tightly crossed for you.

[Celeste]

Crossing mine too for you.

[Celeste]

Crossing mine too for you.

[Celeste]

Crossing mine too for you.

[uberimma]

I am sure they are not torturing you deliberately. Although if they were, I don't think they could do a much better job.

[pink]

Sending good thoughts your way.

[Liz]

Sending out good vibes into the universe for you (and 13a/b)...

[Lisa V]

Shit Julia. Hope this is nothing more than a minor blip, and everything goes well.

[Mama Dramas]

It really sounds like they have not looked at the samples yet. Crossing fingers.

[JuliaKB]

WTF is wrong with them? They didn't ask you where the break points are before commencing this exercise?
Keeping everything crossed for some clerical and/or laziness issue. Damn!

[Jen]

Oh, crappity crap. Hoping for you that they are just super-thorough, and this latest round of worry is for nought. I'm truly sorry you're having to go through this.

[kathleen999]

I am going to be optimistic and believe that either they have not looked yet, or they have looked and they haven't found anything obvious. Because if they had already looked and there was something obviously wrong, why would they need to ask you for more info? They would have called and said, "I'm sorry to tell you this...."

So I am hoping this is good news that they are going to check very carefully now to be sure before they give you good news.

[Beth]

Oh, fah foodle fig feh.

I am so sorry you have to worry and wait and wonder though another night. Hoping for good news asap. Hang in there.

[Jennifer]

Julia, I am hoping desperately for you that this is simply clarification of good news. I can't imagine how you will sleep tonight, but please know that there are countless people out here thinking of you and hoping for the very best. There might even be a few who have had less wine than I have and know whether or not they are spelling words correctly. Oh, Julia, I just want this to be good, better, AND best for you. Thinking of you...
Jennifer

[LB]

Wow, unsettling. But it really sounds to me like they haven't looked yet. Somebody went to look at it today and said "Hey! I can't do this...I don't know the breakpoints for the existing translocation!" and then put it in the 'have supervisor call' pile. That is for sure what happened. For sure. Best wishes for tomorrow.

[Sally]

UGH! They totally did that to me - on the CVS that turned out NORMAL. I freaked though because it was about 5 days between them calling for that information, and getting the actual results. I freaked to the point of making the appt for the termination. I know, but I'm a do-er, I suppose.

So from sharing that same experience and having a good outcome I would choose to read it as they're not seeing anything wonky from a distance, and they want to go over your particular breakpoints with a fine toothed comb (they actually use those in genetics labs!) to make sure.

The hell with you though, I'm hating that clinic right now for making ME wait. I'm hoping so very very much that this turns to the sweet side for you.

[daysgoby]

I like kathleen999's idea. Because it makes a lot of sense.

But shit, Julia, you must be achingly tired of not knowing.

[Barbara]

Goodness, I'm commenting twice in one day. Just remember Julia --- you have many many of us waiting with you. Sending heartfelt positive thoughts your way. -B

[Sadie]

I was all set to type something in worried, hand-wringing fashion but Sally's comment has revived me, and I'm sitting here hoping you've read it, too. This waiting, this riding the fucking rollercoaster must be nothing short of brutal, Julia. Thinking of you.

[Heather]

Aacckkk! I hate it when they leave us hanging. The answers need to be available now. So sorry they are doing this to you. My fingers are crossed and my thoughts are with you.

[Laura in L.A.]

Awww, Sweet Pea! So sorry you're in this agony. I'm praying for you and checking on you, all day long.

[caitlin]

ohfershitssake. how much stress does the universe think you need to endure??? Ditto the reasonable perspectives of "they haven't looked yet" and hope hope hoping for you.

[Laurie]

I love Sally's comment and I hope that that is what it is. It MUST be that and it WILL be a hell of a wait if it takes as long as it did for her. What about your mental breaking point for crying out loud. You are going to come out of this with TWO beautiful babies to chase with Patrick and that is so wonderful.

Laurie

[L]

Arg. Nothing can go smoothly for you, can it? I think others are right, if they have found something wrong they would have told you. There would be no reason for them to look farther into it. Either they haven't found anything and want to double check it or they haven't looked at it yet.

I'm sorry that the waiting game is still not over.

Good luck

[Andrea]

Heavy sigh. We are still hanging on with you.

[nate]

I'm w/ Sally and Kathleen999. They're being extra careful.

I hope you can get some sleep tonight. Along w/ the rest of the internets, I'm thinking of you...

[Shelley]

!!!!!!! Why on EARTH could they not have gotten that info at the beginning, rather than wait until now? I mean, surely they're not *intentionally* ratcheting up the tension?

That said, I think the posters who say this is routine, that it's potentially a sign of good things, are very likely onto something -- heaven knows how much I hope so.

I wish for you a night of no Google and much sleep. Dunno how likely the latter is, but I'm hoping anyway..

[Carrie (in MN)]

What Sally said. Or LB. Or Kathleen. Out here waiting and agonizing and hang-wringing with you. The cosmic force of this many internet peoples rooting for you...boggles the mind.

