i know i said i was done with this blog in the new blog... and i am, but i just had to post this somewhere.
there's something about this sentence that just doesn't make sense right?
"I spanked him and told him WE DO NOT HIT"
amazing that children aren't more responsive to their parents...
sigh.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
back, and cloudier than ever
i have a terrible memory. short and long term.
evidence long term: a lovely young lady reached out to me via facebook today. it took me a little while longer than would be comfortable to remember how we knew each other (though I did know right away that we did)... proudly... I figured it out, but I still don't remember how we met. I'm really lousy at this stuff. it's embarassing.
evident short term: i daydream about this blog a lot. things i will write, themes i can incorporate. i thought briefly about becoming the rachel maddow show recap blog because that's basically all the news i get in a day and i find it all fascinating and am so happy with myself when I don't agree with her 100% (i like to have my own brain and all), but that seems like a lot of work and I can't remember any of the other ideas.
change of subject....
...
...
...
now!
I was sick a few weeks ago with the flu (hey! i just remembered something I was going to post about... i helped a friend through labor. gotta share the story. some other time now. exhausted. you'll see why in a minute). The STOMACH flu. ewww... no vomiting, just the other end. and it burned like hell. i resisted medical intervention like it would have killed me to do otherwise. i stayed in bed and rested and drank fluids and ate bland and binding foods and waited it out. it took 4 days.
this week on Thursday I woke up feeling a little swollen in the throat. by midday my joints felt like they were melting and I knew fever was brewing. i made a fleeting stop at the desk of my at-work natural healing friend/confidant and got a bottle of fresh echinacea tincture. I downed several dropperfulls, finished what I was doing at work, got out of a few things i was supposed to be doing, and went home. by that evening I found myself driving to the Kaiser urgent care and celebrating (on the inside) when I was prescribed antibiotics for
"pharyngitis that probably wasn't strep but probably was bacterial." Did I mention that at some point that afternoon my fever was 102.4
I spent the entire next day in bed. I took the antibiotics but was still leaning on sleep and fluid for comfort... well, no more. a trip to cvs this morning led me straight to the hard core, behind the counter, pseudoepedrine containing stuff and boy is it good... and boy is it oh so bad too. When you spend nearly 3 years 99% chemical free that stuff hits you hard. I'm in a crazy daze.
and loving it. (shhh)
back to nature on Monday, promise.
xoxo
evidence long term: a lovely young lady reached out to me via facebook today. it took me a little while longer than would be comfortable to remember how we knew each other (though I did know right away that we did)... proudly... I figured it out, but I still don't remember how we met. I'm really lousy at this stuff. it's embarassing.
evident short term: i daydream about this blog a lot. things i will write, themes i can incorporate. i thought briefly about becoming the rachel maddow show recap blog because that's basically all the news i get in a day and i find it all fascinating and am so happy with myself when I don't agree with her 100% (i like to have my own brain and all), but that seems like a lot of work and I can't remember any of the other ideas.
change of subject....
...
...
...
now!
I was sick a few weeks ago with the flu (hey! i just remembered something I was going to post about... i helped a friend through labor. gotta share the story. some other time now. exhausted. you'll see why in a minute). The STOMACH flu. ewww... no vomiting, just the other end. and it burned like hell. i resisted medical intervention like it would have killed me to do otherwise. i stayed in bed and rested and drank fluids and ate bland and binding foods and waited it out. it took 4 days.
this week on Thursday I woke up feeling a little swollen in the throat. by midday my joints felt like they were melting and I knew fever was brewing. i made a fleeting stop at the desk of my at-work natural healing friend/confidant and got a bottle of fresh echinacea tincture. I downed several dropperfulls, finished what I was doing at work, got out of a few things i was supposed to be doing, and went home. by that evening I found myself driving to the Kaiser urgent care and celebrating (on the inside) when I was prescribed antibiotics for
"pharyngitis that probably wasn't strep but probably was bacterial." Did I mention that at some point that afternoon my fever was 102.4
I spent the entire next day in bed. I took the antibiotics but was still leaning on sleep and fluid for comfort... well, no more. a trip to cvs this morning led me straight to the hard core, behind the counter, pseudoepedrine containing stuff and boy is it good... and boy is it oh so bad too. When you spend nearly 3 years 99% chemical free that stuff hits you hard. I'm in a crazy daze.
and loving it. (shhh)
back to nature on Monday, promise.
xoxo
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Spread the Word...
