Frequent Surgery

We have each had around 100 surgeries in our lifetime.  This past Tuesday, Maliyah just had her biannual back surgery (Click here for a back surgery recap from 18 months ago).  Since our separation, we have both had them every six months, but Kendra probably won't have to have another one unless something goes wrong with her VEPTR (Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib, a titanium rod that runs the length of our spines).
For us, surgery isn't everyday, but it is a routine which influences our overall lifestyle.  We want to share with you our experience with surgery and answer any questions you might have.

Kendra Before Surgery

Frequency: To preface, we usually have surgery about once every sixth months, but sometimes we need it more often for different things.  The reason behind our repeating surgeries is that our bodies need a little more help since they aren't like everybody else's.
What is frequent surgery like: We have had surgery often, but it is still exhausting every time.  Of course, pain is to be expected, but it is hard to remember how bad the pain truly is.  It can be difficult to get a good night's rest after surgery because the pain wakes us up.
Leading up to Surgery: Neither of us look forward to surgery.  One of Kendra's biggest fears is not waking up from surgery.  For both of us, the pain is something to dread.
Hospital Staff: The Hospital Staff is amazing and always takes great care of us.  A question that we have been asked is if everybody knows who we are when we walk into the hospital.  Surprisingly, not many know us well.  That being said, a few have had us as patients throughout the years and are able to recognize us quickly.
After Surgery: For larger surgeries, we stay at the hospital for a few days to a week.  For VEPTR expansions, we usually go home the same day unless the entire VEPTR is changed.  If that's the case, we usually only stay overnight.
Recovery Time: There is a pretty significant difference in our recovery times.  For Maliyah, it only takes about a week to a week and a half, even with a larger surgery.  For Kendra, feeling fully better can take anywhere between three weeks to a couple months.  This, of course, is because we are different people with unique preferences and pain tolerance.
Recovery Quality: Again, our experiences differ when it comes to how difficult surgery and recovery is for us.  For Maliyah, it has become easier as time has gone on.  For Kendra, the repetition and long recoveries have been difficult.  When she was little, just two weeks after separation she was jumping on the bed, but now it isn't easy just to get out of bed two weeks after surgery.

Maliyah After Surgery

We hope this post helped you understand more about our experiences and what frequent surgery is like.  If you or a family member happens to be going into a surgery within the next few weeks, don't worry too much!  It definitely isn't easy, and recovery can be gradual, but it is absolutely possible.  Ask any questions we missed by commenting here or on Facebook. 
Watch out tomorrow for a video featuring Kendra, pastry chef to be, decorating a cake!
Thanks for Reading,
Kendra & Maliyah
~The Herrin Twins~

Disneyland Magic!

We haven't been on a family vacation in over two years.  But this past week, we had the chance to visit Disneyland!

Dad, Courtney, Kendra, Austin, Justin, and Ezra went in the car all the way to California, while Maliyah and Mom flew down after dialysis last Friday morning.  Saturday, when we had recovered from our trip there, we visited the nearest mall and ate at Buffalo Wild Wings.  Austin ate ghost pepper hot sauce while we were there!

Walt Disney's Star

The next day, we went to Los Angeles and visited Griffith's observatory.  There, we took pictures and looked through a truly enormous telescope.  Later in the afternoon, we walked on Sunset Boulevard and saw Walt Disney's star.  Since the Oscars were going on that day, the rest of the street was closed.  On our way back, we stopped to see the Menendez brothers' house, which is the spooky site of a murder in the 1980s. 

On Monday, Maliyah had to go to dialysis in the morning.  While she did that, everybody had the chance to swim in the pool.  Later that day, we all got ready for Disneyland by visiting downtown Disney and getting Mickey ears and t-shirts.  Later that night, we went to the pool with Ezra.  It was his first time in a pool, and he absolutely loved it!

Maliyah Ready for Disney!

Kendra with Minnie Ears!

On Tuesday, we arrived in Disneyland.  That day was full of bad luck, but was still fun.  On the bright side, we rode all of the rides and stuffed ourselves with food.  Maliyah's favorite ride from the whole trip was Monsters, Inc. in Disneyland.  Mixed in with the happiness of the day, though, were a few rough spots.  When we went on the Indiana Jones ride in the morning, the bouncing and bumpiness of the ride led Maliyah to bruise her chin and bump her chest.  As we were walking out of the park later, Maliyah ran over Courtney's foot with her scooter and it wouldn't stop bleeding.  When we finally got Courtney and everybody else to the car, it wouldn't start and park security had to jump it.  We found out later we need an entirely new battery.