[Same Boat]

Hey Julia, it's me Casey, you know the one in the same boat with a husband named steve who has a BT between 1 and 11 and multiple miscarriages and one child concieved the old fashioned way. Well when we had the amnio with our daughter, the one who also has the BT, they called us to get the break points. Remember when we last emailed about this, whether they could tell from PGD if the embryos were balanced or not?? You said they couldn't tell, only if all of the genetic info was accounted for-right? So maybe one of the babies has the BT? That was the explanation for our phone call after amnio and I am hoping it is the same for you. Fingers and toes crossed for you and a&b! Casey

[Heather Ann]

Dear Sweet Julia, I so much want you to be dancing and celebrating two normal babies. I also am going with Kathleen999. I hope the waiting has joy at the end. Thinking of you.

[Slim]

Oh, Julia. You don't need this.

What you need is for Sally to be the voice of truth. I am fervently hoping that she is.

[Pam L]

Drat, more waiting. I'm hoping you are right and they want all the info they can get before they start with the samples so they have everything they need to proceed. And I don't even know what "breakpoints" are, literally? Hmm. Still hoping.

[Toni]

I'm with everyone else. I'm thinking Hope. And crossed everything. I'll even add a prayer in there. I really want this to be good for you...

[grumpygirl]

julia, breathe. no wise words. the people we wait for test results for can't have any idea what it's like to wait for test results. (i've been waiting for some for over a week and i'm losing my mind over it.)

breathe. we're all pulling for you so let us do the work.

[JenH]

Gah!!!!

[Jessica]

Recrossing the fingers over here. What a roller coaster. Sorry you have to go through it.

[Miz S]

Crossing my fingers along with everyone else, Julia. We want you to have these babies.

[Missy]

Ugh, it really is the summer of waiting for you. Here is hoping they are just procrastinators and you will have good news soon!

[Natalee]

Jesus Gay! Hello?!? Universe? Can you PLEASE give Julia a break now? Thanks!

[ksmaybe]

All parts are crossed here, but I think the most likely explanation is that one or both fetuses have a balanced translocation, which would make them want to confirm what is by far the most likely scenario, that they will be every bit as normal as your hubs. While you'd like to see completely normal, as normal as your husband can't be considered that bad can it? :)

If the fetus/fetuses were unbalanced, the specific breakpoints would be immaterial b/c the prognosis would be poor. If the breakpoints matter, it is most likely to confirm that the observed balanced outcome is just like your husbands.

[anne nahm]

Jeez, I am glad that there are people out there like LB and Kathleen, because they are totally right in their calm and soothing comments.

Because I just want to get pissed on your behalf, find the mythical Sphincter of Fate, and break my foot off in it for you for the worrying alone. Which is probably not that soothing or calming for you. So I'm glad someone has it covered. Take care.

[Geohde]

Oh, well, crap.

I have to say that it sounds a little unprofessional on their behalf that they didn't already have that information. It's not like you wanted the karyotypes for amusement.

Good luck.

[Aurelia]

Aghhh....okay another possibility is that the tissue samples have turned out mosaic. Which can happen with CVS quite often because you can have a confined placental mosaicism, as in perfect normal fetus yet the placenta has some clumps of abnormal cells growing beside normal cells.

It's a good result but a nervewracking one while you wait.

[designenvy]

I would be a fool to pretend that I understand half of the science behind all this testing, I went to law school for a reason. However I did have the foresight to marry a scientist. And after an hour long discussion into FISH and other kinds of testing I can say that the people who made the earlier reassuring comments were probably correct. According to my source without the breakpoints they could have done initial testing and found nothing, and then they figured out that the translocation could be hiding at the far end of the play dough as so elegantly described in a previous post. Without the breakpoints they don't know where to put the probe to ensure an accurate result. So no news equals good news so far. Now as to why they didn't think of this in the first place I have no clue and I'm surprised that your are still mentally connected to this plane of existence because I for one would have gone completely raving mad with all this waiting.

[Laura K.]

I had some funky CVS results with K that were due to placental mosaicism, and it was just a few cells, and the clinic was being extra careful like Sally said with her comments. I hope that it's just something like that.

Holding out good thoughts!

[tgsdmom]

Julia, I think there is a pretty good chance that both are genetically fine and that Sally et al are right. Anyway, there is nothing to do now, so I suggest a heavy dose of Netflix (or books). You need to think of something else. Hoping 4U.

[Brandee]

Blah blah blah science blah blah blah. But, I'm here too, waiting with you, and hoping for wonderful news TOMORROW. :)

[Ellery]

Good grief. While you pull your hair out strand by strand, I'll be over here pulling for you, Steve, Patrick, 13a and 13b.

[Ruth]

crossing everything possible that all these reassuring comments are correct ....

[terri c]

Everything crossed here. "As normal as Steve is??" Remember, this is the man with the demolition/reconstruction gene who also climbs trees to enhance internet access. Seriously, Julia, Steve, Patrick, and 13s, every warm thought is headed your way.