Tano's: One Year Ago, Halloween 2009

I am behind a whole year in my blogging. Since I had THE biggest undertaking of my life, moving to Hawaii, I think I have a pretty good excuse. But for the next while we will be playing catch-up.

October 31, 2009. HALLOWEEN.

We spent last Halloween in Kayenta, Arizona while we were living with my parents. Bringing up these pictures from last year brought back so many wonderful memories that I actually teared-up and had a few boo-hoo's here and there. I miss my family. I really love Hawaii, but I really really miss my family.

There was always three things you could count on during Halloween in our family.

First,...

Grandma Gilmore was always the first to break-out the pumpkin carving skills. She loves Holidays, and is the first in line when it comes to making them special. My most favorite thing was watching her every holiday get so excited that she was almost more excited than her grandkids! She is THE most wonderful Grandma the kids could ever ask for. They miss her dearly as well. And Papa too!

Second....

For some reason or another Kodi and I always seem to come together for Halloween. Our kids have enjoyed dressing up together year after year.

Isaac and Elijah as G.I. Joe ninja guys. And little Miss Adorable herself, Violet as a cheetah.

Third....

Tysho is never impressed with Halloween. He doesn't like dressing up and could care less about costumes. The only reason he puts up with it at all is for the candy!

Grandma and Tysho carving a pumpkin together.

Rocky helping out Lincoln....or Lincoln helping out Rocky?

Lincoln loved scooping out all the seeds

Masterpiece!

Lincoln wanted another picture by his pumpkin with Grandma's ghost decoration.

Tysho puts out the pumpkins on Grandma's front walk-way.

Tysho and Auntie Kiana's pumpkin.

Although he doesn't like dressing up Tysho does love carving pumpkins.

Lincoln helping Grandma clean up all the seeds....with a pen???

Now time for trick-or-treating!

Lincoln getting his face painted.

By mommy of course!

Any guesses who's in the middle with the scary mask?

....it's Kiana! She's going to take the kids out trick-or-treating. What a great Auntie.

Tysho 6 yrs. old

Tysho did not want anything too fussy or anything on his face. So he wore his actual Karate uniform from his Karate class he took in Utah Spring of 2009.

He graduated to a yellow belt.

Lincoln 2 yrs. old.

Lincoln of course was none other than the great Spidey.

As for MaeLee... that Halloween she was missing in action due to the fact that she was severely ill. That month of October she had gotten an ear-infection and strep throat.

Long story short... I took her to the Kayenta Clinic three times. And all three times they would not help me.

Okay so it's not so short, if you don't wanna hear my Doctor story skip to the end and look at the picture. Otherwise,...it's a real tale to tell on a Halloween spook nite!

Continuing, to the Clinic...first, they gave me nothing and said she was fine. Well many long nights, many fevers later Rocky actually took her back in. Second time, again they say nothing is wrong with her. Rocky says he refuses to leave without medicine. So they argue but say ,"Okay and give her an unmixed amoxicillin powder with no amounts on it or directions, and said, if she is still sick later then bring her back in and we'll mix this for you."

Back later??? She is sick now! So we take her the very next day to the wonderful Chilchinbeto Clinic with the best doctor ever. She takes one look at MaeLee and says, "Oh no! This baby is sick!"

"Yes. Yes she is and the Kayenta Clinic said nothing was wrong with her. " Sure enough we leave with MaeLee having two ear infections and strep throat!

The only reason I ever went to the Clinic was because it was on a weekend and Chilchinbeto was only open on week days.

Unfortunately, we go ahead and have them mix the amoxicillin powder given to us by the Kayenta Clinic before. And they actually give us the dosages and directions. Amoxicillin never works on my kids. I tell the doctors this all the time but on MaeLee we haven't tried it yet so...we give it a try.

Almost an entire month has gone by since she first got sick and with this anti-biotic she started to get better but then had a sharp decline quickly. I know exactly what this is! Her amoxicillin isn't working. It has now happened to all three of my kids. She is now so ill she's not responding, not eating, and not crying and I know very well she needs help NOW! But crap, it's the weekend, Halloween day actually, and so on I went to the Clinic for the third time! But, this time I take her in with a will not to let those clinic guinea pig experimenters give me the run around on my baby!

I tell them..."Look I am going to be right up front and to the point. My baby has been sick for almost an entire month. I took her here twice with no diagnosis and when I got my second opinion she in fact had two ear infections and strep throat. She has been on amoxicillin but it doesn't work with my kids. All I need is a stronger anti-biotic. It's what every doctor does for each of my kids. Pretty simple."

Oh this sad, sad, poor... Mr.... Dr. wanna-be..... so-in-so... ran into the wrong momma today! He was horrible. He barely looked at her. He already walked in with the attitude that she was fine and no need for anti-biotics. He started every sentence with , "Let me tell you a story..." Then proceeded to tell me about his kids and his whole life down to his great caveman ancestors who never and I repeat NEVER needed a drop of anti-biotic in their life!!

He told me this before we even started to discuss MaeLee.

Not only that he tried to give her a sucker after he casually examined her. I said, "No...No don't give her a sucker. She will barely nurse!" Even the nurse was embarrassed by this just looking at MaeLee and how sick she was.

Then he started flashing a light by her eyes and clicking his fingers all around her face. He began to tell me that he was more concerned with her "lazy eye" more than anything. I said, "She doesn't have a lazy eye. She has seen a pediatrician since she was born and there is nothing wrong with her eyes. She is very very sick! That is why she's not looking at you."

