Saturday, September 6, 2008

So, they're still fraternal, right?

Right.  We think.  Or, now I should say, we assume.  Weeks ago at CPMC we were told they had different blood types, which pretty much settled it.  And we weren't going to pay for zygocity testing, so we were pretty certain we could leave it at that.

But at the doctor's on Tuesday, the nurse checked the chart again and mentioned that they're both B negative, just like their mother and their maternal grandmother.  This is the second rarest blood type in the U.S., second only to AB negative.  So it's good that we have some people in the family who are available to be harvested for any emergency blood transfusions.  If something happens to Ginger, we can tap into the twin of our choice for her.  An added bonus is the fact that I'm AB positive, the third rarest, also known as a "universal recipient," meaning that I can accept transfusions from any blood type.  It's essentially the complete opposite of a universal donor (O negative).  Because my blood already contains both A and B antigens and the RhD antigen, I can accept blood from pretty much anybody.  (People who know me well are already nodding, saying, "Yeah, it figures.")  So in the event of an emergency, I can already tap into Patrick or Charlie at my option.  Still, it's good to have a couple of kids who can help Ginger out if need be.

A few years back we were on a road trip and stopped at the In-N-Out Burger in Rohnert Park.  A fire engine was parked outside, so after our meal I took Patrick and Charlie outside to see it while Ginger straightened up our table.  An elderly Hispanic woman who had been sitting a few tables away approached Ginger, and said, "You must try again.  For a girl.  Someone who will care for you when you are old.  Boys will not do this."  She must have been psychic or something, although I doubt she could see either the twin thing or the blood type thing coming.

By the way, back to the whole fraternal/identical thing, we know they look nothing alike.  It's as plain as the nose on Evelyn's face.  But the nurses and doctors all say "Not necessarily," which seems to undercut the meaning of the word "identical."  Whatever.

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