Otoe-Missouria News Archive

by David Davis

Mildred Watson of Red Rock became the second recipient of the Myrtle Patterson Healthy Lifestyle Award by the American Indian Kidney Foundation. The award is given annually to a patient of American Indian descent who has made extraordinary strides in combating their illness and in advocating healthy lifestyles in others.

In his recommendation letter, dialysis social worker Lanny Lind, MSW, employed by Renal Care Group said Mildred is a person of many facets. “She could be described as a mother, grandmother, wife, career woman and an individual suffering from kidney disease. “She is also a proud member of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and has been very active with tribal affairs in the past. She is many things, but probably most of all, Mildred Watson is courageous.” In closing, Lind said, “Despite her frail appearance, she is tough as nails.”

Sister Clarita Waner, Director of Pastoral Care at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Ponca City said everyone feels better after meeting Mildred. Since the early nineties, she said Mildred has touched the lives of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center staff while enduring lengthy illnesses and hospitalizations.

Sister Clarita said Mildred was always appreciative of the care she received from medical personnel. “She is truly a courageous Indian mother, wife and friend,” Sister Clarita said. But in the early nineties, “I think she may have been not only in denial, but a little bit rebellious about doing what she should do to take care of herself, to improve her health to prevent even going on dialysis,” Sister Clarita said. “Mildred was no different than anyone else who was faced with a new treatment or procedure.

“Just to see those big machines … they’re improved a lot now, would be scary. You realize you have to sit there three or four hours while your blood runs through these tubes and purifies it. “It’s scary.” Over the years Sister Clarita has become to know Mildred as a faith-filled and inspiring Christian person with a determination to choose a healthy lifestyle and to take care of herself, her children and husband, Geary, who is also mayor of Red Rock.

“She is a very spiritual person who reaches out to God for strength. She would frequently ask to talk about her relationship with God. Sacramental ministry was very important to her. Sometimes, just being there with physical presence is the greatest help a person needs,” Sister Clarita said. “It isn’t always what we say as much as just being present.”

She said people can sit with the patients but they are often alone. Mildred is never alone. “Mr. Watson is very supportive of his wife. Whenever she is in the hospital for any reason. He is there. “He’ll do anything for his wife. He’s been very good to her and he’s very proud of her receiving this award. He did everything to make it possible for her to be there … to speak her words of advice or encouragement to others. “I truly admire him.”

Sister Clarita said her definition of grief is that it is the price we pay for having been loved by someone. When the time comes, everyone loved by Mildred will pay a premium. But she isn’t ready to leave this world, yet. “I have eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild on the way,” Mildred said. “I want to live to see them grow up to become productive citizens.” At the age of 67, Mildred said she feels, “really blessed. I get around slow. But I still get around.” From her wheelchair, she said she is in good health and in addition to that, the Otoe-Missouria Tribe remodeled the bathroom in her home to make it handicap accessible. “Other than the shunt clogging up two times,” she said. “I feel healthy.”

That wasn’t always the case with Mildred. “I was diagnosed as a diabetic in 1974,” Mildred said. “In 1991, I went into renal failure. I didn’t make my doctor appointments and failed to eat a healthy diet. I was too busy with my job as the Otoe-Missouria Safety Director and caring for my family.” She’d heard that Native Americans had a higher incidence of diabetes than any other ethnic group.

“I didn’t believe it,” she said. The doctor warned her, but Mildred continued working and denying anything was wrong with her. “I had high blood pressure and swelling of the legs,” she said. “My heart was bothering me. “I couldn’t walk without losing my balance, but I still did my work.” The doctor kept warning her and urged her to take tests. “I was still in denial,” she said. “I never said anything. I kept saying there was nothing wrong with me and I was feeling worse all the time.” One morning in 1991, she woke all swollen and couldn’t get out of bed.”

By the time Mildred admitted she was sick, kidney damage was obvious. Her sugar level was a staggering 800 and she weighed 160 pounds — sixty pounds was from water retention. In 1992, she spent a total of 130 days at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Ponca City and credits doctors Phillip Winslow, Patrick Gray, Mark Palmer and Krishna Vaidya for saving her life during various stages of her illness. “The doctors and nurses at St. Joseph’s saved my life,” she said. “Doctor Winslow calls me his miracle patient, but it’s because I follow orders.”

After spending a third of 1992 in the hospital pneumonia and other diseases, she was still afraid of dialysis. She knew three people who refused dialysis and died. Mildred got sick again. Her doctor told her to go on dialysis or have a heart attack. He recommended a Tulsa kidney specialist named Richard Medlock. Instead, Mildred sought another opinion from a doctor in Stillwater. “He told me I’d be dead in four months,” Mildred said. “I cried because I missed everyone. I went to Tulsa the very next day.” By then, Mildred weighed 180 pounds. Almost immediately after going on dialysis, she lost 30 pounds. She’s been on dialysis since February 1993 and it’s not too bad. “It cleans all the toxins out of my system.”

Mildred’s faith in God sustains her now. “I couldn’t walk for two years,” she said. “One day during prayer a voice said, ‘You’re going to walk,’ and I did. I fell two years ago and hurt myself. I have to walk with a walker, now, ” she said. “When you are sick, you have to gather the will to fight back. You have to dig down deep.”

Mildred was leaned back in a recliner in the corner. A blue blanket was pulled up around her chin so the only part of her that could be seen was her head. It was 9 a.m. She’d been in the same position for three hours. Plastic tubes were connected to a shunt in her left arm. One tube carried Mildred’s toxic blood to a dialysis machine. The other tube returned Mildred’s clean blood to her. A technician looked at the blue screen on the dialysis machine.

“You’ve got fifteen more minutes,” the technician said. “You’re almost done.” Mildred looked at me standing by her chair. She smiled as though she was really glad to see me. “Was I snoring?” Mildred asked. “No, you weren’t snoring.”

“I’m so glad to see you,” she said and for the next 15 minutes, she introduced me to her dietician and another technician. “I’m so glad to see you, too. I always feel better after we visit. I’m happy today is Friday,” she said. “I don’t have to come back until Monday.”

Mildred gets up at 4 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for dialysis. After she goes back home to Red Rock, she’ll sleep most of the day. “It’s not too bad,” she said. On that particular Friday, Mildred’s potassium was, “a little high. Do you know what you’ve been eating that would make it high like that,” the dietician asked. “Oh, yes,” Mildred said, knowing she’d been caught. Sheepishly, she admitted, “I’ve been eating tomatoes.”

» Originally published in the Ponca City News.

Editor’s note: Mildred DeRoin Watson died six months after this article was published.