It was some time around mid-April 2015. The Tanaan Jungle zone had just unlocked, and every gamer (and their uncle) would need to wait four extra months to find out when a new WoW expansion called Legion would come out. We were not prepared! Meanwhile, some Human Warrior named Leventaros would be looting both the Reins of the Asure Drake and the Reins of the Blue Drake in a single Malygos run. Haters -who later found out- were gonna hate what he was about in the Eye of Eternity.
For most of you, the previous paragraph may not account for much. Some weird fantasy gibberish, probably best for you to ignore. But for some of us, who have spent a good part of our early (childless) youth playing -what appears to be- the most popular Massive-MultiPlayer-Online-Role-Playing-Game of our times, that paragraph comes like a blast from the past to shed tons of memories and true nostalgia upon our living.
Once upon a time, there was a guild named Warriors of Wrath, in a server called Ravencrest. My Night-Elf Priestess used to play there, alongside some of the nicest and kindest people I have met online. That’s how I came to meet Leventaros, the avatar of Doctor Lampros Lamprogiannis from Thessaloniki, Greece. No kids or spouses back then, but legendary amounts of fun when raiding, questing and talking about our favorite dungeons: he had a strong preference for a place called Oculus, and that’s how I found out he was an ophthalmologist!
Many years later, with a lot of water under the bridge and on a (long) break from WoW, Lampros and I have re-connected to discuss our new shared interest: the well-being of our lovely Sons!
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Lampros Lamprogiannis. I work as an ophthalmologist, pursuing a subspecialty in Paediatric Ophthalmology. Since the completion of General Ophthalmology training in Greece, I have been working in the UK and, as of 2019, I am a part of the Ophthalmology teams of both Great Ormond Street and Kings College Hospitals.
I am married to Dina Rova, who works as an ENT doctor with an interest in Audiovestibular medicine and, in March of 2018, we were blessed with Panagiotis: a curly-haired version of the Tasmanian Devil!
Stemming from your personal experience, what is the toughest part of being a Dad, and how do you manage it?
I suppose the most difficult part is finding a new balance, setting the roles and realising that this little bundle of joy needs you 24/7. Fathers should remember that the first few months after childbirth can be very tricky for the new mother, so try to strike off the word “no” from your vocabulary!
Who is (are) your go-to person(s) when you need support as a Father? What type of support are you mostly in need of?
A network of friends with children, every paediatric doctor I know and the Internet. We live in times when it is not particularly difficult to come across information; choosing the bits that are actually valid and helpful is the tricky part.
P.S. Some parent groups in social media should not be taken seriously!
What’s the No1 Skill (or Ability, or Knowledge) you have found handy in your role as a Dad?
Being able to maintain a cool head through times of crisis: illness, stress, work-related problems, childcare disasters. This has allowed me to keep Panagiotis calm and, defectively, help my wife through this demanding time.
What advice do you have for a new Father?
Get as much sleep as you can, whenever you can. Little people do not need fancy things: a hug, a silly face, a song, even a vanilla version of your favourite football team’s anthem will do! Improvise and remember: anything is a toy. Give them time! Support your wife; try to relieve some of her stress. Reassure her: she is probably doing a great job. So are you!
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