I passed!

Results from the various blood tests are in, and I passed (almost) everything. Blood counts, etc., etc. all look good, no problems. I'm not excreting protein, I'm not anemic, I don't have TB, I'm immune to German measles... everything you could hope for in a first trimester blood panel.

Most relieving to me, I don't have gestational diabetes, which was my biggest concern. I have a solid family history of Type 2 diabetes (eg, my brother was diagnosed with it at the ripe old age of 30) to the point that, several years ago, my father started asking me "Do you have it yet?" as if it's inevitable that eventually I will. (My protest that, unlike my brother and my father, I have never had a 5-donut breakfast habit doesn't seem to phase him.) Yet somehow, I (rather stupidly, I would guess) have never even been tested for it. Thus, I approached the glucose screening not just as a test to see whether I might have gestational diabetes, but also whether I actually also might have pre-existing undiagnosed Type 2. Thankfully, my sugar levels were nice and low and normal, not even in the borderline range. It doesn't rule out developing gestational diabetes later in my pregnancy (I have a hunch they'll want to test me again next trimester, since my family history still puts me at high risk) but it does basically rule out a pre-existing condition. It also means that I don't have to regulate the saltine crackers that are my anti-nausea mainstay. So things are good.

The only flaw in my otherwise brilliant blood test performance: my genetic carrier screening shows that I actually am a carrier for one of the Ashkenazi genetic concerns. Who knew? The odds are still heavily in our favor that this won't matter at all, since S. is in the lowest possible risk group for this one, but he'll be doing a blood test this week just to be sure.