(19 weeks)

From: Lisa Cote [mailto: ljcote@snet.net ]
Sent:
Saturday, July 20, 2002 2:04 PM
To: Lisa Cote
Subject: Twin Update-please pray...

   Hello everyone,

 We had our Level 2 ultrasound yesterday at UCONN and received some disturbing news.  First, let me say how wonderful it was to see our little ones on the screen - they were both moving around and both had heartbeats.  We found out that they are identical twin boys (it had originally been thought that they were fraternal...)

 But we also found out that they have developed a condition called "Twin to Twin Transfusion" where one baby is getting too much blood and nutrients and the other isn't getting enough.  The twin with too much is running the risk of heart failure because he's working too hard to pump all the blood and fluid through his system and the twin with too little is basically being malnourished.  As most of you who have seen me in the past few weeks, my abdomen had been growing very rapidly and was hard as a rock.  This was because there was too much amniotic fluid building up too fast.  They immediately did a procedure similar to "amniocentesis" where they stuck a needle into my abdomen and removed some of the excess fluid.  They ended up removing 2 Liters (equal to about 5 pounds) yesterday.  They did this in the hopes that it would relieve pressure of the blood vessels in the placenta so the smaller baby might be able to get more blood and nutrients.  But there is no guarantee. 

  Jeffrey and I are pretty devastated and I'm sure you'll understand if this weekend we're not ready to talk at length about this so if you feel the need to call - please wait until next week sometime.  And PLEASE PRAY.  I feel like it's our only chance.    Below is a link to a website that helped explain this "syndrome" a little better:

  http://www.tttsfoundation.org

 Thank you

 Lisa Cote & Jeffrey Willson

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