In the small midwestern town where I grew up during the 1960s, the words cancer, pregnant, divorce, sex, and mental illness were always spoken in whispers, accompanied by dark looks, furtive glances, and the covering of children's ears. Yes, I am that old. So much has changed since those days–some for the good and some for the bad. But this post isn't about what has changed. It's about what … [Read more...]
He Won’t Remember: Children & PTSD
Some things parents never forget. Like the first time a mother holds her newborn child. Or the first time a baby belly laughs at a father's antics. But when I think of our son's early days, one unpleasant memory comes to mind. Our baby's wince of pain when the nurse took him–bristling with drainage tubes, feeding tubes, IVs, and monitor wires–and placed him in his daddy's arms. Newborns Don't … [Read more...]