F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-E-D!

So today was supposed to be the conference call with the doctor in Maryland (for the third time). It has been rescheduled, again, to Monday at 2pm... I am not holding my breath. The doctor whom I refer to is the geneticist who will preform our PGD. He will tell us on the conference call if my translocation is mild or severe, as far as the number of eggs he thinks it will affect. People get confused about this... We are not doing this for the same reason the Hollywood stars are. You know, to pick a boy or a girl, or to make sure their child is genetically perfect. We have to do this to make sure our babies have enough chromosomes to survive. However, we could know the sex of our baby on the day of implantation. Isn't that crazy? Imagine knowing the sex of your baby the day you become pregnant!?! We have opted to wait until the normal 16-20 weeks to find out, if we are so blessed to get that far.

I was thinking last night after I posted about the call, that some of you might not understand what got us to in-vitro/PGD in the first place, which triggered a thought! Here is a great definition taken from About.com:
"A chromosomal translocation is a condition in which part of a chromosome has broken off and reattached in another location. People can have translocations without being aware of the condition. This is usually the case for reciprocal (or balanced) translocation, a type of chromosomal translocation that increases the risk of recurrent miscarriages.
In a balanced translocation, a person usually has all the genetic material necessary for normal growth -- a piece of a chromosome is merely broken off and attached to another one. However, when that person's cells divide to create egg or sperm cells for reproduction, the egg or sperm cells can end up with extra genetic material or missing genetic material, which could lead to miscarriage depending on which chromosome and genes are affected.
There is no cure for balanced translocation, and in most cases, the only adverse effect on health is recurrent miscarriages. For couples affected by balanced translocation, odds are in favor of a successful pregnancy at some point, but repeated miscarriages can obviously be difficult to cope with emotionally.
Couples with balanced translocation can opt for a treatment called preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). In PGD, the couple conceives via in-vitro fertilization along with gene testing of the embryos to be sure that they do not have an unbalanced translocation. PGD is very expensive, however, and not covered by insurance, which is another reason why many couples are forced to keep trying without intervention."

Nothing I do can be simple! :)
~Amy