Hi everyone,
It’s not just Emmonak that is struggling it’s the entire Yukon Delta. I live in Nunam Iqua, a village that is 25 miles south of Emmonak. Not only are we faced with the same issues as Emmonak but also our crisis is harder because we no longer have a store here. Our trading post collapsed several months ago, so we have no place here to get groceries.
So not only are we struggling between choosing heating fuel or food but also we have to spend even MORE MONEY to buy gas to travel upriver to Emmonak or Alakanuk to even get food. Which is very expensive when you have pay $7.20 a gallon for gas. It takes at least 6 gallons of gas just to travel by snowmachine to Emmonak or Alakanuk to even get groceries. So that takes that much more money away from what we have to spend on heating fuel and food.
We try to reduce our heating fuel costs by using our wood stove but then are we really saving money? because we still have to spend money on gas to go and get wood for our wood stove.
Everyone, especially Governor Palin, needs to realize that it’s not just Emmonak residents that are suffering! We need help in all of the YK Delta villages!
OK, I complied a list of everyone here in Nunam Iqua. I spoke to all but one household here and Have a list of what is needed. I got permission for my Youth Center to receive/distribute any donations that come in. So they can be mailed to:
Ann Strongheart
Nunam Iqua Program for Youth
c/o City of Nunam Iqua
101 Mudd Street
P.O. Box 26
Nunam Iqua, AK 99666
OR if you would like to send boxes directly to needy families I have a list of families including their family size and needs and their PO Box #’s you can email me at nunamiquayouth@yahoo.com if you would like a copy.
Here is a list of things that are desperately needed, since we have no store here in Nunam Iqua we are really struggling to get food and groceries here.
Here’s the list:
Diapers Sizes 1, 3, & 6
Similac Advanced Formula Powder
Canned Evaporated Milk
Dry Powdered Milk
Powdered Eggs
Crackers ( Sailor Boy Pilot Bread unsalted tops are the most used here)
Rice (minute rice)
Noodles
Peanut Butter
Honey
Jam
Juice
TOILET PAPPER (everyone is running out)
Flour
Sugar
Coffee
Cereal
Crisco
Coffee Creamer
Pancake Mix
Tea
Canned Vegetables
Dried Fruit
Instant Soups
Ramen Noodles
Cup a noodles
Just basic pantry staples. Even salt, pepper, etc.
OOH I just realized I forgot to put baby cereal and baby food on the list.
I would give you all some more information on the YK Delta.
It now costs $650 to fly from Emmonak to Anchorage round trip. For us to get to Emmonak from Nunam Iqua is an additional $150 so that’s $800 from Nunam to Anchorage and back.
Here in Nunam Iqua there are many families, myself included, who live in what could be described as shacks. Our house is 20′ x 30′ and is constructed out of plywood. It was built back in the 60’s and is very drafty and leaky LOL we use my 18 month old’s leftover diapers that are too small to catch the leaks when it’s raining or warms up. But we don’t have a choice, this is the only housing available, we rent it. It’s a choice between here or living with family and we would much rather have our own place, even tho it needs serious help.
Here in Nunam Iqua, we have no running water or sewer. They are currently building our water/sewer project and we hope to have running water/sewer this year or next. We are a honey bucket community, meaning we have 5 gallon buckets in our bathrooms with toilet seats on them.
Additionally, we have no roads here, no cars. We travel by snowmachine and 4-wheeler during the winter and by boat in the summer. We had a store here but it collapsed due to the rising energy costs.
