How Has Caylee's Disappearance Affected Your Personal Life?

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Patty G

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For me, it just turned it all upside down. Nothing is routine anymore like it was before this beautiful child went missing.

I only joined this site on July 26, 2008 after I was searching for information for my blog. Based on the number of posts I have done, it appears I am totally obsessed with Caylee's disappearance.

There are days I am still in my PJ's while eating breakfast at dinner time. Sometimes not taking a shower so as not to miss the latest news on Caylee.

I am on the computer, with some many links open and my desktop looking like it exploded with icons so I can reference this, or that.

I have two TV's on, so if I walk out of the room I don't miss any news. I record other news shows so I can peek at them to see if they are reporting any that I missed.

My little dog feels neglected as he brings me his toys and places them at my feet in hopes I will stop and play with him

There are days, when I open the crate to let my dog out, he doesn't even come out as he sees me go directly to the computer, which is in the same room as his crate.

Yesterday, (Tuesday) after waiting for the news briefing, my computer locks up and the briefing is no longer live. I look all over and ask for links to the briefing knowing fully I have to get to Pet Smart to get my dog some dog food. He had about 5 pieces of dog food in his bowl.

But I wait and wait, find it, look at it, reacts to it and finally I had to go for food. However, the heavens opened up with a terrible thunderstorm in Florida, flooding the streets almost instantly. But I had to go, and off I went.

I have already contacting the media reports on-line, reprimanding their reports of speculation on "sources said, local investigators, confirm this or that".

My first though is Caylee when I start my day, like so many of you, as well as my last thought before I sleep, and even dream of things while sleeping only to wake up and write them down on the pad next to my bed.

When I woke up briefly around 5:30 AM this morning, I decided no, go back to sleep. I wasn't fully asleep when Caylee pops back in my head. Then I see vials of medicine with syringes with a hospital background in my vision. Once that came to my mind, I just got up!

I only wish Casey was a tormented as I am and all of you over Caylee. Maybe then and only then would Casey come forward so we can find Caylee.

I couldn't continue on with my day until I blog this! Sad, so very sad how Caylee has affected all of us so deeply! :(
 
A child of mine shares Caylee's birthday - this bothered me of course, but, when my child heard it on Nancy Grace it kind of sent her over the edge - and so then of course, all of us are even more bothered.

My child is old enough to know about Mama's "weird hobby", (DH and I watch NG nightly and discuss cases, usually me bringing him up to date on what is going on because here at Websleuths we normally know more than NG,LOL) and nothing has ever bothered her like this before.
 
Well, it hasn't really affected my daily actions. I feel terrible for that poor baby. BUT I have a beautiful 3 year old daughter of my own. She has been sick for the last few days, and chilling out watching movies on the couch. That gives me a bit more time to read up on Caylee; I leave my browser open and peek in when I can. Normally, I would only go online at night, but I have been home in the day since she is sick.

Emotionally, it really sucks. I look at my daughter, who was also born in 2005. She is just the most beautiful, perfect little creature. Yes, she can be a pain - she talks back, has tantrums etc, but the though of not knowing where she was - even for a minute - makes me tear up.

Its hard to wrap my mind around a mother 'losing' a kid and not giving a carp about it and I've tried to keep up on all the posts, but i can't let it affect my day to day life, since I still have to be Mommy. :)

PS. I'm still in my jammies too. LOL
 
I can't stop thinking about little Caylee. As many of you, I think about her and just want to cry. I can't imagine for the life of me why Casey is being so cold. I ask my husband every night, where the he** is Caylee!
 
This case bothers me, mostly the mother's actions and comments (they sound all too familiar, a self-absorbed selfish immature young woman, but unlike Cindy I'm NOT an Enabler)...when I heard the phone conversation about wanting to speak to Tony, "i can't cry 24/7 I have to talk to people"...."this was a HUGE WASTE" could have been a verbatum comment.

