Just a quick post tonight. This article appeared on my timeline today on Facebook from a number of sources. I found it heartening that this issue is being addressed in the mainstream media, that having a premature baby is tough, its full of unexpected twists and turns, and it can be a very isolating and frightening time. And then on top, you get the comments.
To be honest, most comments from well meaning relatives and family didn't bother me. A few were upsetting "when will they know how disabled he'll be" etc, were tough, but usually could be rectified with some straight talking giving the facts.
The hardest were the randoms. I don't know if Lancashire people are just more straight forward than most, but I had some awful comments, and they made me scared to leave the house when my PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) was at its worst.
The worst was the supermarket. Joseph hated supermarkets because of the lights, I hated them because of the beeps and slidey doors and then randoms would come and ask intrusive questions. I didn't mind the ones that started with "isn't he beautiful" but the "what's wrong with him", "oh he's really small" and the worst "is he disabled" or my absolute number one please never say this to anyone comment "oh he could have died" were just horrendous.
A couple of times we went for family outings, just the three of us, and on a couple of occasions we joked about putting a hat on the floor to collect donations, we had that many people stop and talk to us. And you know, a lot of it was lovely, it was really nice that people cared enough to stop and talk, but sometimes it became really intrusive.
And just how many 6ft 4 inch, rugby playing, pole vaulting, complex calculus solving, violin virtuoso former premature babies are out there anyway?
