Life Our Babies Could Use Your Support - Page 21

'Hamas' Jenkins · 04:51 AM

The great news is that I am a dad of two beautiful little girls.

The terrible news is that those girls are in extreme medical duress.
Yesterday, my wife gave birth, via emergency c-section, at 29 weeks, two days. At sixteen weeks, what looked like a normal, but rare, identical twin pregnancy became far more complicated. Our babies were diagnosed with a disorder that happens about 15% of the time with identical twin pregnancies called Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome. A detailed medical description isn’t necessary, but a brief one may help to understand.

The placenta provides blood flow and nutrition to a developing fetus. Most of the time, identical twins draw from the placenta with little issue, but in Twin-to-Twin, there is an imbalance. One twin, called the recipient, pulls too much blood from the placenta, and also the other baby. This makes the recipient polycythemic, basically the exact opposite of anemic. With too much blood, especially red blood cells, the blood becomes sludgy, and all the extra fluid which the baby receives from the extra blood puts a great deal of strain on their system, and can lead to congestive heart failure and other problems.

The other twin, the donor, experiences problems due to a lack of blood volume.

As a result of this circulatory imbalance, there is a massive discrepancy in amniotic fluid. The recipient swims in a pool of it, while the donor is, in essence, shrink-wrapped by the lack of fluid as the amniotic sac pulls in around it.

The condition is gravely serious, and without treatment, will usually carry a mortality risk of 100%.

After finding out that what we thought was going to be a normal pregnancy was anything but at 16 weeks, we had a procedure done in St. Louis called fetoscopic laser ablation. Developed a little over a decade ago, surgeons make a small incision in the mother’s abdomen, and with a small endoscope and laser, cauterize shared vessels between the two twins. This helps to establish a normal blood flow between the two babies.
We had this procedure done on May 6.

Initially, everything looked great, as the fluid levels between the two babies balanced out, and blood flow patterns appeared within normal range. About three weeks after the procedure, our specialists noticed that the condition had actually reversed itself. About 10% of the time, the condition will spontaneously reverse itself.

It was apparent to doctors at this appointment that this had happened near the end of May. Fluid levels were imbalanced, but still at the very end of normal. As such, the doctors felt it was the best interests in prolonging the pregnancy, which was not yet at viability, to avoid another event that would require making a hole in the amniotic sac. Thus, we embarked on a pattern of extreme vigilance. At multiple appointments per week, doctors performed an ultrasound wherein they would measure amniotic fluid levels, blood flow across the umbilical cords, and within the cerebral arteries in the brain.

After this second scare, it appeared that things began to normalize. Most of our subsequent appointments looked improved, and everything appeared to be on a healthy, normal trajectory.

Until Wednesday night.

Late Wednesday, my wife began to feel a series of small contractions. While normal in the third trimester, she had enough in a short period of time that it was necessary to call the doctor. He had us come into the hospital for closer monitoring, and after doing so, noticed that one of our babies was in distress. We had three ultrasounds last night and early into Wednesday morning, and after doing so, the doctors felt that it was in the best interests of the babies to deliver them at an extremely early, 29 weeks, but still viable age.

At 5:09 and 5:10 pm yesterday, we welcomed our little girls into the world.

Continued in post #2

Amnorix · 09-23-2011, 03:13 PM

Best of luck!

'Hamas' Jenkins · 09-23-2011, 03:16 PM

Here's a post-op picture:

**Donger** · 09-23-2011, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Here's a post-op picture:

* Gulp *

**HemiEd** · 09-23-2011, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

* Gulp *

Yeah, that picture gave me chills.

Marcellus · 09-23-2011, 03:22 PM

Damn. Just plain damn. Hang in there Hamas.

Makes my work frustration seem damn trivial right now.

'Hamas' Jenkins · 09-23-2011, 03:28 PM

It's pretty humbling when the person who has the most courage of anyone you've known doesn't yet weigh five pounds.

Thanks again for the support, but don't fret too much. She's doing really well right now. She's sucking on her pacifier like Vermeil did on drafts.

**The Franchise** · 09-23-2011, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

It's pretty humbling when the person who has the most courage of anyone you've known doesn't yet weigh five pounds.