We are currently paying $7.20 for a gallon of gas and $7.35 for a gallon of stove oil. The majority of homes here use stove oil for heat. Some of us have wood stoves to help keep the costs down.
We do have regular postal service here, depending on the ability of planes to make it in. The only way for supplies to arrive here is by plane or during the summer by barge. The majority of us live a subsistence lifestyle. Our major meat sources come from Fishing and Hunting. We also pick berries and wild greens during the summer/fall. We have nets under the ice on the river but the fish seem to be very slow coming this winter.
Oh yeah, Nunam Iqua is a village of about 200 people, located on the southern mouth of the Yukon. We got a brand new school this past summer so now our kids don’t have to brave the elements to make it to their classrooms and the gym to eat.
We currently have a City Office, a Tribal Office, the School, the Clinic, Laundrymat, Powerplant, Youth Center and Post Office available in Nunam.
I know this is going to sound funny but I am very grateful that it got cold again today. We had 36 degrees last night and were worried that it might start to affect the ice on the river and make it unsafe to travel but now we are back down to 9 degrees so no more worrying about the river.
The pike should start running soon so we will be able to take a 60 mile day trip by snowmachine to go catch pike and dry them assuming we can afford gas.
Ummm I don’t know what else to tell y’all but I thought I would give you an idea of what it’s like here in Nunam Iqua. We did have a very early freeze up this year and the last barge didn’t make it in. We are having temperatures ranging from
-25 degrees below zero to 30 above. Normally, we are consistently below zero this time of year.
Hope that gives y’all some information and answers some questions you might have about the YK Delta.
Thank you in advance for any help you can provide. We greatly appreciate it. Our weather is getting weird here, it got really hot here last night up to 36 degrees, if it keeps up we will be unable to travel upriver by snowmachine to get food, b/c the river will be unsafe to travel on.
Again if you have any questions or what more information please feel free to contact me at nunamiquayouth@yahoo.com
I know there have been references to scams so please feel free to look us up online. Nunam Iqua Program for Youth. I was featured on NAC, Native America Calling last year addressing underage drinking in the Bush. And we are listed with the State of AK as one of their grantees. So you can verify the mailing address and email address I provided.
Sincerely grateful,
Ann
It’s not just Emmonak that is struggling it’s the entire Yukon Delta. I live in Nunam Iqua, a village that is 25 miles south of Emmonak. Not only are we faced with the same issues as Emmonak but also our crisis is harder because we no longer have a store here. Our trading post collapsed several months ago, so we have no place here to get groceries.
So not only are we struggling between choosing heating fuel or food but also we have to spend even MORE MONEY to buy gas to travel upriver to Emmonak or Alakanuk to even get food. Which is very expensive when you have pay $7.20 a gallon for gas. It takes at least 6 gallons of gas just to travel by snowmachine to Emmonak or Alakanuk to even get groceries. So that takes that much more money away from what we have to spend on heating fuel and food.
We try to reduce our heating fuel costs by using our wood stove but then are we really saving money? because we still have to spend money on gas to go and get wood for our wood stove.
Everyone, especially Governor Palin, needs to realize that it’s not just Emmonak residents that are suffering! We need help in all of the YK Delta villages!
OK, I complied a list of everyone here in Nunam Iqua. I spoke to all but one household here and Have a list of what is needed. I got permission for my Youth Center to receive/distribute any donations that come in. So they can be mailed to:
Ann Strongheart
Nunam Iqua Program for Youth
c/o City of Nunam Iqua
101 Mudd Street
P.O. Box 26
Nunam Iqua, AK 99666
OR if you would like to send boxes directly to needy families I have a list of families including their family size and needs and their PO Box #’s you can email me at nunamiquayouth@yahoo.com if you would like a copy.
Here is a list of things that are desperately needed, since we have no store here in Nunam Iqua we are really struggling to get food and groceries here.