Ezra bonding with Sulley

When we tried to start the car the next day, the radiator started to steam, but luckily we made it to Disney California Adventure.  Kendra's favorite ride was Radiator Spring Racers.  We went with Justin and Ezra to meet Sulley from Monsters, Inc. while everybody else was waiting for a ride we didn't want to go on.  Ezra loved Sulley's fluffy, soft fur.

Maliyah, Justin, and Ezra with Sulley

Thursday, we swam all day and had pizza for dinner.  We visited a small island on Friday, got ice cream, and walked along the beach.  Saturday, we went to the mall and got some souvenirs for a few of our relatives.  We also spent some time just browsing through stores.  On Sunday, we all squeezed into the car for the long drive home.

Even though we didn't have any videos or blog posts this past week, be sure to look out for a new video on Wednesday on our channel and a new blog post next week!  Feel free to ask us any questions or leave comments below.

Thanks for all your support,

Kendra & Maliyah

~The Herrin Twins~

SWEET 16!

Today is our sixteenth birthday! 

Sixteen is a huge milestone.  Starting today, we can officially date and legally drive!  We are so thankful for these amazing sixteen years.  They've been positively full of miracles and of incredible people.  

Today, we aren't doing anything huge to celebrate-- just having cake.  On Saturday, our friend Anabelle had her birthday and we stayed up until midnight watching movies together to celebrate both of our birthdays.  Our big present is DISNEYLAND! We will keep you updated on our adventures!

We haven't been on any vacations for a couple of years, so this will be exciting!  Maliyah, our mom, and Ezra are flying down after dialysis the day we leave. Everybody else is making the long road trip down to California-- wish us luck!

Sidenote: Kendra dyed her hair purple! Let us know what you think.

Keep an eye out for Wednesday's video!

Love,

Kendra & Maliyah

~The Herrin Twins~

Contact Us!

Today's blog post is a little unique-- we want to reach out to our readers!  We want to know what you are interested in.  Message us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or comment here on Blogger!
Tell us about you, and let us know what you want to see, both in our videos and in our blog posts.
We hope everybody had a fantastic President's Day here in the US!  For those of you who are international, we hope you had a phenomenal day despite still having work and school.
Love,
Kendra & Maliyah
~The Herrin Twins~

ORGAN DONATION

We hope you are all having a fantastic day!  Today, we want to talk about what organ donation means to us.

Maliyah prior to kidney transplant

As many of you know, we both have a very personal experience with organ donation.  When we were conjoined, we shared one kidney, meaning only one of us would get the kidney when we were separated.  Kendra got the kidney, so Maliyah had to have a kidney transplant.

Clearly, organ donation means an infinite amount to both of us.  Without it, Maliyah wouldn't be able to survive, and we may have made the decision not to get separated, meaning likely would have both run into severe problems due to dependence on just one kidney.

But becoming an organ donor is such a long process, right?  It takes too long, and nobody has the kind of time to sign up for that.  It's easier than you think, and there is more than one way to sign up:
1. Go to your local DMV and check "yes" on organ donation
2. Better yet, visit https://registerme.org/ and sign up within seconds

It's really that simple!  Organ donation is indescribably important-- in the United States alone, there are over 115 thousand people in need of a lifesaving transplant, and millions more around the world. One organ donor can save EIGHT lives.  So what are you waiting for?  Sign up now!
To learn more about organ donation, click here.

March is national kidney disease month!  Show support by putting green ribbons around your house or yard, and don't forget to send us a picture by messaging us on facebook, we will respond and feature them in an upcoming video.  Those of you out of the country, don't hesitate to join in and make this an international celebration of awareness!

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to spread the word about organ donation and national kidney disease month!  Leave comments and questions for us below.

Love,
Kendra & Maliyah
~The Herrin Twins~

Our Conjoined Twin Story

Yesterday, February 4th, we uploaded our Conjoined Twin Separation Story Exclusive.  For a while now, we have been wanting to use our influence to move in a more positive and uplifting direction.  With this new video is the beginning of a new, more inspirational start.  So, without further ado, we want to tell you our story.

Fifteen years ago, when we were born, our parents faced a difficult decision.   They could keep us together-- a situation that might create risk because of our one kidney-- or separate us, an equally dangerous option.  If we were kept together, we would never be able to sit on two separate chairs, spend individual time with our family or friends, or even go out while the other stayed home.

