Chapter 6: TWO HD FREE EMBRYOS!!!!

As you can see, the chances of making even just ONE healthy baby decrease by the day during this whole process. As long as you know your chances going into it, you can manage your expectations. Our first time, that was hard. Now, we are better at it. 

Joe and I agreed that we would send the 5 embryos off to genetic testing. They test all 64 chromosomes and for HD. We also agreed that we shouldn’t find out how many are healthy until AFTER the baseball playoffs. Can you imagine if we have zero come back right in the middle of let’s just say, THE WORLD SERIES!? How could a person who is at-risk for HD be on the biggest stage of his life and find out the most devastating news and not let it affect his performance? No way. 

We played the Tampa Bay Rays and flew back and forth from Houston and Tampa for the first round. Meanwhile I was flying to LA for the Clippers vs. Lakers game and then to San Fransisco for the Clippers vs. Warriors game. After the Astros beat the Rays, we played the Yankees and flew back and forth from Houston and New York.         

I stayed busy so I wasn’t able to get too anxious about the embryo results…But then I texted my fertility doctor and said if it’s good news you HAVE to text me. I just couldn’t sit back and wait. So while we were in New York, after Joe went to the field, she texted me and said “ready for the good news?” I was jumping up and down and texted back “YES!!!” In that moment I have ZERO will power. I used to tell myself I wish I could find out if Joe had HD and not tell him. Knowing would influence decisions about the kind of life we live. Would I make him travel with me more? Would I work less? Would we live somewhere closer to family? Would I make sure he splurged on small joys while he could? So many questions…but after I found out the news about the embryos and had to keep it from him for two weeks until the playoffs were over, I realized I didn’t have it in me to keep a secret like that from him. 

We made TWO HD FREE EMBRYOS!!!!!  That is two babies in my mind. Even though they don’t have heartbeats, and we still have to transfer them which is NOT a guarantee, I am celebrating as if we have two babies. Of course, the next day I was lying on the bed with Joe and I just burst out in tears and said “We have two HD free babies.” I couldn’t hold it in. I just didn’t have the will power. 

We cried and laughed and smiled and cried and it was freakin’ beautiful. I was so thankful he wasn’t mad at me for telling him. The truth is, those results were consistent with the percentages and statistics for testing for the 64 chromosomes, so there wasn’t any reason for him to assume he has HD because of those results. Two out of five is a blessing and a miracle and we are so excited for the next journey. We are in the process now of debating when to transfer them. Prayers that my body will accept them and make beautiful little HD free babies. We will deal with lots of hurdles I’m sure as parents…but at least HD won’t be one of them. 

Thank you God, thank you science, thank you education, thank you world.