Here’s the list:
Diapers Sizes 1, 3, & 6
Similac Advanced Formula Powder
Canned Evaporated Milk
Dry Powdered Milk
Powdered Eggs
Crackers ( Sailor Boy Pilot Bread unsalted tops are the most used here)
Rice (minute rice)
Noodles
Peanut Butter
Honey
Jam
Juice
TOILET PAPPER (everyone is running out)
Flour
Sugar
Coffee
Cereal
Crisco
Coffee Creamer
Pancake Mix
Tea
Canned Vegetables
Dried Fruit
Instant Soups
Ramen Noodles
Cup a noodles
Just basic pantry staples. Even salt, pepper, etc.
OOH I just realized I forgot to put baby cereal and baby food on the list.
I would give you all some more information on the YK Delta.
It now costs $650 to fly from Emmonak to Anchorage round trip. For us to get to Emmonak from Nunam Iqua is an additional $150 so that’s $800 from Nunam to Anchorage and back.
Here in Nunam Iqua there are many families, myself included, who live in what could be described as shacks. Our house is 20′ x 30′ and is constructed out of plywood. It was built back in the 60’s and is very drafty and leaky LOL we use my 18 month old’s leftover diapers that are too small to catch the leaks when it’s raining or warms up. But we don’t have a choice, this is the only housing available, we rent it. It’s a choice between here or living with family and we would much rather have our own place, even tho it needs serious help.
Here in Nunam Iqua, we have no running water or sewer. They are currently building our water/sewer project and we hope to have running water/sewer this year or next. We are a honey bucket community, meaning we have 5 gallon buckets in our bathrooms with toilet seats on them.
Additionally, we have no roads here, no cars. We travel by snowmachine and 4-wheeler during the winter and by boat in the summer. We had a store here but it collapsed due to the rising energy costs.
We are currently paying $7.20 for a gallon of gas and $7.35 for a gallon of stove oil. The majority of homes here use stove oil for heat. Some of us have wood stoves to help keep the costs down.
We do have regular postal service here, depending on the ability of planes to make it in. The only way for supplies to arrive here is by plane or during the summer by barge. The majority of us live a subsistence lifestyle. Our major meat sources come from Fishing and Hunting. We also pick berries and wild greens during the summer/fall. We have nets under the ice on the river but the fish seem to be very slow coming this winter.
Oh yeah, Nunam Iqua is a village of about 200 people, located on the southern mouth of the Yukon. We got a brand new school this past summer so now our kids don’t have to brave the elements to make it to their classrooms and the gym to eat.
We currently have a City Office, a Tribal Office, the School, the Clinic, Laundrymat, Powerplant, Youth Center and Post Office available in Nunam.
I know this is going to sound funny but I am very grateful that it got cold again today. We had 36 degrees last night and were worried that it might start to affect the ice on the river and make it unsafe to travel but now we are back down to 9 degrees so no more worrying about the river.
The pike should start running soon so we will be able to take a 60 mile day trip by snowmachine to go catch pike and dry them assuming we can afford gas.
Ummm I don’t know what else to tell y’all but I thought I would give you an idea of what it’s like here in Nunam Iqua. We did have a very early freeze up this year and the last barge didn’t make it in. We are having temperatures ranging from
-25 degrees below zero to 30 above. Normally, we are consistently below zero this time of year.
Hope that gives y’all some information and answers some questions you might have about the YK Delta.
Thank you in advance for any help you can provide. We greatly appreciate it. Our weather is getting weird here, it got really hot here last night up to 36 degrees, if it keeps up we will be unable to travel upriver by snowmachine to get food, b/c the river will be unsafe to travel on.
Again if you have any questions or what more information please feel free to contact me at nunamiquayouth@yahoo.com
I know there have been references to scams so please feel free to look us up online. Nunam Iqua Program for Youth. I was featured on NAC, Native America Calling last year addressing underage drinking in the Bush. And we are listed with the State of AK as one of their grantees. So you can verify the mailing address and email address I provided.
Sincerely grateful,
Ann
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
(Fill in the Blank) New Year
11:35 p.m. PST Rod and Angus sleep soundly in their beds. My champagne buzz slowly wears off leaving only the sad angry (not) drunk girl behind. Scratch that, and more clarification later.
