Nigerian twins want to see the Taj before leaving

Daughters of a civil servant, the identical twins 23-year-olds Hassana and Hussaina Saidu are in India for surgery, though they do plan to do some sightseeing before heading home.

“The doctors suggested surgeries two days apart, but we said no. We’ve always done things together,” says Hassana.

“When we were young, I got a Bugs Bunny and Hussaina a teddy for one of our birthdays, and the toys were used to distinguish us for a long time,” adds Hassana, who claims she is a little plumper of the two now. “I can’t buy something for myself without getting it for my sister. I never have,” says Hussaina.

They both cheer for Emmanuel Adebayor and tennis star Serena Williams and like Shah Rukh Khan. “India wasn’t a surprise for us as we watch a lot of Indian films. The food, however, is a little too spicy, but we love it,” say Hassana and Hussaina, who plan to see the Taj before leaving for home.

The first surgery took almost 1-1/2 hours, the second a little less than an hour. “What surprised me was the identical nature of the disorder. The second surgery was like déjà vu, I felt I was just repeating the first procedure,” says Dr Arun Prasad, senior consultant in minimal access surgery, Apollo Hospital.

The scars are 4 inches long because the large nodules made minimally invasive surgery impossible. “There will be no permanent scarring, however, as the incision has been made in the natural creases of the neck,” says Dr Prasad.