Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork....

I have just spent well over an hour looking for a piece of paperwork that I was wanting to take to Immi's Paediactrician's appointment tomorrow.  Can I find it? NO!  I don't do well with not finding stuff - I desperately need a bit of empathy from those around, but near me is a dangerous place to be during a search, so Murray and the kids are downstairs keeping their distance! Searching for stuff is like the most unnecessary use of time ever!!!  (So a bit of cathartic typing is probably just what I need!)

Now I know we all have paperwork - it is the bain of many people's lives, but the parent of a child of a special needs child, or I am sure any child that has been through hospital treatment will know the extent.  We have a full size filing cabinet in our study the top drawer holds all the household stuff; bills stuff, bank stuff, insurance, car stuff etc and then, one whole drawer is dedicated soley to Imogen's paperwork! There are folders for the numerous medical departments we have attended over the years ranging from neurology to speech & Language, pyschology, etc etc, there are folders for different aspects to do with her education and the statementing procedure and reviews, there are folders for different charities that we have been in touch with over the years.  Overall in this drawer there is a grand total of 24 files of varying thicknesses, and yes, I did just go and count them!!  At some point in the near future I am going to have to 'face the drawer' (spoken in a X-Factor voice over kind of voice!) and archive some of the paper work from a couple of years ago.  (I think for now I will avoid that thought though!)
 Now generally I am very organised with her paper work, I have had to be or I would just die under the pile of paper!  But this time apparently I wasn't!  The report I was after is missing - well and truly.  I have been through every file; the ones marked school I have been through 3 times as that is where I thought it was! (No, I don't think I have OCD!)   My heart goes out and I find myself wondering how parents who maybe also have special needs, or struggle to manage themselves cope.  Do they get to appointments?  Do they manage to order the right meds from the GP at the right time?  Can they give feedback to the doctors when they ask?  I guess they just do the best they can. 

So that is where I am too - just doing the best I can.  This time I can either truly go insane or admit defeat and go back when school starts again to ask for another copy of the report.  Either way I won't have it for the 6 monthly appointment tomorrow which is very frustrating. Anyway, I am off now to make a list of the things I want to cover with the doctor tomorrow and file the growing pile of paperwork that is on my desk from the last few weeks!