Watched MILK tonight, it was Rod's 3rd time. He watched it once on his own, once again when I lied down to watch it the first time and fell asleep 15 minutes in, and then again tonight... high. Adam Corolla says it is like watching a whole new movie. I wouldn't know. Why all the hate? Seriously... and I know those on the other side of the issue would prefer not to call it hate... I know. I wouldn't like that either, if I was discriminating against someone (and I'm sure I am) I would hate for it to be labeled "Hate." But let's all own up here... Hate is what it is.
Don't the people who oppose gay rights see that they are taking an outdated argument for discrimination and using it again on a new population group? Remember racial discrimination (remember?! snort!)? Don't you see that "God" was the excuse for that too? The majority may rule but they most certainly are not right... not by any means.
If I weren't so numb I would be sad or angry or something else. Just confused, tired, and waiting for an answer. What did I used to do before? Back when I was more of myself... when was that anyway and when/where did I lose it? Was it motherhood? marriage? the combination? Would leaving one of those behind reclaim what was lost? Can I keep both and be found? I wouldn't mind finding something new... but SOMETHING... PLEASE!
I get it. It's hard. It's not supposed to be easy. ...but seriously. It's been hard long enough and I am in need of a break. But like I've been trying to tell Rod, in all seriousness... a break is not enough. I don't want grand gestures and fleeting moments of thoughtfulness. Don't do everything half the time, do half all the time. That's what I want and that's what I need.
So, you hear that universe? Cut me some slack or send me a sign. What's that? You say this is a sign? You've been sending them? Raining down on me for months now? Well... a decoder ring then because I'm not getting it.
Somebody PLEASE tell me what to do, and make it good... a resolution to last more than a day or two.
Potential to be Happy New Year.
Watched MILK tonight, it was Rod's 3rd time. He watched it once on his own, once again when I lied down to watch it the first time and fell asleep 15 minutes in, and then again tonight... high. Adam Corolla says it is like watching a whole new movie. I wouldn't know. Why all the hate? Seriously... and I know those on the other side of the issue would prefer not to call it hate... I know. I wouldn't like that either, if I was discriminating against someone (and I'm sure I am) I would hate for it to be labeled "Hate." But let's all own up here... Hate is what it is.
Don't the people who oppose gay rights see that they are taking an outdated argument for discrimination and using it again on a new population group? Remember racial discrimination (remember?! snort!)? Don't you see that "God" was the excuse for that too? The majority may rule but they most certainly are not right... not by any means.
If I weren't so numb I would be sad or angry or something else. Just confused, tired, and waiting for an answer. What did I used to do before? Back when I was more of myself... when was that anyway and when/where did I lose it? Was it motherhood? marriage? the combination? Would leaving one of those behind reclaim what was lost? Can I keep both and be found? I wouldn't mind finding something new... but SOMETHING... PLEASE!
I get it. It's hard. It's not supposed to be easy. ...but seriously. It's been hard long enough and I am in need of a break. But like I've been trying to tell Rod, in all seriousness... a break is not enough. I don't want grand gestures and fleeting moments of thoughtfulness. Don't do everything half the time, do half all the time. That's what I want and that's what I need.
So, you hear that universe? Cut me some slack or send me a sign. What's that? You say this is a sign? You've been sending them? Raining down on me for months now? Well... a decoder ring then because I'm not getting it.
Somebody PLEASE tell me what to do, and make it good... a resolution to last more than a day or two.
Potential to be Happy New Year.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
WHO Knows Best...
Intentional double entendre there. I;m asking who knows best... with an emphasis on the WHO?! Also, I'd be more likely to trust the World Health Organization over a Kaiser Permanente Pediatrician. Maybe that's my issue. Maybe having to explain a double entendre makes it a poor one (two).
Today Angus had his 18 month WBV (Well Baby Visit--WARNING: There may be several abbreviations in this blog and you're going to be on your own from here on out. Use google and context clues to figure out what I'm saying if you're in a bind.)
