A Month To Remember

Most people think of November as the month of giving thanks. But I feel overwhelming gratitude in September because of the miracles that I was given 14 years ago. I was only 25 years old and I had to make huge decisions on behalf of my unborn babies who were fighting a battle for their lives. 

Dr. Troy Porter - Maternal & Fetal Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology

Dr. Porter was the one who noticed something was wrong with my twins at just 8 weeks gestation. He told me that my little Abby was "stuck."  I couldn't understand what he was telling me.  Stuck on what??  His online bio says that he has been practicing for 16 years, which means he had only been practicing for 2 years when he diagnosed me. I always felt calm when Dr. Porter was around. He had a great way of explaining things to me in a way I could understand.

What is TTTS?

• -Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) is a disease of the placenta (or afterbirth) that affects identical twin pregnancies.
• -TTTS affects identical twins (or higher multiple gestations) who share a common monochorionic placenta.
• -The shared placenta contains abnormal blood vessels which connect the umbilical cord and circulations of the twins.
• -The common placenta may also be shared unequally by the twins
• -The events in pregnancy that lead to TTTS are all random.
• -TTTS is not hereditary or genetic, nor caused by anything the parents did or did not do.
• -TTTS can happen to anyone.

 As fate would have it, I had heard about an experiemental procedure to help with Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome. A woman in Idaho had the surgery and I had been talking to her husband on a Twins message board. I knew without a doubt what needed to be done.

 I was 18 weeks pregnant when we flew to Milwaukee to have laser surgery to save my babies' lives. I was only the 23rd patient to ever undergo this procedure which was considered experimental.

Julian E. De Lia, MD, FACOG, FACS 

Dr. De Lia began investigating TTTS in 1983 and pioneered fetoscopic placental laser surgery in 1988 at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. He subsequently brought his life-saving surgery to Wisconsin and Illinois.

I have no doubt that Dr. DeLia saved my babies.  He pioneered the surgery right here at the University of Utah, but I had to travel to Milwaukee to have the surgery. Abby's middle name is Julia in honor of him. 

I was ordered on bed rest for the duration of the pregnancy so that my precious girls could have the best fighting chance. As I was recovering from surgery, I was interviewed for a twin support group. 

How were you diagnosed?

Nikki: The main complication I had was that baby B was "stuck", meaning she had no fluid around her (shrinkwrapped in her sac) so she couldn't move much at all. This is actually how TTTS was diagnosed for us. We were originally told that our twins were monoamniotic because they couldn't see the second sac. So, I would put a flag out to all parents who are told that they have monoamniotic twins.. This is a big indicator of TTTS and it usually turns out that there are indeed two sacs. 
The treatments can vary from monitoring, to serial amneiosentisis to laser surgery. Share your experience:

Nikki: The complications for the babies hadn't shown up in our case yet (thankfully). The problems from TTTS are that the bigger baby who is getting all the blood would eventually die of heart failure because of trying to pump too much volume with every beat of its heart. Baby B, who is shunting all the blood, would eventually die of lack of nourishment. Suprisingly though, when TTTS occurs later in pregnancy (late enough for the babies to be delivered), the smaller baby is usually the healthier of the two.. The heart problems are the most difficult to deal with once the problem is there.
The treatments can vary from monitoring, to serial amneiosentisis to laser surgery. Share your experience: 
Nikki:There are two methods of treating TTTS.. The most effective is the surgery because it treats the cause of TTTS.. Dr. Julian De Lia is the doctor and he now practices in Chicago. The surgery is still in the "research" phase though De Lia has it all routine now. It takes about 17-25 minutes to actually get in there and get the job done. The other method is serial amniocentesis (spelling most likely wrong).. This is where they draw fluid off of the bigger baby every 2 or 3 days in hopes of keeping the uterus stable.. Sometimes it even seems to help the situation in that the smaller baby (for reasons unknown) actually starts doing better. The problem here is that couples who think the surgery is their best option should have absolutely NO invasive action taken prior to the surgery. The reason is that every time the uterus is punctured for the amnio, scar tissue builds and sometimes bleeding into the fluid occurs.. Dr. De Lia needs absolutely clear and uncontaminated fluid and a smooth surface to operate with. We figured that if the surgery was not successful then we could try the amnio. Luckily for us, the surgery seems to have been 100% effective. We were diagnosed with TTTS when I was 16 weeks along.
I am not sure what the babies were weighing at the time, but I do know that they were 2 weeks apart in gestational size and the gap was increasing. We are now right on track with Linzie (Our bigger baby A) weighing around 1.5 lbs, and Abby (Donor baby B) weighing about 1.25 lbs. They are each around 12 inches long. They are still about 10 days apart in size, at 26 weeks gestation.

