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“If it wasn’t for xxxxxxx I wouldn’t be here.” Weird things to Owe your existence to.

181 replies

OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow · 08/03/2020 20:31

Inspired by a conversation with dh today. We were driving past the site of the old tb hospital in our home town. His grand parents met there when gf was a patient and Dgm was a nurse. “So if it wasn’t for tb I wouldn’t be here.”
So is there anyone else who wouldn’t be around if not for something unusual?

OP posts:
vampirethriller · 09/03/2020 06:38

Cockroach. My grandparents met in Ww2 when my grandad pointed out there was a cockroach in her porridge at breakfast. She was fixing planes, he was there to fly them.

JorisBonson · 09/03/2020 06:46

I joined the police and got strength to leave abusive ex after dealing with many other women in my position. I got a place to live in a police house where he could never find me and fantastic support when I opened up about what was going on.

I don't think I'd be alive if I didn't do that.

ellesbellesxxx · 09/03/2020 06:58

My children wouldn’t be here without IVF.... also I doubt we would have had twins if we had been able to conceive naturally so they wouldn’t be twins! Mind boggling

TheDogsMother · 09/03/2020 07:15

I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for the man that rescued me while I was drowning on holiday in Spain when I was 18. I honestly thought I had breathed my last and was disappearing under the water when this man appeared from nowhere and swam dragging me back to shore. I still wish I could have thanked him properly but I was busy throwing up sea water and crying hysterically.

Vix20678 · 09/03/2020 07:25

@TheDogsMother I was also saved from drowning, aged 4. I named my son after the man who rescued me.

Sucksfake1 · 09/03/2020 07:36

My DS wouldn't be here if I hadn't tried to commit suicide after DS1 died.

I met DH aka my sons dad while sectioned in the local MH hospital. We overlapped for 2 days then just stayed in touch. I wasn't even supposed to be in that hospital but the women only one had no beds.

5 year on, both stable and happy.

TheDogsMother · 09/03/2020 08:06

@Vix20678 That is such a lovely way to remember the person who saved you. I'm not religious but the man who saved me looked exactly like the depictions of Jesus !

Falcor40 · 09/03/2020 08:16

I've got w few. As I've nearly died 3 times!

First was a midwife. She was on one born every minute. She was called Kay. Older lady. Never had any children. She saved my life first. She also saved my child's life. Without her I wouldn't be here

Second one was a dr. I had horrific pain in my back. Like wanted to scream. Went to A and E. was told it was a panic attack and I was going to be sent home soon. Just needed to slow my breathing down. It didn't how much I protested. He wouldn't listen. So eventually I was let go. On the way out I collapsed. Some nice dr found me. He said I'm the consultant of the A and E. I think you've got a blood clot on your lung. It turned out I had MASSIVE bilateral blood clots on both lungs. Something like 70%. Without him. I would of died. I see him often now. I always say. Remember me. Without you I'd be dead! He then says back to me. Well at least my medical training helped someone!

Third time was my endocrine dr. I was getting more and more sicker. I could barely stand. Every dr kept telling me it was post natal depression. Or nothing wrong. Health anxiety. I'd googled some issue but was told it was so rare. That I wouldn't have it. He gave me the test (not many do it. As it's seen as really dangerous). He rang me up 20 hrs later and told me I needed to come in immediately

Falcor40 · 09/03/2020 08:17

If that hadn't of happened. My kids wouldn't be here.

Heartofglass12345 · 09/03/2020 10:31

If my mum hadn't been on antibiotics I wouldn't be here (didn't know about the effects of antibiotics on the pill in the 80's)

KahlanRahl · 09/03/2020 10:40

I thank my existence (and my dads existence) to my grandfather going blind during the war.

He was a prisinor in a camp and "thanks" to him going blind and staggering around as if he was ill they decided against moving him together with the other prisinors on a ship... that was bombed and sunk shortly after. No survivors. Granddad survived the war and had 5 more children with grandma

Isitbedtimesoon · 09/03/2020 14:30

My Dad was in the RAF and on a plane air dropping supplies from the rear door His senior officer screamed at him to quickly move his foot. He looked down and there was rope coiled around his foot - the rope was attached to the crate that was currently being dropped ...

SoCrimeaRiver · 09/03/2020 14:35

A runaway GI. He was going to marry my gran but went back to America saying he'd return for her, and he didn't. Her sister took her out to a local dance to cheer her up and she married the accordian player from the band.

There's a parrallel universe out there somewhere where my gran is in the US, with a whole other family......

TaterWaffle · 09/03/2020 14:45

Oh yes, death of my grandfather.

My dad got as far as getting a USA work visa. Then his dad succumbed to cancer, and being the only child of the family, my dad felt too guilty to desert my (somewhat overbearing) grandmother.

So he stayed, and then the aforementioned Norway thing happened.

So here we still are, dammit.

TravellingSpoon · 09/03/2020 14:55

I wouldn't have my children if back in the day sainsburys paid as much an hour as Boots did. I chose the Boots job as my saturday job and met Ex-H there. The only reason I chose the job at boots was because they paid slightly more.

Elbels · 09/03/2020 15:15

If I hadn't needed a wee I wouldn't be getting married this year.

Babybel90 · 09/03/2020 15:53

If my DH hadn’t missed his plane he would have left the day before I arrived to visit some friends, we would never have met, we’ve been together every day since.

ToriaPumpkin · 09/03/2020 16:38

If my parents hadn't separated when I was 10 and my mum hadn't moved 500 miles away to a small island I never would have had to go to a school that took boarders to finish my education where I met my now husband on day one aged 16 so neither of my children would be here.

If DH's mother hadn't been very career driven and moved to the same place when he was also 10 then he wouldn't have met X. X is now my oldest friend and was our bridesmaid. She in turn met one of the guys DH went to uni with when I dragged her to our union and they are now married with two kids.

MinesaPinotPlease · 09/03/2020 16:45

If my parents had not both gone to the roller disco and crashed into each other I would not be here - well that plus a dodgy condom saw them become young parents.

LuluJakey1 · 09/03/2020 16:47

If my grandmother's first husband had not been killed in the first world war, she would not have married my grandfather and had a further 10 children, including my dad- who would not then have met my mum and had me. Her husband joined up at the start of the war in September 1914 and was killed in the last few days of the war in 1918.

I went to a conference in place of another staff member who was off sick. If I had not gone, I would not have met DH.

ContessaferJones · 09/03/2020 16:52

My father liked Clint Eastwood films and, as a result, chose to study English over French at the age of 10. Which led him to do engineering in the UK rather than Germany. Which is how he wound up meeting my mum!

That boggled me Confused

HopeYouStepOnALego · 09/03/2020 16:54

If my parents' first child hadn't died hours after birth then I probably wouldn't be here as they only wanted two children and I was their third pregnancy. So I have my dear departed brother to thank for my own existence.

TheHagOnTheHill · 09/03/2020 21:25

Topical but if my grandad and his family hadn't got Spanish flu I wouldn't be here.
Sadly his wife and daughter died and he went on to marry my grandmother.

ReginaGeorgeous · 09/03/2020 21:51

My dad was due to go to The Tavern In The Town on the night of the Birmingham pub bombings, but changed his plans at the last minute.

ShesGotBetteDavisEyes · 09/03/2020 21:59

My dc’s probably wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for tequila...

DH and his best mate were in New York for 9/11 and had planned to go to the top of one of the towers that day. Fortunately they went out the night before and got smashed and dh was so hungover they decided to put it off until the next day. Later that day the towers fell.

I got pregnant pretty quickly with ds1 after he returned!