Well... according to my email from the appointment center at Kaiser he had an appointment, but according to the faceless check in machine (which I love by the way, I would never knock self service... but when it doesn't work and I have to wait in line anyway, then I get annoyed) and the receptionist he didn't have an appointment. SIGH! So, they asked if I would be willing to see another doctor. I said that was fine with a little trepidation in my heart but it was quickly squashed by my desire to not be perceived as an obnoxious consumer, customer, client, etc...
So, we got called in by Dr. Joe's (Harry Joe. Two first names... bad sign) nurse, and I quickly realized how much different his would be from the experience we normally have with Dr. Wong and her staff. Dr. Joe's nurse suggested that I step away from the scale after putting Angus on to get a more accurate reading (because he would want to touch me and that would change the weight)... of course he was screaming... and you know what's worse?! I listened to her! I stood just behind the nurse while she clumsily fiddled with the scale trying to get a weight (flicking it innacurately with her pen made it difficult to get the result she was looking for) while my baby screamed and reached for me. We had NEVER had a problem with his weight because of him wanting to lean on me before... he'd always been fine with closeness for the few seconds of weighing. GRRRR...
Then I laid him on the table to get his height (length?) She attempted to stretch him out, still kicking and screaming, marked his foot, then his head and measured between the marks after I picked him up. They claim this is an accurate method, but they never mark the true top of his head and he is always flailing too much to ensure much success.
So anyway, she determined that he weighed 26 lbs (even though it was more like 26 lbs and 2 oz) and was 32 inches long (yeah right... he was 32 inches long two months ago when he couldn't reach the doorknob on flat feet. I'm pretty sure the doorknobs didn't get lower!). So when the doctor came in he started with the most personal part of his service: Calling me "Ms MacKenney" and calling him "Angus." He kept the name game up throughout the appointment but that is where the personalization stopped.
According to the computer Angus' height was in the 43rd percentile and his weight in the 53rd. Not good... a little "overweight" at least in the sense that you want weight and height to be the same, or if not, have the height be the larger number. I ignored the assessment... and Dr. Joe quickly moved on (note I used him name. aren't i great?)
He looked at his weight over time and determined that he hadn't gained enough recently. Ummm... wasn't he overweight? He asked me if he was drinking whole milk and I responded that he was breastfed. He asked me how often and I reported twice a day. He then proceeded to "inform" me that breastfeeding at this age has no nutritional benefits or value and was only for bonding, and I may want to consider nursing as most babies do not develop a strong taste for table food until they are done associating food with sucking and drinking.
He decided to remeasure his height at my request and we discovered that the nurse's haste and poor bedside manner (angus liked Dr. Joe for whatever reason and didn't mind getting measured by him) had resulted in a nearly 2 inch loss! He was really 33.75 inches tall and in the 88th percentile for height!
Oh REALLY?! I sat silently and listened to the misinformation... and that's what I left really upset about. I've done my research, and I know the truth, but what about the moms who haven't? What about the moms who rely solely on the misinformation of their pediatricians?
Anyway, he proceeded to ask me whether he was saying 3-4 words regularly and when I responded that he was speaking in 3 word sentences and saying 50-60 words regularly he was suddenly very impressed. He then did the physical examination and concluded that he was doing quite well, was in perfect health, and was quite advanced cognitively.
Hear that? Taller than average, average weight, says more than average. but being destroyed by breatfeeding... missing out on important nutrients essential to his growth. So much at risk in fact that he needed to be seen again before his 24 month WBV to recheck his weight to ensure he wasn't malnourished. SIGH again. It didn't matter that he ate whole milk yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, healthy oils, and a WIDE variety of foods from every food group. He clearly had some sort of malabsorption disorder and wasn't getting enough nutrients from his food because he wasn't drinking cow's milk! Seriously?! What if he was allergic to cow's milk?
Here's the thing:
Human milk has an average of 3 more calories per oz than cow's milk and at least 20% more fat. Hmmm...