My second set of twins were born on September 27, 1996. They were 8 weeks early because Abby had stopped growing when the placenta finally gave out. As a mother, I had done everything I could for them. I had to let go and put my faith in a Higher Power and the skilled professionals caring for them in the NICU.

Within hours of their birth, Linzie was taken under this man's expert care.   

Robert E. Shaddy, MD

Chief, Division of Cardiology

Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Immediately he became Linzie's angel on Earth and the love we have for this man will never end. We owe her beautiful life to his expert care. He was so much more than just her cardiologist. He was our friend. The many children in Pennsylvania are so lucky to have him there. We love Dr. Shaddy! 

It was a brutal month of highs and lows before we were finally able to bring them both home. Surprisingly, even with her heart issues and being the smallest baby to ever have that type of heart surgery at PCMC, Linzie came home first. The Mama Bear in me fought to have Abby released 3 days later because I knew in my heart that she would finally start to gain weight once she was reunited with Linzie. Immediately after they were born, Linzie was life-flighted to PCMC and they had been in separate hospitals ever since. I am so thankful the doctors trusted me because my little Peanut started gaining nearly a pound a week once she was able to snuggle her twin every day. They were inseperable!

*A rare procedure to save a mother's twin daughters has paid off for a Salt Lake woman. 

*(KSL spelled Abby and Linzie's name wrong and I am no longer a "Randquist") 

Did all of that really happen to me? Fourteen years later, I am amazed as I think back on how huge the decisions were and how lucky we are that we had a happy ending. Two happy, healthy girls to complete my family. I am a lucky mom indeed! 

My Babies Are Officially Teenagers!

How can I properly pay tribute to the two little girls who defied the odds many times over? I began writing this entry on the morning of their birthday but try as I might, I could not find the words to adequately capture the spirit of the day - the day my little girls turned thirteen. All day my heart overflowed with emotion and I can only hope I am able convey to my girls how amazing and special they truly are. Abby and Linzie, you are both precious gifts to your family - on your birthday and every other day of the year. Never lose the strength, love and tenacity that you both possess, for I believe that those qualities are the very reasons why you are with us today.


Amid the chaos of our everyday lives, it is easy to forget that Abby and Linzie are walking miracles. As a young mother, I had desperately hoped for a second set of twins, but I did not count on the risks we would encounter… the heartache we would face, and the ultimate joy we would experience when the toughest challenges were conquered.

Twin to Twin Transfusion is not as hopeless for babies as it once was, but thirteen years ago the life saving surgery was still experimental and I could not predict what the future would hold for my precious, unborn daughters. I never gave up though.. and every time we encountered problems, I only had to think of the vivid dream I had (before I even knew I was expecting) about a little girl with dark curls who had told me her name was Linzie and that she had a sister who looked exactly like her. So we dug in our heels and prepared for the fight of our lives… the fight for their lives.

The pregnancy was anything but normal. At 18 weeks I traveled to Milwaukee for experimental LASER surgery to try and save Abby and Linzie's lives. It was risky, but I knew in my heart that it was our best hope and so I went. After the surgery, I had to be careful to limit my activity so the babies could continue to grow. It was a long summer filled with hopes and dreams. Not once did I regret the decisions I had made for their sake.