....but it hasn't affected my life except for spending too much time here, watching the news and constantly checking for updates and re-affirming my own decisions about interacting with this type of person.
 
Well, I find the case very interesting, and I spend some computer time reading here and various news sites for updates on the case.

But......... I'll stick my neck out there and say....... if this is keeping you from your normal responsibilities and/or you are neglecting your job/home/pets/family/friends over it? That isn't normal.

:(
 
OK, I'll own up.

I'm with you PattyG. Perhaps we share similiaraties because we are both in Florida and this case hits close to home? And also because this is our "winter" - the time when we don't go out as much because it's just too darn hot?

Still. My kids are at grandmas house this week. I've basically been a shut-in since they have been gone! I HAD to go to the store yesterday because there was nothing to eat in the house and I joked to my husband that I "had to leave the cave because I was hungry!". I admit, it's not unusual for me to go into extreme downtime when my kids are visiting grandma - I like to take the time to have "nothing time" when they're gone because we go, go, go when they are here. With that said, I will admit I have been stuck and tied to the computer with this case. I can't say how many times I hit "refresh" on the forums! I had all these grand ideas of things that I was going to get done while the kids were gone, but lo and behold - the only thing that's been accomplished is my knowledge base of the Caylee Anthony case! So PattyG, you are not alone!

I will say, for the obvious reasons, I hope something breaks by Thursday morning. First and foremost, for the obvious reasons (poor little Caylee's welfare) but for my own selfish reasons - my kids are coming home that day, and I would never dream of neglecting them. In fact, this case and all of the other cases this case makes me think of (Yates, Routier, Duckett, Tucker, etc.) makes me just want to love and nurture my babies more.
 
It was really getting to me.

That's when I just realized I had to step away from the computer.

I still check it from time to time, but I can't think about it constantly anymore. It is really depressing.
 
Well, I find the case very interesting, and I spend some computer time reading here and various news sites for updates on the case.

But......... I'll stick my neck out there and say....... if this is keeping you from your normal responsibilities and/or you are neglecting your job/home/pets/family/friends over it? That isn't normal.

:(

I speak with respect here, and I definitely don't want to start sniping (I see too much of that on these boards already) so please take my comment as I intend it - simply discussion.

I don't agree with your statement of "That isn't normal". Everyone has different versions of what their "normal" is. For someone to sit at the computer and blog, or chat, or whatever constantly may be their normal. That's not my normal - but it's probably someone else's. For this case though, many people on the boards have said this case has "gripped" them. I do think it's normal for people to get super-involved with something at different times in their lives. We all "check out" of our responsibilites from time to time for whatever reason - vacation, family visits, a wedding, whatever, It could be anything. This case has gripped people. As a result, they are temporarily checking out of responsibilities to follow the case. It's just one other reason to look away from the mundane of every day life. We all do it - we maybe just don't realize it, and maybe don't think following this case is a good enough reason to do it. I know when my kids come home, I will be a better mother to them than I would have been had I not followed this case so closely this week. Sure, I "checked out" over this, but there will be a positive result! Do I make any sense at all?
 
A child of mine shares Caylee's birthday - this bothered me of course, but, when my child heard it on Nancy Grace it kind of sent her over the edge - and so then of course, all of us are even more bothered.

My child is old enough to know about Mama's "weird hobby", (DH and I watch NG nightly and discuss cases, usually me bringing him up to date on what is going on because here at Websleuths we normally know more than NG,LOL) and nothing has ever bothered her like this before.


My youngest daughter shares Caylee's birthday too! And Caylee looks my my deceased oldest daughter. That is the hook for me.

I am on it every free moment, when I should be finishing up a handknit sweater for my youngest daughter in time for the 9th!
 
How this case has affected me, it has made me ill, physically ill to know a mother can do this. It's made me mad til my blood is boiling, and it's made me heartbroken to know that litte girl was not treasured and cared for the way she deserved to be. I have not paid the attention I normally would to other cases because this one has taken over. I do tell myself to step away to do other things tho, we need a mental break at times so if you're able to, go for a walk, water some flowers, play with your pets, cook a good meal, do something poitive for you and yours.