Especially since since too much cow's milk in a child's diet can put him at risk for iron-deficiency anemia (because milk can interfere with the absorption of iron) and may decrease the child's desire for other foods... cow's milk is not really given for the calories, it's just a a convenient source of calcium, protein, fats, vitamin D, etc. - it's not required. There are many people in many parts of the world who do not drink milk and still manage to get all the calcium, protein, fats, vitamin D, etc. that they need. I've bolded the ones Angus eats regularly...
* Good non-dairy sources of protein include meats, fish, peas & beans (chick peas, lentils, baked beans, etc.), tofu and other soy products, boiled eggs, peanut and other nut butters
* Good non-dairy sources of fats include soy and safflower oils, flax seed and flax seed oil, walnuts, fish and fish oils, avocado.
* Calcium may be derived from many nondairy sources.
* Vitamin D can be supplied by sunlight exposure and food sources.
* Milk can also be substitued with cheese, whole-fat yogurt or ice cream. You can also put milk into various food products: pancakes, waffles, muffins, French toast, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, and baked goods.
Not to mention that there are about a million benefits besides bonding for nursing toddlers: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html
Finally... the thing is. I know breastfeeding isn't for everyone. I've even stopped wishing that it was. It worked for us, and it still works for us. When Angus wakes in the morning and nurses he gets a belly full of warm, nutrient rich, calorie and fat dense, loving momma milk and we see the benefits of endless. If you don't want to do it... don't. BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT CLAIMING FALSEHOODS (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-myths.html) THAT BELITTLE MY CHOICE IS JUST WRONG.
Now if I only had the balls to send this to Dr. Joe. :-P
Today Angus had his 18 month WBV (Well Baby Visit--WARNING: There may be several abbreviations in this blog and you're going to be on your own from here on out. Use google and context clues to figure out what I'm saying if you're in a bind.)
Well... according to my email from the appointment center at Kaiser he had an appointment, but according to the faceless check in machine (which I love by the way, I would never knock self service... but when it doesn't work and I have to wait in line anyway, then I get annoyed) and the receptionist he didn't have an appointment. SIGH! So, they asked if I would be willing to see another doctor. I said that was fine with a little trepidation in my heart but it was quickly squashed by my desire to not be perceived as an obnoxious consumer, customer, client, etc...
So, we got called in by Dr. Joe's (Harry Joe. Two first names... bad sign) nurse, and I quickly realized how much different his would be from the experience we normally have with Dr. Wong and her staff. Dr. Joe's nurse suggested that I step away from the scale after putting Angus on to get a more accurate reading (because he would want to touch me and that would change the weight)... of course he was screaming... and you know what's worse?! I listened to her! I stood just behind the nurse while she clumsily fiddled with the scale trying to get a weight (flicking it innacurately with her pen made it difficult to get the result she was looking for) while my baby screamed and reached for me. We had NEVER had a problem with his weight because of him wanting to lean on me before... he'd always been fine with closeness for the few seconds of weighing. GRRRR...
Then I laid him on the table to get his height (length?) She attempted to stretch him out, still kicking and screaming, marked his foot, then his head and measured between the marks after I picked him up. They claim this is an accurate method, but they never mark the true top of his head and he is always flailing too much to ensure much success.
So anyway, she determined that he weighed 26 lbs (even though it was more like 26 lbs and 2 oz) and was 32 inches long (yeah right... he was 32 inches long two months ago when he couldn't reach the doorknob on flat feet. I'm pretty sure the doorknobs didn't get lower!). So when the doctor came in he started with the most personal part of his service: Calling me "Ms MacKenney" and calling him "Angus." He kept the name game up throughout the appointment but that is where the personalization stopped.
According to the computer Angus' height was in the 43rd percentile and his weight in the 53rd. Not good... a little "overweight" at least in the sense that you want weight and height to be the same, or if not, have the height be the larger number. I ignored the assessment... and Dr. Joe quickly moved on (note I used him name. aren't i great?)
