Don't like family gatherings

I had a very good social worker, Riverwalk and loopylou - one who was strong enough to stand up to my mother !

Very brave too Marelli, must have been very difficult for you, especially as the 'system' would have said it knew best.

Quite a determined 16-year old weren't you Marelli

The usernames intrigue me and certainly I too see various 'pictures' when I see some names Stansgran but also agree with you Elegran, those two in particular did make me wince (just thought it was slightly strange ones to chose)

Would that it were true, Stansgran. The real image is Elegran in a shapeless cardi hunched over the keyboard, with the second hot chocolate of the afternoon at her side (had a sore throat for several days and am working hard at the "take plenty of liquids" treatment) I have a pack of Revels handy too - they must have therapeutic value.

It's word games for me. I see Elegran reclining on her chaise Longue reading Jane Austin and sipping at a delicate tisane. Ariadne is wandering around with knitting needles and large skeins of wool. Ninaathena is gazing out to sea on a Greek island looking statuesque and bright eyed. Micelf runs around libraries and nibbles at hymnals. Anniezzz I see snoozing happily with a smoking gun at her side. I know.sad.

Well, neither chickenbrain nor cretin seem to be interested in the thread any longer, so any more discussion would just be among ourselves.

The thread had TWO new-to-us usernames with very uncomplimentary meanings. Is this a new trend in names? I agree that neither of them had all that low self-esteem - perhaps a self-deprecatory sense of humour?

That is very sad (and lucky too) Marelli, but no one can expect everyone to think about every single thing that could have befallen others before they post. Perhaps people need to think outside of themselves a bit. It can't be about any single one of us.

I just kept away from posting because it was too close for comfort! I can see why the poster may have used the name for herself, but it might have been better if she'd spelled her username properly if she lives in Crete - but then, how was she to know that it could possibly offend anyone, if she didn't have any relevant knowledge of what used to be described as 'cretinism'?
My DD was born in 1966 and I was only 16. My parents were insistent that she was adopted, and I was forced to leave her at the maternity hospital. However, the nursery had an outbreak of gastroenteritis and all the babies had to stay where they were for a week or so. It was noticed that DD wasn't gaining weight. The necessary tests were done and it was discovered that she had no thyroid gland. By this time she was 3 weeks old. I'd not been allowed to see her since she was born. She was fostered and I decided that I was keeping her by hook or by crook, although my parents said I wouldn't be allowed to bring her back home (that's another story, though). I finally got her into my own care, when she was 7 months old - and when I was living far enough away from my parents not to cause them any embarrassment. It was at her first appointment at the hospital out-patients that the consultant said something like, "Ah, so we have a cretin here....." Very coolly and matter-of-fact. I had no idea what he was talking about. However, because she'd received the appropriate dose of thyroxine from the time of diagnosis, this was no longer the case for her. There was one time, when she was going through puberty, that another consultant thought it might be useful to stop her thyroxine to see what would happen (he thought the hormone changes at the age she'd reached may just kick-start the thyroid gland if it was there at all). Within days, I noticed the change in her. She became very lethargic, hair and skin dried up and she put on a massive amount of weight very quickly. After the consultant saw her again on an emergency appointment, she was put straight back on to thyroxine and has been perfectly fine ever since. Sometimes she does get tired, but that's all.
Sorry for the long post, but I did just want to put my point forward. It's odd how things work out, because if there hadn't been the gastroenteritis outbreak in the nursery, and if my parents hadn't insisted she was to be adopted, I'd have brought her home after the birth. I possibly wouldn't have had the sense (or been too embarrassed at 16) to go to baby clinics and she wouldn't have had the thyroxine in her system soon enough to prevent the condition of 'cretinism' as they described it all those years ago. It's a funny old world.
I must add, though - none of my posts regarding my DD were looking for sympathy! I'm just glad she's a fine strong woman.

You have totally missed my point Elegran and I have lost interest.

Oops. Omit one of the nots. Dratted smart phone!

Gaun yersel elegran. I'm only just checking out this thread after not keeping up with it and am horrified that a comment of mine seems to have given rise to such angst. I had only meant that perhaps chickenbrain was somewhat self deprecating so less likely to stand up for herself. I should say that in a professional capacity I too have experience of working with people unfortunate enough not to have their thyroid problems missed at birth and who then developed what was known as cretinism. Poor things. Glad to hear marellis DD was helped in time.

Having done the job for fifty years, and learnt all the new stuff as you went along, is going to give you at least as much knowledge as someone who has met two people who told the same story.

Would you prefer it if someone who can give helpful advice based on experience were to say "I will keep out of this discussion, because I know what I am talking about"?

Incidentally, I am not commenting here on the helpfulness, or otherwise, of any specific person's replies, just the inaninity and reverse snobbery of wanting "the professionals" to keep silent.

Having studied something fifty years ago is unlikely to be helpful today. Things change. For one thing, you are unlikely to come across some medical conditions anymore, due to pregnancy screening, effective treatments etc.

Oh, heaven forbid that someone who has studied the subject for years, and encountered thousands of similar situations, should dare to feel that they know a bit about it.

#sarkyemoticon

Ok. Malicious is the wrong word. Just picking holes for the sake of it really.

I can't stand that, "I've had so much more experience of these things in my professional life, don't you know" stuff.

I don't think any of it was malicious, although I do think we sometimes lose sight of the actual person behind the name or whatever we're criticising sometimes...

I think it is malicious. Some people need to big themselves up by criticising others about any little thing they can think of.

Lighten up a bit!

cretin take no notice of the smug, self- satisfied, holier than thou stuffed shirts on here.

I've only ever posted a couple of times , am pretty new...and can see why I may have caused confusion. I was answering the first post, chickenbrain... But ...have just realised all the other things posted after.. completely taking on a 'new life' into usernames!!...meaning no disrespect to anyone... wasn't expecting that, all sounded quite funny!... (Not original problem tho)

Ps.. Thank you Ana!

Yeh... I was referring to chickenbrain showing her children the post on here about how hurt she is by their comments...(reading things can have more impact) but actually think not a good idea.. her privacy would be compromised....

Sweetness1. What a lovely name.

Sweetness was addressing the original post I think.