Dear Prudence,
I have always had an extremely sensitive stomach and a complete aversion to the sight and smell of feces, vomit, and blood. I have actually fainted several times and as a child, my brothers could trigger me to throw up by making retching noises. Which is why I do not understand my sister’s insistent need to bombard me with pics of my niece’s diaper blowout and other disgusting things.
I have already dropped out of the family chat because my sister can’t connect the dots that posting these pictures is unwanted and unwelcome. I have told her to stop and she finds my request amusing. She says she is helping me because how else will I learn when I have a baby myself (and that condescending smugness is another kettle of fish). I hit my limit when my sister texted me that she had the “cutest” thing to show me right before a big meeting. It was a picture of my niece’s green diarrhea. I ended up dry heaving into a trash can. I managed not to do it in front of my superiors but it was a near miss. I am furious with my sister and we had a huge fight over the phone. I told her that fascination with this wasn’t normal and it was disgusting and she needed to quit it. She took that as me calling her baby disgusting. Now we aren’t talking but everyone in the family is. My father has a birthday coming up and I am thinking of skipping because I am afraid my sister will pull some stunt. What should I do?
—Sensitive Stomach