We got back from Portland last night and were welcomed with...rain. It's raining today and according to weather.com it will be raining for the next 7 days. In Portland, it rained. During our drive to Gold Beach, Oregon.... I'm sorry, during our 6 hour drive to Gold Beach, Oregon, it rained. It also rained on our 8 hour drive back from Gold Beach. (I'm not a good car driving/passenger type person. It's a patience thing. I'll work on it.) Please, for the love of God, turn on the sunlamp and give me some lovin'.
Despite the dampness, Portland is a pretty awesome city. Great shopping, lots of green, not a lot of traffic considering the size of the city, an 85,000 square foot book store (Prrrrrrr) and probably the best meal I've had in recent history. Miso marinated black cod at the Heathman Hotel. Jasmine rice. Sesame Vinaigrette. Delicate, flavorful, brings-tears-to-your-eyes, makes-you-guard-your-plate-like-a-game-cat, lovely black cod.
I have no news on the reproductive front. I was expecting to have the results of my immunological testing by now, but I don't. I won't know about the chromosomal testing for at least another two weeks. I have been doing some research on PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis) though and would love your thoughts. The studies I've seen are mixed.
So it's limbo land for a while. Life with a child? Life without a child? If it's the latter, I need to begin planning, well, Plan B, which right now will definitely entail a dry, arrid clime with little rainfall and absolutely no snow. It will probably also include a lot of golf and reading and pool floating. It will mean that my professional days will end far earlier than if the former occurs. And George Clooney will bring me beverages at a snap.
Plan B.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
sounds like you have a nice trip, aside from the rainy car ride. portland is wonderful and love the description of your dinner.
curious about your testing issues. thanks so much for your comments and support, it means a lot. oh and I answered your Q in my comments section. ~luna
My RE was trying to explain the difference to me between PGS (preimplantation genetic screening) and PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis) because apparently there is a big difference.
And this is my paraphrasing of it... PGS is a screening of embryos for potential abnormalities while PGD is for known single-gene or chromosomal abnormalities.
We are doing PGD because we know my hubby's gene's mutation. But I asked about doing PGS as well. My RE didn't recommend it. He said that PGS doesn't test for all aneuplodies and there is controversy that if only one cell shows it in PGS if it means its truly an affected embie. (It was a much more educated and effective argument he presented than I did...)
I also asked if because we did PGD if that reduced our implationation, live-baby rate, etc. He said no, but I've read other opinions/surveys that it does decrease pregnancy.
So I'm probably no help whatsoever. But if you have questions on our process, the costs, the lab it's been sent to, etc., e-mail me!
I love your imagine of child free, the heat, the sunshine, george as your personal slave.
Great description of the blacken cod, I had blacken cod once in my life, and I remember it, what an amazing experience it was.
Glad you enjoyed your trip.
Welcome back, friend. Glad you had a nice trip (or at least a nice meal) despite the soggy weather.
Food in Portland rules, hands down. I can't tell you how many great day trips got soaked when my guy and I were there.
I hope you get some sun soon, and that George remembers the paper umbrella this time, should his services be required.
Sorry about the weather! Jen is 100% right when she makes the very significant distinction between PGD and PGS. I do a lot of outreach for Genesis Genetics which is the lab that pioneered PGD. We had a lot of high hopes within the medical community for PGS, but the results never lived up to the anticipation. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) wrote a very succinct report on the two testing technologies last year. It's worth a read. Essentially, it's a wait and see kind of thing now on PGS. Hopefully progress will be made in that area and it will become the valuable technology that we all hoped it would be.
PGD, on the other hand, is proven to be very valuable for families with single gene mutations that are trying to build their healthy families without passing along devastating diseases. If you are curious about this, feel free to drop our genetic counselor a note at counselor@genesisgenetics.org. I hope this has helped. Best of luck to you and your husband. Dorothy
Sorry about the weather! Jen is 100% right when she makes the very significant distinction between PGD and PGS. I do a lot of outreach for Genesis Genetics which is the lab that pioneered PGD. We had a lot of high hopes within the medical community for PGS, but the results never lived up to the anticipation. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) wrote a very succinct report on the two testing technologies last year. It's worth a read. Essentially, it's a wait and see kind of thing now on PGS. Hopefully progress will be made in that area and it will become the valuable technology that we all hoped it would be.
PGD, on the other hand, is proven to be very valuable for families with single gene mutations that are trying to build their healthy families without passing along devastating diseases. If you are curious about this, feel free to drop our genetic counselor a note at counselor@genesisgenetics.org. I hope this has helped. Best of luck to you and your husband. Dorothy
I lived in Portland for 3 years and visited recently. I realize again what a great city it is, one I would even consider moving to to get away from the *&^$^#@ SNOW. I'm glad you had a great meal, to make up for the long rides.
I think you should have George bring you beverages regardless of which plan becomes reality. Don't know jack about PGD so I can't help on that front
It sounds like your Plan B is ... Phoenix. Great in the winter - not so much in the summer. If I were you, I'd try Santa Fe (which I wanted to spell with an "e" because it just didn't seem right that the first word would be 'Santa') or Albuquerque. New Mexico is gorgeous and usually has pretty temperate weather.
By the way, George is already indentured to the Fug Girls (he's Intern George) so I would abandon that part of Plan B if I were you. However, you can now buy a t-shirt over there commemorating how close you came to actually having him be your personal servant.
On the PGD front, we haven't had it done (I suspect this is because of Dr. Uterus' "Simply Bad Luck Theory" of pregnancy loss for me), but we did discuss it with him and my general impression was that it was very risky with a high possibility of no rewards.
Sorry that it rained on your parade, but I've heard Portland is really good for that. Now that you are home and getting rained on, I think your only option is to win the lottery and head to the Turks and Caicos.
I'm sure you are just so thrilled to get my help.
Post a Comment