Koehlinger Twins

An update sent by Chris and Kelly:

Hello all. Thank you to all of you who have been enduring our journey through thoughts and prayers. For those of you who may not know we found out last thursday that our twins have been diagnosed with TTTS(Twin Twin Transfusion Syndrome). We are now in Cincinnati and I am writing this letter on Wednesday, September 24. We just finished eating dinner here in Cincinnati after a tiresome but highly anticipated day at the hospital. We had appointments all day that consisted of many different tests i.e. ECHO, sonogram, MRI etc. The tests were meant to first, determine if in fact they do have TTTS, second, what stage they are at, and third, what our options may be to correct this disease. Today we found out that TTTS is occurring in our baby girls. They are believed to be in stage three of the five stages. This is the typical stage at which people come into the hospital. There are a few options available, but fetoscopic laser photocoagulation is clearly the best option. This surgery cuts off the connecting blood vessels between the girls and has been shown to fix TTTS. However, there are many risks involved in this surgery under the best conditions. A few issues have arisen during our visits that have created some concerns. First, an issue with some bleeding earlier in the pregnancy has created a blood clot disconnecting a portion of the placenta. This has caused "placental insufficiency", meaning exactly what it sounds like. The compounding issue with this is that the laser surgery when performed, can lead to a disproportionate amount of placenta remaining for either twin. More specifically, the concern is that the donor twin is connected to a small portion of the placenta but then has even less because of the blood clot. Second, the recipient twin has a minor issue with an extra glug on the glug glud side of the heart beat. i.e.. glug glug glud. Because the doctor when informing us of this problem immediately followed it up by saying it happens all the time in normal pregnancies and isn't by itself a big concern, I immediately redirected my focus to the bigger issues. This is also the reason for my glug glug glud terminology. Tomorrow we only have one appointment and it should be a typical physical type exam to make sure Kelly's body is able to handle the surgery. The surgery at this point is looking like it will be on Friday followed by one night at the hospital. Then a couple days at our hotel, and then another exam. At that point we would be discharged to our doctor in Albuquerque for the remainder of the pregnancy. With all that said, God is good. We thank Him every time we get to see them and holding Kelly's beautiful belly feels like I'm holding them in my arms. God has opened our eyes to so many things through this experience. Suddenly, every conceived baby seems all the more sacred. And as the odds stack up against these girls, so greater their testimony. We don't pretend to know what God's plan is for these two, but we do know it will work for the good. (Romans 8:28) Kelly and I are holding up pretty well considering. We have been blessed by Kelly's mom and dad being able to be with us here and support us. Sasha is staying with Grandma in Albuquerque. Between the Barrett's and Lively's, they are all having a pretty good time with her. We have been blessed to be able to video chat with them each night. Below is a short list of some things to be praying for. Feel free to add as many things to the list as you think of them. We need all the prayer we can get. Love you all.Things to pray for:The health and well being of the girls.That there will be a sufficient amount of placenta for both twins, specifically 25 percent minimum per twin.Energy for Kelly.Patience and helpfulness for me.The surgeons.That we can be a witness for Christ through our joy and contentment in his plan.White Castle moving out West. jk