Thanks again for the support, but don't fret too much. She's doing really well right now. She's sucking on her pacifier like Vermeil did on drafts.

You never truely feel helpless until there is something wrong with your newborn and you can't do shit about it.

**Donger** · 09-23-2011, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

It's pretty humbling when the person who has the most courage of anyone you've known doesn't yet weigh five pounds.

Thanks again for the support, but don't fret too much. She's doing really well right now. She's sucking on her pacifier like Vermeil did on drafts.

Before you know it, you'll have magically changed from "Daddy" to "Dad" (unless she wants something) and be bitching about how her American Girl doll's clothes are "out of fashion." Whatever the **** that means.

Braincase · 09-23-2011, 03:43 PM

{Prayers for you, your wife and your little ones}

BillSelfsTrophycase · 09-23-2011, 04:13 PM

Been there, done that

My little 3lb 9oz bundle of joy is still kicking ass 11 years later

Your little girls will get through it because her daddy's genes demand it

**doomy3** · 09-23-2011, 05:25 PM

Speechless.

Hang in there, Hamas. Sounds like you have a couple fighters on your hands, and it's great to hear that they have already responded well to so many obstacles. Great to hear the surgery today went as well as possible.

I'll pray that the coming days, weeks and months continue that trend and that they continue getting better.

Setsuna · 09-23-2011, 07:18 PM

I prayed for all of you. God bless.

crispystl · 09-23-2011, 07:38 PM

Hamas, I hope everything turns out well for your family. Prayers your way man.

Fat Elvis · 09-23-2011, 11:00 PM

You and your family are in my prayers.

Ugly Duck · 09-24-2011, 07:15 AM

Cutest baby in town - probably has her Dad's smarts & her Mom's good looks. And she has over 300 fans so far - including me....

07-29-2011, 03:29 AM
'Hamas' Jenkins Now you've pissed me off! Join Date: Jan 2006 Casino cash: $7919572	Our Babies Could Use Your Support The great news is that I am a dad of two beautiful little girls. The terrible news is that those girls are in extreme medical duress. Yesterday, my wife gave birth, via emergency c-section, at 29 weeks, two days. At sixteen weeks, what looked like a normal, but rare, identical twin pregnancy became far more complicated. Our babies were diagnosed with a disorder that happens about 15% of the time with identical twin pregnancies called Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome. A detailed medical description isn’t necessary, but a brief one may help to understand. The placenta provides blood flow and nutrition to a developing fetus. Most of the time, identical twins draw from the placenta with little issue, but in Twin-to-Twin, there is an imbalance. One twin, called the recipient, pulls too much blood from the placenta, and also the other baby. This makes the recipient polycythemic, basically the exact opposite of anemic. With too much blood, especially red blood cells, the blood becomes sludgy, and all the extra fluid which the baby receives from the extra blood puts a great deal of strain on their system, and can lead to congestive heart failure and other problems. The other twin, the donor, experiences problems due to a lack of blood volume. As a result of this circulatory imbalance, there is a massive discrepancy in amniotic fluid. The recipient swims in a pool of it, while the donor is, in essence, shrink-wrapped by the lack of fluid as the amniotic sac pulls in around it. The condition is gravely serious, and without treatment, will usually carry a mortality risk of 100%. After finding out that what we thought was going to be a normal pregnancy was anything but at 16 weeks, we had a procedure done in St. Louis called fetoscopic laser ablation. Developed a little over a decade ago, surgeons make a small incision in the mother’s abdomen, and with a small endoscope and laser, cauterize shared vessels between the two twins. This helps to establish a normal blood flow between the two babies. We had this procedure done on May 6. Initially, everything looked great, as the fluid levels between the two babies balanced out, and blood flow patterns appeared within normal range. About three weeks after the procedure, our specialists noticed that the condition had actually reversed itself. About 10% of the time, the condition will spontaneously reverse itself. It was apparent to doctors at this appointment that this had happened near the end of May. Fluid levels were imbalanced, but still at the very end of normal. As such, the doctors felt it was the best interests in prolonging the pregnancy, which was not yet at viability, to avoid another event that would require making a hole in the amniotic sac. Thus, we embarked on a pattern of extreme vigilance. At multiple appointments per week, doctors performed an ultrasound wherein they would measure amniotic fluid levels, blood flow across the umbilical cords, and within the cerebral arteries in the brain. After this second scare, it appeared that things began to normalize. Most of our subsequent appointments looked improved, and everything appeared to be on a healthy, normal trajectory. Until Wednesday night. Late Wednesday, my wife began to feel a series of small contractions. While normal in the third trimester, she had enough in a short period of time that it was necessary to call the doctor. He had us come into the hospital for closer monitoring, and after doing so, noticed that one of our babies was in distress. We had three ultrasounds last night and early into Wednesday morning, and after doing so, the doctors felt that it was in the best interests of the babies to deliver them at an extremely early, 29 weeks, but still viable age. At 5:09 and 5:10 pm yesterday, we welcomed our little girls into the world. Continued in post #2 Last edited by 'Hamas' Jenkins; 07-29-2011 at 04:51 AM.. Reason: Got my days mixed up
Posts: 74,860

