It seems the conversation had gone something like this:
Customer: Have you got any grandchildren?
Mum: No, not likely to have, my youngest isn't talking to me and my eldest is a pharmacist, but she has Turner's syndrome.
Customer: Oh, she must have a mild case then?
Mum: Well yes, she's in Mensa too. Are you a doctor?
Customer: Yes, I'm in paediatrics.
Oh - em - gee!!!
Where to start with this???
My reaction was "excuse me, because I'm a pharmacist my T.S. can't be that bad?". If I'd been there this "doctor" would have had some education!
But also, on the flip side, just because I have achieved, and I'm maybe what she would call "normal" doesn't mean that I am not affected by my T.S., and need help, support and monitoring as and when required.
T.S. women can achieve anything that we set out to do, if we try hard enough and have the right support and people around us, encouraging us and helping us, not making barriers. It's the old, stupid attitudes like this, when we know no better and listen to them, which STOP us achieving, stop us trying, stop us wanting to try. NOT the T.S. itself.
And as for the mother not being a grandmother, I promise that any children I have through IVF (donor egg, embryo adoption) or adoption WILL be her grandchildren, just saying, she has to have that attitude too! Hopefully I can explain this to her, and how to explain and educate and raise awareness in situations like these! Also the fact that maybe she doesn't have to always talk about this to totally random strangers?
T.S. is T.S., you have it or you don't. I don't think being classic or mosaic, and your particular karyotype, actually impact which part of having T.S. you might have struggles with. We are all unique, like any other human being, with our own strengths and weaknesses.
Okay, that's it, battling back of "pity-face" comment achieved also! (You know, that pity face you get when you tell someone you can't have kids). Let's go spread awareness!