Our parents decided to separate us, which would allow for our separate personalities to flourish.  Due to our unique one-kidney situation though, doctors decided it would be best to wait until we were four and our bodies were more developed.  Leading up to the surgery, our parents discussed the procedure with countless surgeons to determine how and if it could be done.

At the time our parents started to mention this to us, we were only three.  We didn't exactly understand the risks at the time, but we grasped very clearly that we wouldn't be "stuck together" anymore.  Before we started attending the hospital regularly, we visited the zoo, went swimming, and tried to spend as much time together as a family as possible.

When we had to go to the hospital to prepare for the surgery the first time, we woke up early in the morning.  As our mom fixed our hair and got us dressed, Kendra asked, "Is it cut apart day?" 

"No, but we are going to the hospital for cut apart day soon," Our mom replied.  Every week after that, we would get tissue expanders under our skin to stretch it.  This would make it easier for the doctors to stitch us up after separation.

In the months before our separation surgery, the hospital staff treated us like royalty.  We had our own play room in the hospital, and the nurses let us squirt them in the face with syringes.  The staff gave us hospital dolls that they had sewn together like us.  We each were given a pair to cut apart when we felt ready for the surgery.  Kendra cut hers apart right away, while Maliyah waited until after the surgery.

While we were staying in the hospital, we received fan mail from all of you!  It lifted our spirits to see all the kind letters and well-wishes people had sent.  We still have them, and your words continue to mean so much to us.

On the day of the surgery, the hospital staff gave us a scavenger hunt looking for numbers on the ceiling.  When the numbers had reached 12, it was time for surgery.  Although we had felt confident about the surgery until that moment, it was hard to leave our parents.  Everybody was crying, and saying goodbye was hard.  

When the surgery happened, we were obviously asleep.  A couple of weeks later, we woke up.  Maliyah was very out of it from some medicine, and uncharacteristically sharing with Kendra, something she hadn't liked to do before the surgery.  We were in the hospital for 90 days before, during, and after the surgery.  When we got to go home, we took Polaroid pictures (featured in the video) and got ready to leave the hospital.

As we left, news crews were following us out of the hospital.  To lighten the mood, our dad made a joke: "What are these people doing here, and why are they following us?" When we got home, everybody we knew was outside our house welcoming us back.  When we got to our room, we had separate beds!  It was a huge moment for both of us, because we had always shared a bed at home until that moment.

Looking back on this experience, we are immensely grateful for the decision our parents made to separate us.  Although life still has its challenges, we are able to sit in two different rooms, go two different places, and express our own personalities in the way we would like.

Click here to see the video.

Let us know what you think about this new direction!  What videos and articles would you like to see?  We will reply to comments and questions.

Thanks for Reading and Watching,

Kendra & Maliyah

~The Herrin Twins~

Week of Doctor Appointments

Ezra on Blessing Day

On Monday morning, Maliyah went to dialysis.  Kendra had to go to the doctor because she had a UTI.  On Tuesday, we did schoolwork all day.  Our sweet nephew, Ezra, had to go to the doctor because he got pink eye.  Later that night, we hung out with our friend Anabelle.  After she left, we watched Ellen's Game of Games, which was hilarious.  We highly recommend it!

On Wednesday, Maliyah and our grandpa went to dialysis.  After, they went to McDonald's and got chicken nuggets with ice cream.  Later that night, we went to our church youth activity.  We played Telestrations, one of our favorites, and ate lots of cookies.
On Thursday, Maliyah got a cold, and it was mostly a lazy day for both of us.  On Friday, Maliyah went to dialysis and spent some of the day sleeping since she lost a lot of sleep because of her cold the night before.  Later that night, we both went to the store to get some things.  After that, Maliyah started to get some chest pain, so our mom took her to the doctor just before they closed.  Thankfully, nothing was wrong, but Maliyah did have a slight fever of 100.3.
Saturday was a lazy day.  Our friend Anabelle came over again and we hung out for a couple of hours.  Sunday was Ezra's baby blessing.  In our church, babies get blessed when they are around two months old.  After the blessing, we went to our house with friends and family and celebrated.
Look out for a unique exclusive video on Sunday (February 4th) instead of the video this Wednesday.
Thanks for reading,

Kendra & Maliyah

~The Herrin Twins~