Born 7 weeks early into the too bright and too loud world, Abby was a tiny 2lbs 12 oz, and Linzie was 4lbs 14oz. Not even an hour after her birth, I was told that Linzie had a very dangerous heart condition and she had to be life-flighted to Primary Children’s Medical Center. I remember feeling devastated that we had come so far, beat so many odds, only to be blindsided by this news. I watched through my tears as they brought my tiny girl to my bedside so I could tell her goodbye. And then, just as quickly, they were gone. My heart hurt in a way I had never experienced before. I was angry that I was unable to accompany my baby in her time of need, and I struggled to accept the fact that we were once again locked in a desperate, life or death battle.. before we had even had time to breathe and celebrate their birth.

And so I cried.

The next day, I was allowed to see Abby in the NICU. After the sterilizing procedures, I was wheeled in to a room that smelled sharply of antiseptic and I searched through the maze of isolettes to find one that indicated my tiny girl was inside. I was not allowed to hold her, but I could reach through the portal and touch her tiny form… her entire hand was smaller than the end of my thumb. I wondered if she even knew who I was. I talked to Abby and told her how much I loved her… and I promised her that she was not alone. I told her that all of her sisters missed her very much and I hoped she and Linzie would both fight hard to get well so we could be together again.




I was released from the hospital on day three and insisted on going directly to PCMC to see Linzie. My little girl was beautiful, even amid the multitude of tubes, wires and monitors that engulfed her tiny body. I was so overwhelmed and so completely helpless. As a mother I am supposed to protect and care for my children.. but there was nothing I could do to help my baby. I could only love her and talk to her, and encourage her to fight.

When I eventually left Linzie’s bedside and headed home, I felt shattered. My family was scattered around the valley… Linzie was at PCMC, Abby at LDS NICU, and my other three little girls waited at home. I felt out of place and time and that feeling became my constant for the next month. I struggled with feeling angry toward innocent people who had the nerve to enjoy the beautiful fall days.. I struggled with feelings of guilt as I left Carley, Madie and Emily with babysitters every day so that I could visit the babies at the hospitals. And I struggled with a feeling of failure because I felt that I somehow should have done it better.


Our ICU experience lasted a month.. a month of highs and lows. I made friends in the NICU and cried when those friends experienced loss. I struggled with guilt as my girls got stronger while some babies around us lost their valiant fight. It was only a month and yet it changed my life. Since then I have seen my sister go through health trials with her children and I have friends who continue fighting the terrible battle for their children’s lives. Abby and Linzie taught me about the things that are truly important and it is a lesson I will never forget. As long as I have my girls, there is nothing I am lacking.


The years have flown by. My babies grew up and through it all we laughed, loved and experienced the purest joy of life. Linzie’s heart is strong and her compassion mighty. Abby started out so small and yet her spirit is giant. They are my true miracles and I cannot believe that it has been thirteen years! I am so grateful that I get to witness their lives and experience the joy each one brings to our family. I love you girls!



Abby, you are my little love bug. You are so full of compassion for your family and animals and you love to help your parents no matter what the task. I look at you now and marvel at the thought of you being born weighing a scant 2lbs 12oz. You have always been a fighter, and it is that strength that will help you navigate your way through life. You bring so much joy to everyone around you - and that gut laugh you have when you see an animal do something silly is one of the greatest pleasures on the planet! Abby, when you laugh you light up the room! I love seeing you excel at all you do and I know that there is nothing you cannot do, once you put your mind to it. Thank you for being my sweet Abby Julia - we love you so much! You make your parents proud every day!

Linzie, even before you were born you were doing your best to take care of your twin sister, Abby. You did the work for the two of you and a stronger, more compassionate heart I've never seen! Everyone that knows you is proud of all that you accomplish, and you seem to do it all with ease! Every conference I have ever had with one of your teachers has been a breeze because you work so hard at everything you set out to do. I also love it that you love books as much as I do, and I hope you never lose that thirst for knowledge. I love your smiles, your hugs and your kindness. You make it so easy for us to be your parents...we love you!



We had a great day of birthday celebration that started out with presents, waffles and Thirteen Going On 30.. followed by a strange movie (9) and a fun dinner at Garcias. I hope the two of you enjoyed your special day!