TTSOML #162: Wenatchee Lawyers (Breast Pump Witchhunt)

I think it's important to get into how bizarre things got in Wenatchee, with the lawyers.

It escalated to the point of my being accused, by these lawyers and the state, of "stealing" a breast pump. This, after they tried to force my son and I off of WIC services, AND tried to cut off my ability to give my son breastmilk, which was his best option for food at the time, and from which he was thriving from, as height and weight records show.

So next, I will detail the thrush, breastmilk, and breast pump drama.

When I was still with Butler, and repeatedly trying to get help for my and my son's thrush, he kept putting me off. Finally he recommended something topical. It didn't work. I went to the lactation consultants at the hospital numerous times and they kept saying I was doing everything right and that it seemed we had systemic thrush and that my son's head hurt him still. This was 3 months after delivery.

It was incredibly painful for both of us. I went to a couple of others, and they said the same thing, that it had gone systemic. The hospital consultants told me to tell Butler we needed the full systemic treatment, an antibiotic for me and my son. He refused. Instead, he told me to give my son formula for two weeks and quit breastfeeding during that time, to "take a break".

I told the WIC offices about this, and went to them on my own, because I wasn't very trusting of Dr. Butler at that point anymore. I ran it by them and they said it was bizarre. They said he'd have to know that if I just "quit" I would be in extreme pain with breast engorgement and all kinds of problems. They also told me that if my son was taking formula, after 2 weeks he wouldn't go back to breastmilk and I wouldn't be able to feed him anyway, because my supply would be so far down, or gone entirely.

So they said I could use one of their breast pumps for two weeks, instead of taking the formula from them, I could "express" the milk and my son would still get the good milk and my supply would be constant. They were seriously questioning what Butler was doing, and I do more. When I went to him after this, he seemed angry with me, and said HE was the doctor and to STOP listening to OTHER lactation consultants.

He refused to treat my and my son's systemic thrush, and because of this, 2 weeks off didn't get rid of it. We still had it. By that time, we already had the tinea versicolor, which is a mutation of thrush and is a yeast bacteria. I had it only on my breasts, and my son had it on his diaper area and a spot or two on his forehead.

So I just expressed after that, because it was too painful for us to go back to breastfeeding though I tried. The lactation consultants said they had never seen any mother more diligent than I was, despite all of our problems. They said they'd never seen such extreme problems with thrust and other nipple chaffing and things I had, who was so determined to stick it out for her son. And I expressed milk for my son for almost 3-4 months until I had to taper to formula, because of exhaustion and still-constant pain from the thrush.

So the next nasty thing Butler and his lawyers did, was, when they tried to "ban" us from WIC, was to demand I return the breast pump, which they knew I was still using.

When I refused, pointing to the agreement that I was told I could use it as long as needed, and that until we were treated for thrush I had no other options...they claimed I could get a breast pump elsewhere. I called around and it wasn't true. No one was able to let me use one and the WIC office I was at, had plenty. There were other places which serviced other women as well, but wouldn't give me one on loan. So I continued to use it. Then, they tried to accuse me of STEALING a breast pump.

I called the state and complained about what was going on. I told the state how I had been told I could use it for several months, and THEN I was told (before they tried to kick me and my son out), by Laurie, that we could KEEP it without having to worry about when to return it, because, she told me, they had ordered a bunch of new breast pumps and had enough. I wouldn't know about the new order of breast pumps if they hadn't explained to me why they were going to let me keep it. I told them I planned to breastfeed or use the pump up to 2 years of age. That was my goal, and they said, in that case, knowing I'd exhausted other options, to keep it.

Then, the lawyers got involved and wanted to say I "stole it". I called the state and said I did not steal it, and how it was GIVEN to me to KEEP, and how I knew about the new order of breast pumps. I also said it was Dr. Butler's fault for REFUSING TO treat a treatable condition which would have permitted my son and I to breastfeed without a pump. He continued to refuse to give an antibiotic and I tried to get help from the hospital after we were kicked out, and they also refused ("give our love to Dr. Butler").

So the state got nasty and claimed I owed them $300 for a breast pump. I don't know if they dropped it or not, but they got extremely nervous when I said I was going to make a complaint. They didn't get nervous when I said I was complaining to higher-ups in Washington state. They only got nervous when I said I was contacting federal people.

At that point, they began trying to back down and cover their asses for harassing me and cooperating with discrimination. They too, were trying to force me to a different WIC location, totally out of my way, when it was discriminatory.

Only when I said I was getting the Office of Civil Rights or the federal people in charge of dispersing the WIC monies did they all get nervous.

I never heard more about "stealing" the breast pump, but I'm positive they probably still have me down as "owing" them for the pump.

I think they wanted to see what was going to happen next, but then all these other things came up. Like, NEXT, the Davis Arneil lawyers tried to have me "banned" and kicked out of going to the only hospital in town.

I knew the Abbey lawyers were helping to advise them, and like I've said, I SAW John Kaempf pulling out of their parking lot to their offices one time. I'm sure phone and email records would also show discussions, if they haven't already been scrapped and covered up.

I told them