One body: that is the life that Carmen and Lupita Andrade have known for 22 years.
Both are joined at the torso and share the pelvis, reproductive system, and liver.
Science defines them as parapagus twins, that is, those connected by the pelvis and an area or the entire abdomen.
They live in the United States, a country they arrived from Mexico in 2002 with the hope of an operation.
But, of course, the surgery was ruled out and from that moment the sisters are a true example of improvement.
“If we had a separation surgery, one of us would die, we would both die or end up in intensive care and we would never get out,” Lupita, the less outgoing of the two, revealed in dialogue with Today.
Her genetic condition led them to have to face many challenges throughout her life.
Walking, for example, was one of the first.
Finding coordination and balance with one leg (each) was a great challenge that, over time, they managed to overcome.
The young women moved from Mexico to the United States with the hope of being able to undergo surgery, something that was ruled out.
Both live with their family in the state of Connecticut.
Carmen studies to be a veterinary nurse and Lupita hopes to work in the same field, although she dreams of being a comedy writer.
"I almost always speak, but she is very funny," Carmen said.
During their childhood they suffered comments and looks from "bad people".
Carmen recalled that "children infantilized us and talked as if we were babies."
The sisters are 22 years old and cannot be separated.
He then added: “We are still close to the same people we grew up with.
Lupita has a very good intuition about people, so if she likes them, I like them."
The sisters share a bloodstream, liver, and many internal structures.
Although their connection goes beyond the physical: “I can feel when Carmen is anxious or about to cry.
It's that same knot in the stomach," said Lupita.
“When we were almost 6 years old, we had a nightmare that we were going to fall out of a plane and then literally fell out of bed.
That only happened once, but we can feel each other's emotions.
That happens all the time," Carmen said.
couple life
For conjoined twins, life is nothing more than a series of challenges that they must overcome in order to grow and achieve their goals.
They learned to go to the movies, travel by plane or exercise even with the observation of others.
Lupita assured: “We have appointments.
Well, actually Carmen does."
Her sister is dating Daniel, a young man she met on a dating app, back in October 2020.
“I never tried to hide the fact that I am Siamese, which means I received a lot of messages from men with fetishes.
I knew from the beginning that Daniel was different from the others, because he did not start with a question about my condition, ”he narrated.
“Daniel and my sister get along very well. It's funny because I stay up later than Lupita,
but when Daniel stays over, I fall asleep quickly and he stays up talking to her," Carmen continued, noting that they also share the reproductive system.
Daniel is in a relationship with one of the sisters.
On the sexual level, they did not delve into details, although Lupita indicated: “I am asexual, but I want Carmen to settle down.
I know that's important to her."
“We have been together for two and a half years and we have talked about getting engaged, but first we want to live together,” Carmen explained.
“Sometimes I feel bad because I want to spend a lot of time with Daniel, so we try to make agreements.
Like Lupita choosing where we go out to dinner or what activity we are going to do, ”she explained.
The girls cannot be separated: one or both would die.
Then he specified: "Lupita and I cannot get pregnant, we have endometriosis and we are also on a hormone blocker that prevents us from menstruating."
“Sometimes at the end of the day we are exhausted and don't want to talk.
That's when we use different devices and do our things.
I have my laptop to do school work, and Lupita puts her headphones on and listens to music or uses her phone,” Carmen said.
“We received some nasty comments.
Many people are not used to people with disabilities setting or creating limits when it comes to their disability.
We get a lot of questions about sex, how we go to the bathroom, and the like.
But you must remember
: we are not just Siamese twins, we are people,"
they completed.