New Forms, Old Feelings

Sophie Kate has been sick this week and has missed two days of school.  Friday we are scheduled to see a new Occupational Therapist at Children's.  Her elbows are becoming a bit contracted because she keeps them bent all the time and it is getting harder and harder for me to stretch them to point where they are straight.  Hopefully she will be well enough to make the appointment, we certainly won't go if she is sick.


It's been a while since we have introduced someone new to our team.  We get real used to dealing with the same doctors, nurses, teachers and therapists and they all know SK pretty well.  On a random day as I sat down to fill out all the new forms they sent us in the mail, I was suddenly back in that place where it's difficult to breathe.  


My eyes scanned over question after question..."What age did your child sit without assistance, crawl, walk, feed themselves, drink from a cup, dressed themselves, become toilet trained, etc."  It then got even better when they wanted to know her birth history as well as any surgeries, hospitalizations and tests like MRI's and CT scans that she's had.  Are you kidding me?  Under complications at birth, surgeries and hospitalizations I just wrote yes lots and then under tests I wrote too many to recall.  Seriously?


I get that they need to know stuff about my girl, but that was harsh.  In less than one minute, I had been reduced to tears over a stupid form.  I think it was because I haven't had to do that in while.  During SK's first 2-3 years of life I was constantly telling her birth story and going over everything she had been through.  The last time I have been over all of that was before she started her preschool class in September of 2010. 


I know typical children see physical and occupational therapists too, but couldn't we have a separate form for the truly special needs kids.  Of course that would mean that someone had considered the parents and I'm still waiting for that day.  One size doesn't fit all, you know!  Can't wait for our appointment on Friday, ha ha!  


One of my friends totally nailed it when she said, "Too bad they don't have 'changing the world' on that list!  I can do everything on that list, but I will probably never impact this world the way she has."  Well, said my friend.