May the Odds be (N)ever in Your Favor

It's been a while since I've posted anything. I had nothing new to say since we had been ordered by our fertility doctor to hold off on trying to conceive.  Waiting was absolute torture for me, and I felt like I was just wasting valuable time (and eggs!)  My husband kept reminding me that one month is not going to make any difference in the grand scheme of things, but the crazy voice in the back of my head kept telling me that this might very well be the month I was supposed to get pregnant, and that this baby would be healthy! Luckily we managed to adhere to the doctor's orders and now I am waiting for my next cycle to start.

Whenever I wanted to poke holes in the condoms or trick my husband into having sex with me while he was intoxicated, I would remind myself that soon we would have our genetic tests back! In a matter of weeks we would know for sure if IVF PGD was an option for us, and we could do everything in our power to ensure our next baby was healthy.  We were told that with the micro-array and specific panel, there was a 70% chance that our mutation would be found.  70% sounded good to me and I told myself every night that our luck would finally change.  Why wouldn't we be in that group?  It was the most likely scenario, and the universe totally owed us a favor.

Well, last week we got our genetic testing results back.  They sucked.  

We are in the 30% category...otherwise known as the "sucks to be you, hope you like 25% odds of having a baby that is not compatible with life" category. Seriously? How bad can our luck be? 

It is estimated that around 1/50,000 people has the EVC mutation, so the fact that I have it is very rare.  I have no family history of the disease and show absolutely no symptoms that would lead anyone to believe I am a carrier.  In fact, the condition is seen predominately in the Amish community, and although I did enjoy the show "Breaking Amish" on TLC, I have no real discernible ties to the community.  In fact, I would probably be the worst Amish person ever.  Now add in the fact that both my husband and I have the mutation and you are left with a possibility that is almost statistically impossible (1 out of 2,500,000,000.)

Two billion five hundred million.  I don't even know how to wrap my mind around those odds. 

Need some perspective on what those odds mean?  Because I know I do!  The following things are all more likely to occur (in order from most to least)

• Odds that you’ll live to 100: 1 in 50
• Odds of finding a four-leaf clover on the first try: 1 in 10,000
• Odds of having quadruplets: 1 in 700,000
• Odds of dying from parts falling off an airplane: 1 in 10 million
• Odds that you will die from a falling coconut: 1 in 250 million
• Odds that you will die from a shark attack: 1 in 300 million  (how is this less likely than dying from a falling coconut!? Those things must be super unpredictable!)

Reviewing this list makes me wonder which will happen first.  Will I die tragically from a rogue falling coconut, or will I finally get pregnant and have a healthy baby?