He looked at his weight over time and determined that he hadn't gained enough recently. Ummm... wasn't he overweight? He asked me if he was drinking whole milk and I responded that he was breastfed. He asked me how often and I reported twice a day. He then proceeded to "inform" me that breastfeeding at this age has no nutritional benefits or value and was only for bonding, and I may want to consider nursing as most babies do not develop a strong taste for table food until they are done associating food with sucking and drinking.
He decided to remeasure his height at my request and we discovered that the nurse's haste and poor bedside manner (angus liked Dr. Joe for whatever reason and didn't mind getting measured by him) had resulted in a nearly 2 inch loss! He was really 33.75 inches tall and in the 88th percentile for height!
Oh REALLY?! I sat silently and listened to the misinformation... and that's what I left really upset about. I've done my research, and I know the truth, but what about the moms who haven't? What about the moms who rely solely on the misinformation of their pediatricians?
Anyway, he proceeded to ask me whether he was saying 3-4 words regularly and when I responded that he was speaking in 3 word sentences and saying 50-60 words regularly he was suddenly very impressed. He then did the physical examination and concluded that he was doing quite well, was in perfect health, and was quite advanced cognitively.
Hear that? Taller than average, average weight, says more than average. but being destroyed by breatfeeding... missing out on important nutrients essential to his growth. So much at risk in fact that he needed to be seen again before his 24 month WBV to recheck his weight to ensure he wasn't malnourished. SIGH again. It didn't matter that he ate whole milk yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, healthy oils, and a WIDE variety of foods from every food group. He clearly had some sort of malabsorption disorder and wasn't getting enough nutrients from his food because he wasn't drinking cow's milk! Seriously?! What if he was allergic to cow's milk?
Here's the thing:
Human milk has an average of 3 more calories per oz than cow's milk and at least 20% more fat. Hmmm...
Especially since since too much cow's milk in a child's diet can put him at risk for iron-deficiency anemia (because milk can interfere with the absorption of iron) and may decrease the child's desire for other foods... cow's milk is not really given for the calories, it's just a a convenient source of calcium, protein, fats, vitamin D, etc. - it's not required. There are many people in many parts of the world who do not drink milk and still manage to get all the calcium, protein, fats, vitamin D, etc. that they need. I've bolded the ones Angus eats regularly...
* Good non-dairy sources of protein include meats, fish, peas & beans (chick peas, lentils, baked beans, etc.), tofu and other soy products, boiled eggs, peanut and other nut butters
* Good non-dairy sources of fats include soy and safflower oils, flax seed and flax seed oil, walnuts, fish and fish oils, avocado.
* Calcium may be derived from many nondairy sources.
* Vitamin D can be supplied by sunlight exposure and food sources.
* Milk can also be substitued with cheese, whole-fat yogurt or ice cream. You can also put milk into various food products: pancakes, waffles, muffins, French toast, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, and baked goods.
Not to mention that there are about a million benefits besides bonding for nursing toddlers: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html
Finally... the thing is. I know breastfeeding isn't for everyone. I've even stopped wishing that it was. It worked for us, and it still works for us. When Angus wakes in the morning and nurses he gets a belly full of warm, nutrient rich, calorie and fat dense, loving momma milk and we see the benefits of endless. If you don't want to do it... don't. BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT CLAIMING FALSEHOODS (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-myths.html) THAT BELITTLE MY CHOICE IS JUST WRONG.
Now if I only had the balls to send this to Dr. Joe. :-P
Thursday, December 4, 2008
A little bit more...
this time I remembered what I realized in the rocking chair last night... probably because I didn't fall asleep this time... and had some delightful re-energizing cuddle time with my dear husband.
I used to think that if I disagreed with someone I respected it was because I was wrong. It didn't occur to me that we might just have a difference of opinion and that my opinion was still worth just as much.
hmm. fascinating. and VERY helpful for my heart.
I used to think that if I disagreed with someone I respected it was because I was wrong. It didn't occur to me that we might just have a difference of opinion and that my opinion was still worth just as much.
hmm. fascinating. and VERY helpful for my heart.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