VB
 
This case is affecting me like many other missing person cases...I feel sick to my stomach and immediately start thinking "What if it were my baby?" or "What if I was Cindy's age and my child did this?"...it's hard not to try and put yourself there for a minute to imagine how horrible this situation is for the people involved...let alone all of us sitting at our computers or tv's.

Please don't flame me for the following comment as I work in the media and it's just my opinion...I do have to say that, although I am happy that Caylee is getting much-needed coverage, the media really does have a habit of picking a pet case and focusing soley on it. I, like the rest of you, held my breath during the Laci Peterson case, the Natalie Holloway case, etc...but I can't help but feel bad for the families whose sons, daughter, grandchildren, wives, husbands, etc., go missing without even a brief mention by the media.

Casey Anthony has turned this into a true media circus; any family that has a missing loved one would give their right arm to get the cover of People magazine and I read that Cindy was actually complaining about the article...

My greatest hope is that Caylee comes home alive and well....my greatest fear is that Casey has made that option null and void...
 
Pany family that has a missing loved one would give their right arm to get the cover of People magazine and I read that Cindy was actually complaining about the article...

My greatest hope is that Caylee comes home alive and well....my greatest fear is that Casey has made that option null and void...

No flames. I absolutely agree. I have come across cases where anguished parents practically have to beg LE and the media to take them seriously or listen to them for a minute, sometimes to no avail. Then we have the Anthony's...
 
This case has shocked me like no other has....there are so many twists / turns / lies & more lies / denial by everyone. It totally sickens me that Casey & the family are willing to play such a sick demented game of cat & mouse for the world to see.

I honestly don't see any members CARE about Caylee. Casey is a disgrace to be called a "mother". She could care less about that little girl & it drives me nuts!!!!

I have company coming the next 2 wks so I won't be able to post as much. But trust me I'll come running to the puter each chancve I get to see what is happening. All that is on my TV is Fox News & Nancy Grace. :eek:
 
Well, I find the case very interesting, and I spend some computer time reading here and various news sites for updates on the case.

But......... I'll stick my neck out there and say....... if this is keeping you from your normal responsibilities and/or you are neglecting your job/home/pets/family/friends over it? That isn't normal.

:(

Let me begin by saying that I believe EVERYONE here has something to contribute and there are a lot of people who have worked very hard to uncover so many details. I applaud you for your tenacity!

However, I must say that I agree with tamfish, in a sense. I don't believe it's healthy to have a case like this affect your entire life, and those around you.
I don't think it's healthy for your children (especially those under the age of 10) to keep seeing these images of this child missing and to have your children worrying. There is enough stress in this world, and I believe that children should be protected. They should know that there are bad people in the world, but should not have the thought put in their head that someone's own parent could harm them in any way. They should not have their own parent so consumed with this case that they're either not paying attention to their own child, or paranoid to let that child out of their sight.
I do understand the need for answers, and wanting to know if there's been a break in the case, but if it's affecting your life so much that you don't step away from the computer long enough to take care of your personal needs, or worse, that you put yourself in harm's way just to take care of something you could've/should've taken care of earlier, then I say it's time to step away for at least an hour or two.
Believe me when I say that I think of this case often throughout the day, obviously, or I wouldn't be here. I do appreciate those who have contributed so much. But, really, if it's affecting you so deeply, it might be time to just take a breather and get back into your own life. I would guess that your family, pets, and friends would welcome you back.

--this is all my opinion/observation and not meant to slam in any way.:rose:
 
I speak with respect here, and I definitely don't want to start sniping (I see too much of that on these boards already) so please take my comment as I intend it - simply discussion.

