22 Jun 2006

Woes and cavies

Earlier in the week, I read on Action for Autism about an appalling article describing antenatal screening for autism. A UCL geneticist is applying to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, to use pre-implantation genetic diagnosis to screen out male embryos, as there are thought to be 4 times more autistic males than autistic females. She wants to offer this highly invasive and very novel screening to families where autism had 'inflicted severe suffering'.
This is horrible is so many ways; autism isn't an illness, there is no way of knowing how any child will develop and anyway, you do get autistic women you know.
I looked at the comments on the Daily (hate) Mail site on this topic and was distressed at the horrible things people had written. I should know better than to read that stuff.
Thankfully, there is Ballastexistenz, where
every post is amazing, but this really hit home.

All this was getting me down and I was also full of woe, as I periodically am, at all the unremitting, thankless drag of cleaning and tidying and keeping a house in which everyone is dispensing toys and books and stuff into every corner, every day. I really need to get out more. I feel jealous sometimes of Gordon, stepping out into the world and making his mark in a very obvious and respected way. I think sometimes, this blog is the only way I exist outside my immediate family. Then I feel a bit guilty for thinking like this.

But it's not all doom and gloom round here. The children are on fine form. And we have 2 new family members; we picked up our 2 guinea pigs from the animal shelter on Tuesday. Lady has named them Daisy and Crookshanks, can anyone guess what inspired the later?!
They are the cutest wee things. They're still very nervous so we've left them to settle into their hutch and just stroke them when they are willing. Lady is very sensitive to their needs. Duncan however wishes they could chase him, somehow I think they'd run in the opposite direction.

Just to record a new addition to Duncan's diet; oxtail soup. He loves it! He has also nibbled at bits of raw carrot, when we were pretending to be guinea pigs!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

((hugs)) Sharon. I t is getting gnme down to. The embryo screning is scary. 3 of my girls are AS so how would they have dealt with that? I do not agree with it at all. I do not see autism as a terrible disaster to be avoided at all costs like some genetic diseases. Even that is open to question as to if it is a good thing to do or not.

Anonymous said...

The good news is they have to apply for permission to do this PGD and it may not be forthcoming. The people who matter in the UK know about this now and it will be opposed.

Anonymous said...

we picked up our 2 guinea pigs from the animal shelter on Tuesday. Lady has named them Daisy and Crookshanks, can anyone guess what inspired the later?!
They are the cutest wee things. They're still very nervous so we've left them to settle into their hutch and just stroke them when they are willing. Lady is very sensitive to their needs. Duncan however wishes they could chase him, somehow I think they'd run in the opposite direction.


GUINEA PIGS!!!!!

I love guinea pigs. I have three now; they're numbers 8-10: Princess, Katonia, and Napoleon.

My mom commented once that I am a guinea pig.

I took it as a compliment. ;)

If you want any tips or anything, feel free to ask! I'm not kidding when I say I love cavies! (One of my "someday" projects is to open a guinea pig rescue.)

Anonymous said...

Guinea pigs are gorgeous,but a tad sensitive. If the accommodations are 5 star, they seem to thrive. Naturally, our lot are probably on a six star regime: Not for them the rugged outdoors - and this is Australia.

One's called Dr Harry GP and the other Lawrence of Abyssinia. We had a lovely female called Kiri te Guinea Pig because she had this habit of turning operatic when the fridge door opened. She lived to a very ripe old age for such a wee thing.

Sharon McDaid said...

4g&3b; ach, I'm back to normal again now! I have these little whiny episodes every so often. It's not like I wish I was back at work or anything really. In my last job I worked part time after having Lady but gave up after 1 month back after Duncan was born. I just felt that he was a more needy child and hated leaving him at the nursery, even though I had few qualms about leaving Lady there. But I would hate to have to go back to that!

Mike, I'm glad to hear that about the PGD. The debate on the article allowed some sane and reasonable points to be made, but I think the 'devastating horror' depiction of autism, was more prevalent. We have a long way to go.

Hi Jannalou, guinea pig lady!
I'll take you up on that offer!

Alyric, you're right about them being sensitive! I love your cavy names.

Anonymous said...

I hope you do feel better. It can be really exhausting, we become very raw and knackered over issues surrounding Willow..it's just too much sometimes. ((((Sharon))))

Anonymous said...

Hi Sharon,
I know exactly how you feel. I also spend my life picking up and putting away just to do it over again and again. I think thats why I have found growing the veggies so therapeutic. It gives me a little purpose outside of these walls.
Hazel