Alcohol and other teratogens in pregnancy: my experience

Alcohol is the most common teratogen in developed nation. Children with fetal alcohol syndrome tend to have specific facial deformities including widely spaced eyes and an abnormally thin upper lip. They often have developmental delays, both physically and mentally. They tend to have learning disabilities.
The amount of alcohol consumed in pregnancy has an effect on how badly affected the child will be.
When I became pregnant I had been told that I could not get pregnant. I was drinking fairly heavily at the time. Once I discovered I was pregnant I quit drinking and smoking. However, I was also taking synthyroid and Inderal, which I continued to take throughout the pregnancy. I was somewhat angry when I later discovered that the Inderal was probably unnecessary. It had not been prescribed for high blood pressure but for a mild tremor in my hands, which in monitoring myself I discovered only happens during my period.
My son wasn't technically low birth weight. He was born two weeks early by induced labor and, as it turned out, cesarean section, because I had toxemia. This is fortunate because I had also contracted campylobacter from chicken I had eaten at a restaurant and while a healthy adult can recover from this, it can kill a fetus. It was lucky that he was delivered by c-section because he could have contracted it if he had been delivered normally and could have died from the resulting infection. As it was I became very dehydrated due to the horrific diarrhea caused by this vile microbe, and I am not a small person. For a tiny infant, the loss of fluid and electrolyte imbalance would likely have been deadly.
I am not sure how much effect my drinking and smoking before realizing I was pregnant had on my son's birth weight. He was 5 pounds 12 ounces and there didn't seem to be any fat on his body. I ate well enough but wasn't particularly good about taking my calcium supplements and I think he must have been leeching calcium from my bones because I constantly craved dairy products, particularly chocolate milk and chocolate pudding.
I do know that Inderal can cause low birth weight, which is why I'm angry that the doctors thought I should continue taking it. I haven't read of any detrimental affects from taking synthyroid during pregnancy.

This post brought to you by:

999 Eyes Sideshow

There are those that will disagree with me, but after hearing the freaks speak out on the Discovery health channel show, I say that they have every right to earn THEIR OWN LIVING showcasing their different physiotypes. I do not use the term "freak" disparagingly. This is what they call themselves, and this term describes anyone who doesn't fit the "norm." Although I look "normal" on the outside, I too am a freak. More on this in a moment.

999 Eyes is a sideshow in the old style tradition. But let me borrow this paragraph from the home page because it says it better than I can.

The 999 EYES Authentic Freakshow explicitly celebrates real genetic diversity by showcasing amazing feats performed by LIVING HUMAN ODDITIES! The freaks share real stories of what it is like to be born truly different from the average 10 fingered and 10 toed genetic blueprint for humanity – giving folks from all corners a chance to realize that what is different in beautiful. We present as guests Human Marvels and Sideshow artists, such as the Leopard Man and the Human Blockhead for their fantastically adorned bodies and wondrous sideshow skills. In this show, one must be born physically and obviously different from the vast majority of humanity to be considered a true freak. The 999 EYES freaks are performers who choose by their own free will to celebrate their medical anomaly on stage. The 999 EYES supports rights for differently-abled people, and we play only in wheelchair accessible venues.

Thank you for doing it! It isn't only the so called "beautiful" people who should be able to excel in this world. Why not the truly different? Why not the "handicapped?" I usually hate P.C. terms, but these people are true illustrations of what it means to be "differently abled." I hate the idea that the world has to be a place enslaved by a very constrained definition of beautiful and those who do not fit this definition should do a favor to those whose eyes and delicate sensibilities would be offended and hide away.

My handicap is not obvious from the outside. I have a mental handicap and I do have a physical handicap which isn't obvious. I have bipolar disorder. Often I can function "normally," whatever that may be. But at other times I wrestle with a mind that seems hell bent on killing me and although I take Lithium to control my mood swings, nothing is perfect and, in the same way that a diabetic's medications sometimes fail them, Lithium sometimes fails to do the job for me. Before diagnosis I was at the mercy of my mood swings. I know that I'm different from other people and there are those who want a "perfect" world who would say that a person like me should keep away from "normal" people. But I have the right to make a living and maybe even make an impact.

I also deal with fibromyalgia, which while it does not in any way distort the limbs can occasionally be, if not crippling, physically compromising. I have a relatively mild case, but sometimes it makes me very tired and I have difficulty concentrating. The muscle soreness is of the low grade variety, but it is from head to toe. It was worse when I was working a job that was very physically demanding. I would be sore and tired for days and missed a lot of work. I was ashamed of how "lazy" I appeared to be.

I am not ashamed of my handicaps but most of my co workers still do not know that I am bipolar. They know about the fibromyalgia and the hypothyroidism. These are "acceptable" diagnoses. Mental illness is still shrouded in shame. Which is why the world needs a freak like me to tell it like it is.

So, far from saying "those poor people" regarding the side show performers, I say "let them speak out! Let them tell it like it is! Let them show off their unique body types, their unique abilities. Right on, Freaks!"

Besides, for fuck's sake, they're a hell of a lot more interesting than Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan on their worst day!

This freak is trying to make an extra buck or two with some affiliate marketing. I find programs I think that people really might be interested in and insert them at the bottom of my posts. No, I won't come to your house in the middle of the night with a gun and make you order anything. But I might send Axe Man to your house naked. So...the choice is yours!

This post brought to you by:

KCKmedical.com is America's leading online medical retailer. We deliver non-prescription medications and health related products at substantial savings direct to the consumer. We service thousands of customers nationwide from one location.

Phreequeshow

I am currently taking Human Growth and Development and we are studying genetics and congenital abnormalities. Phreequeshow is a site which educates about various genetic abnormalities in a way that is at once entertaining, educational and respectful.
I once watched a program about "Freaks" and was struck by the fact that many of the sideshow performers were upset about the people who were trying to protect them from exploitation. As one man said, "these people are trying to take away my means of making a living!"
Many "freaks" stated that they were well treated and respected as performers and that in many ways they called the shots. They were not "owned" by the carnival management, they were contract performers.
As long as we are respectful of others, why not allow them to make their living by capitalizing on their differences? Then instead of a handicap, it can be an asset. They can educate others that one doesn't need to be perfect or even "normal" to be a valid and valuable member of society even as they entertain and amaze. I am often inspired when I see a person with what might seem monumental handicaps triumph. In this world we have to use the abilities that we've been given, and sometimes those abilities are disguised as disabilities.
Besides, I think that Aloa the Alligator Boy would be a far more interesting person than Paris the Attention Whore.
From what I've found, I say let the "Freaks" have their show. They deserve to be in show business as much as the so-called "Beautiful" people!

This post about Interesting People aka Freaks is brought to you by:

Healthcare mediation. When medical bills are overwhelming, let the Healthcare Mediation Service work for you. Click Here To get started.