Shannon Family Craziness

We have been home now for 2 weeks. It has been kind of hard to get back into the swing of things. It was spring break last week and that was nice. We got to spend all week together. Joseph didn't want to go back to school(I guess maybe we had a little to much fun). I didn't feel like we really did anything to special, we just played a bunch of games and watched a few movies. I think it was just being together. While we were gone Joseph spent a lot of time with my parents. Makayla felt a little left out, so I ask my dad if he had any days she could go over and work with him. Last wed. he came and picked the kids up and they went to work with grandpa. They fixed a couple toilets at the apartments I manage and then went to the dump. Who knew the dump could be so fun. But, with grandpa Bruce everything is fun. Then they went over to there house and invented a new game. My parents live at the top of a hill. They thought they would take old tires and roll them down the big hill to see how far they would go. Then they took the four wheeler down the hill and picked up all the tires and then start all over again. They did that for hours. They had so much fun.
I have been meaning to update everyone on Makayla's progress. She is doing OK. It has been wonderful to have those little glimpses of our old Makayla back. I never thought that I would see her again. But, I think that we were all wanting to go to the Mayo Clinic, find the answer and come back with a miracle cure that would take it all away. Well, that is not what happened. Don't get me wrong!! We are seeing results. I think the thing we have to remember is that now that we know how to help her and we are doing all that we can. Time will tell how it is going to go. She is taking the medicine which is helping with the headaches and the sleeping. The belly pain is being a little more stubborn. The TENZ Unit is working well. Now that she is getting used to it. It was a little scary to her at first. She wouldn't turn it up enough for it to work. I don't blame her though, I keep forgetting she is only 7 and this is all so overwhelming. One of the things that I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for is that the doctor's gave her back control over her situation. She can't take it all away but she now has the tools to manage her body which is the first step to getting her life back.
I know that I mentioned that the school was giving us a hard time. It is such a hard thing when you know that you are doing everything you can to help your children, all the while questioning yourself, Asking yourself if you are doing the right things. So, you are already feeling insecure and vulnerable and then someone who professes to care and wants to help is coming along telling you that you are a bad mother and are neglecting your children. With that said... I know that the Lord has directed us in all that we have done and in going to the Mayo Clinic. I am trying to take solace in that.
From the beginning. Since the beginning of 2009 Makayla has missed on average of 2 days a week due to her illness. We have talked to the teacher and principal and kept them updated with her condition. I tried to explain that we didn't know what was wrong and that we had been to specialist after specialist but still had no diagnosis. So, the week before we left for Minnesota the principal called to tell me that she had turned me into the school superintendent for educational neglect. I in turn called the superintendent to find out what I could do to rectify the situation. He told me that because we didn't have a diagnosis he could not work with us. I explained to him as well that we have been to specialist after specialist and have been since Jan 2008. But, No one could help us. He told me that she was either in school or home schooled. That there was no other options. I tried to explain that I was doing the best I could and she couldn't go full time. I also didn't feel like homeschooling was the right thing either. He again told me there were no other options for her. After a 10 minute speech about how if I cared she would be there and that homeschooling is so horrible anyway and that she just needed to be in school. I told him we were going to the Mayo Clinic in a week and I would get back to him. I knew that he wouldn't listen to anything I had to say. He told me that he would wait to file the neglect charges until after we got back. OH, He also said he was failing Makayla for the third quarter. I said how do you fail a 1st grader who is at the top of her class even missing all those days. We left for 10 days and came back I called the school on Tues. and told them that we were on our way back and Makayla needed to rest and then she would be ready to return on Thurs. Wed. I called the principal to discuss the doctor's orders. The doctor wants her to go back to school part time until we can get her pain under control. Her outline is this: in the morning if she is feeling good she goes at 10:00a.m. If she is feeling bad she goes in at 12:00p.m. I will work with her on her school work during those times and we will move up the times as she starts to get control of her situation. The principal told me that she would have to talk to the superintendent before she could tell me if they could do that. Me being the impatient person I am called the super myself. When I told him what the doctor said he said that the doctor had no right to tell him when she was going to be in school and that it is his obligation to get her an education not theirs. I was floored. I told him that this is what is best for Makayla and that this is the way she could get the best education or we would have to go back to the other way which was not working for anyone. He asked me what her diagnosis was and I started to explain her diagnosis. He said no, what is her diagnosis. I started to explain it again and he said do you have any paperwork from the doctor. I told him that when we left the doctor told us we could bring home a 100 page copy of tests and dictations that no one can understand or I could wait a week and get a diagnosis packet with orders and a run down of everything. We opted for the diagnosis packet thinking that the school would work with us for a week. Boy, were we wrong!!! He told me he knew how the Mayo worked and if my daughter had a real diagnosis they would have sent me home with a paper telling us what her diagnosis was. (If you don't know my situation I spent 14 years in pain and having health problem's with everyone telling me it was in my head and going from doctor to doctor trying to figure it out and in the end finding out that I had some rare form of cancer that no one knew about. So it INFURIATES me when stupid people who have no idea what is going on tells me it is not a REAL diagnosis.) I told him that he could see it in a week. He again told me he could not work with me and that he had already filed the neglect charges. I said well then I guess we have nothing else to say and hung up. After yelling and crying I decided to look up Missouri education laws. GUESS WHAT! There is such a thing as medically induced part time.. Hmm. isn't that interesting. I decided that they are chicken and if I bring my big, strong husband with me they would back down.( I hoped anyway) So, Monday morning at 10:00 I took Makayla to school. I didn't give them the option of not letting her in. I was right they professed how happy they were to have Makayla back and I gave them the paper from the doctor and turned to leave. The principal said I will talk to the super and make sure this all we need. I said OK. As Mike said we had to put on the hip waders to walk through the door but it was good. I am glad we did it. She did call me back though and said that she didn't know if it would work. I said well you know how to get a hold of me. Bye. I have not heard anything back yet.
People ask Why fight? Why put up with this? My answer is for the next Makayla who comes along. For the next little girl who desperately wants to be in school with her friends and be normal. I know that home schooling can be good as well as public school. But, I also know that at the beginning of every school year I will pray to my Heavenly Father and ask if this is the year I should pull my kids out and Home school. It has not happened yet so, we will fight.
I have a hard time sharing parts of my life so, I am not sure if I can blog after this post. I feel like I am being a whine-butt. Sorry for all of the drama