09-23-2011, 03:13 PM	#301
Amnorix In BB I trust Join Date: May 2003 Location: Boston, Mass. Casino cash: $10029808	Best of luck! __________________ "I love signature blocks on the Internet. I get to put whatever the hell I want in quotes, pick a pretend author, and bang, it's like he really said it." George Washington
Posts: 43,125

09-23-2011, 03:16 PM	#302
'Hamas' Jenkins Now you've pissed me off! Join Date: Jan 2006 Casino cash: $7919572	Here's a post-op picture: __________________ "When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”--Abraham Lincoln
Posts: 74,860

09-23-2011, 03:22 PM	#305
Marcellus Diablo Negro Join Date: Sep 2003 Casino cash: $2632662	Damn. Just plain damn. Hang in there Hamas. Makes my work frustration seem damn trivial right now.
Posts: 69,711

09-23-2011, 03:28 PM	#306
'Hamas' Jenkins Now you've pissed me off! Join Date: Jan 2006 Casino cash: $7919572	It's pretty humbling when the person who has the most courage of anyone you've known doesn't yet weigh five pounds. Thanks again for the support, but don't fret too much. She's doing really well right now. She's sucking on her pacifier like Vermeil did on drafts. __________________ "When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”--Abraham Lincoln
Posts: 74,860

09-23-2011, 03:43 PM	#309
Braincase Banned Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Pond> Me <Barn Casino cash: $11298284	{Prayers for you, your wife and your little ones} __________________ BrainCase
Posts: 15,429

09-23-2011, 04:13 PM	#310
BillSelfsTrophycase WHAT IS YOUR MAJOR MALFUNCTION Join Date: Oct 2009 Casino cash: $10009313	Been there, done that My little 3lb 9oz bundle of joy is still kicking ass 11 years later Your little girls will get through it because her daddy's genes demand it
Posts: 6,755

09-23-2011, 05:25 PM	#311
doomy3 Supporter Join Date: Aug 2005 Casino cash: $5043539	Speechless. Hang in there, Hamas. Sounds like you have a couple fighters on your hands, and it's great to hear that they have already responded well to so many obstacles. Great to hear the surgery today went as well as possible. I'll pray that the coming days, weeks and months continue that trend and that they continue getting better.
Posts: 12,856

09-23-2011, 07:18 PM	#312
Setsuna Paladin Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Gator Country Casino cash: $10008487	I prayed for all of you. God bless.
Posts: 13,215

09-23-2011, 07:38 PM	#313
crispystl MVP Join Date: Jun 2004 Casino cash: $1215140	Hamas, I hope everything turns out well for your family. Prayers your way man.
Posts: 6,668

09-23-2011, 11:00 PM	#314
Fat Elvis Sexiest Athlete Join Date: Apr 2001 Casino cash: $1021925	You and your family are in my prayers.
Posts: 12,445

09-24-2011, 07:15 AM	#315
Ugly Duck MVP Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Petaluma, CA, USA Casino cash: $9955920	Cutest baby in town - probably has her Dad's smarts & her Mom's good looks. And she has over 300 fans so far - including me....
Posts: 10,146