I was thinking about this thread, as I woke up this morning. It's not from my parents that this pre-verbal trauma arrives. But I realized what effect it's had on me.

OK, born with a cleft lip and palate. The lip surgery was at 3 months, but it's the palate surgery at 13 months, that has had me wondering through the years, what type of effect it's had on my life, and *aha*, figured it out.

At 13 months old, I needed to stay in the hospital for close to 2 weeks. My mom and dad were not allowed to pick me up from there and I couldn't really have visitors(this I've been told) because the 'excitement' of seeing my loved ones could undo my stitches.

My grandmother expressed surprise that I even recognized her when they arrived to pick me up.

Here's my *aha*. Fact: I Lost 13 pounds during those two weeks. Mom used to put cereal in my formula, typical of certain families. Government regulations, etc, say not to do such a thing.

Imagine this, all these nurses(and yes, I've had 'nurse issues' throughout my lifetime), feeding me, but here I am losing weight and a hungry, very hungry little 1 year old. So, upon seeing my grandmother, whom I've known, instinctually, had helped my mom feed me(had to be tube down a throat that first year, my poor mom, right?!)...I 'see' a 'food source' in my grandmother.

She, my grandmother, has always talked about how much I ate after that hospital stay. I ate and ate and ate and gained back all that weight I'd lost. How much does a 13month old usually weigh, it was like losing close to half my weight!

When my dad and step'mom', were here, Saturday, all I could think of, is why don't you two take me and the boys out to eat? When are you going to feed us?(she's an RN). ((lack of feeding us, isn't near close to what the issues were, if you've followed any of my other PC postings over this weekend))

I digress.

Pre-verbal traumas, can have lasting effects. I'd hope that most therapists, would at least consider, working on seeing how yesterday factors into today, if you get what I mean about current therapy?!

Thanks for this thread.