I don't agree with your statement of "That isn't normal". Everyone has different versions of what their "normal" is. For someone to sit at the computer and blog, or chat, or whatever constantly may be their normal. That's not my normal - but it's probably someone else's. For this case though, many people on the boards have said this case has "gripped" them. I do think it's normal for people to get super-involved with something at different times in their lives. We all "check out" of our responsibilites from time to time for whatever reason - vacation, family visits, a wedding, whatever, It could be anything. This case has gripped people. As a result, they are temporarily checking out of responsibilities to follow the case. It's just one other reason to look away from the mundane of every day life. We all do it - we maybe just don't realize it, and maybe don't think following this case is a good enough reason to do it. I know when my kids come home, I will be a better mother to them than I would have been had I not followed this case so closely this week. Sure, I "checked out" over this, but there will be a positive result! Do I make any sense at all?

Gotcha. And perhaps "normal" wasn't the right word to use. Maybe a better word would be "healthy". I am firm in my belief that it simply is not "healthy" to become so overly involved with a case in the news/on the internet that one neglects their responsibilities in "real life"......that one neglects spending time with family/friends in order to read on the internet about the case.... that one might keep it in the forefront of their minds to the point where one becomes physically ill and/or unable to sleep......

I understand it's a whole "there but for the grace of God go I" sort of thing. If it is right in your backyard, if you have a child of similar age, it does get one to thinking of the horrible things that could happen. And God forbid, should it actually be happening within your own family.... well then I can totally understand being consumed with it. I would be too, in that case.

But Caylee isn't my family, she isn't in my community, the players involved don't know me from Adam. So they are in my prayers, of course, and I'm interested in the outcome and will keep posted of it............. in the meantime, my "way" of doing things is to stay grounded in my life and not seek out drama for drama's sake. I have enough going on without taking on that of a family 1/2 way across the country whom I don't even know.
 
I can't seem to drag myself away. Deeply sad and online way too much, plus I keep changing the tv to the news much to the irritation of my children. Anyway, I'm determined to take something from this...be it as simple as a reminder that my children are a gift.
 
tamfish - "healthy" is the perfect word - we are definitely on the same page.

rnmominfl -that is exactly what I was saying - this case is reminding me of what a gift my children truly are, and how happy I am to sacrifice for them, and for the greater good.

FYI, I have been away from the computer for over an hour! I talked to a friend, cleaned up a little, and balanced my checkbook! Lol! But now I have to go see if there have been any updates... :rolleyes:
 
It helps to post our feelings about how we feel as it helps us support one another even though we can only communicate through words.

Many of us can relate regarding a child that may have past, or have a child the same age or birthday or know a child who is ill.

When we see a mother like Casey, showing no emotions, compassion, character, integrity, truth, etc., it bring out the maternal instinct in all of us to a degree that is immeasurable.
 
This case hasn't affected my personal life as far as my day to day activities go.
I still do my job at work and I still do it well and I still uphold my obligations to my family life.
However, some things have been modified.
Instead of goofing off playing online games, shopping, or posting on a local board with my real life friends, I read and follow up on anything I can find about Caylee. Instead of watching HGTV, I watch NG and other news shows. Instead of talking about the work day when we leave the office, my bf and I discuss the case and I fill him in on any new developents that I've read. I dream about her and I think about her all day, but not to the extent that I neglect other things in my life.
I think what sucked me in the most with Caylee is the fact that when the story broke, my family and I were on vacation in Orlando for the kid's Disney/Universal summer vacation and the first thing I thought when I saw her picture was, "My god, she looks just like Jennifer did when she was that age." Jennifer is my 20 year old daughter.
From that moment on, I've been hooked on finding out what happened Caylee.

Another way this case and the case about Taylor and Skyla from Oklahoma have both affected me, is that over the last few months, I've grown more protective of my own children. I drive them more places(in the past, I'd let my 11 year old ride his bike across the lake in our subdivision, but now I don't even like him walking to the bus stop in the mornings), I question them and their friends more and I've just overall become more strict in everything I do.
I thinks it's a new awareness. The world is a nasty, evil place sometimes and it's my job to protect the ones that can't protect themselves.
 
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