Then he started with, "Let me tell you a story..." and he went on to diagnose her with some long drawn out crazy named disease of the eyes. He was able to repeat it pretty well line by line from his memorized Gray's Anatomy book.

At this point I was getting irritated,...to say the least. So I interrupted his great display on Broadway and started telling him about MaeLee and why she was so sick and why I was even there in the first place.

I told him how I came in twice with no diagnosis and went to another doctor and my baby actually had ear infections and strep throat. He stopped me dead center there.

"Nope. Nope. Babies don't get strep throat." Then I said, "Well she did, and she needs a better antibiotic."

He says,"How do you know she had strep throat? Did she get a swab test done?"

I say,"Of course she did! And yes it came back right away positive!"

He began with , "Let me tell you a story..." went on to tell me about a mom claiming her baby had strep throat when infact it was the mom who had it and kept making her baby sick.

So I said, "I don't have it." He argued with me then said, "Let me tell you a story..." then it was a bout the siblings who had the strep throat and not the baby.

So I said, "Our doctor was so worried about my daughter that she tested our entire family and not only that she treated all of us whose throats looked bad with anti-biotics including myself. We are all fine. We don't have it, but my daughter does.

Then he said, "Well I'm gonna swab her throat." I said,"Did you not hear that she had been on amoxicillin for two weeks? It will come out inconclusive or not positive."

He did it anyway. And while they were holding my poor baby girl down the nurse said, "Oh my goodness her throat looks so red and awful." He said quickly, "No it doesn't it's fine!"

And on top of that he then ordered a catheter to be put in her for a urine test. I said, "Why? What are you going to do that for? He said, "To see if there is anything else wrong with her."

Then I was done with this quack," You are ABSOLUTELY NOT! to put a catheter in her. NO! "

Well then he threatened me! He started to tell me how I was a bad mom, and said he was going to write it down in her file as "A mother refused a catheter." I said, "Go ahead write it in your file I don't care, but your not doing it."

He huffed out. Came back in about an hour later and said..."Well her test was negative for strep throat and there is no ear infection."

I said, "So...You are not going to give me a better anti-biotic are you."

He said, "No...she doesn't need one. Just give her juice and get a humidifier. Do you have one of those?"

I was mad at this point, "Ok. I'm done here. I'm gonna go somewhere where they will actually help me."

He then said, "Let me tell you a story..."

I stopped him mid-sentence and yelled, "No! Let me tell YOU a story!....And I went on with alot to say that I will not repeat here. I got MaeLee dressed while I was yelling at him and put her in her car seat. The nurse ran in and he literally used her as a shield from me he was so scared. He started to say to the nurse, "She won't let me help her! And now she's yelling at me!"

The nurse said, "Well that's her choice."

I looked him straight in the eye and said, "I am not here to be your friend. I am not here to listen to your stories. I am here for my daughter and if I have to drive three hours or more I will get her help! This place is a sad sad place where all of you interns come here to treat us like a bunch of idiots! What is it because we are Native American? You think I'm stupid? This place is a mirage. You give false hope to those thinking they will come here for help when in fact you are only here for yourself. I am going to now go take my baby to a real doctor!"

I said it so the entire E.R. could hear me. Not only did I do this for MaeLee but also for the other people on my left and right that I sat and listened to him "tell them his stories"... to as I waited for my strep throat results. The things he said to them were so awful I couldn't believe it! There was also a young couple with a baby who seemed to have the same type of infection MaeLee had and he told them his story as he told me, but funny thing was he had a strep test done on that baby. I felt bad for that couple because he told them too to go home give her liquids and use a humidifier and all would be well.

Needless to say I walked out of there with all mouths in the entire place gaping wide open and staring at the crazy mom who wouldn't take "no." for an answer.

Rocky and I went to Page, Arizona immediately. The doctor took one look at her and said, "Oh no...we will get this baby help now. " Come to find out her anti-biotics in fact did not work and her strep throat now had advanced to Scarlet fever as she had the fever rash. She changed the medicine, and she said were able to catch it just in time before it led to something much worse. When strep throat gets worse it goes into scarlet fever when that is gone untreated it leads to serious complications with the heart and kidney and other organs. And also it can lead to rheumatic fever which is incurable and leaves to a lifetime of complications with the heart, kidney and auto-immune diseases.

So ladies remember this! You know best for your precious babies. Get a second or third opinion if you have to.

Humidifiers are great but don't cure strep!

Just an FYI, although the Kayenta Clinic was horrible in this case they aren't the only establishment that I've had to disagree with the doctor. When it comes to my kids I know them best. While I take Doctor's advice and knowledge in general with great consideration it's not the final say-all to my kids.

If I did this then Tysho's asthma and skin would be at it's worst! I have been very strong numerous times with different doctors to make sure he gets the best care possible, as well as the rest of my kiddos.

Main thing, yes I am well known not to take things lying down and I am quite hated for it. But in this life there are things worth fighting for, and my kids will always be one of them. Nobody is going to love and care for them as Rocky and I do. So we must have a say! I hope this story can help all you moms and dads out there.

Okay,....The End of my Story...

Sure enough our baby recovered very quickly afterward with the new anit-biotics.

While MaeLee missed out on the Halloween festivities she was still a very cute Elephant months later...