Record Keeping

With us moving often I tend to keep pretty accurate records 

 and tend to know where things are when I

need to find them. 

Today however I realized that not only should be I be keeping a 

better hold on everything from when my kids lost their first tooth to their school report cards 

but I should also be keeping up with and double checking every time I

visit the doctor with one of them. 

When I went to enroll my son in pre-school I knew that I would need his shot records listed 

out all pretty on a school form. 

I thought not a problem.

I'll just go to the clinic and have them transcribe the shots onto the form the school needs.

When I went to the clinic and asked them to do this for me 

they were oh yeah no problem.

Well, after sitting there for what seemed like way to long, 

the guy tells me my son is missing a shot.

His HepB to be exact. 

Now, I'm not a shot junky that knows when each shot is given to my kids at what age.

So I ask him when it was supposed to be given?

Oh, he is missing the one that was given to him at birth.

Um excuse me?!? 

So you mean to tell me that of the series of 3 shots you have the later 2 recorded and the one you gave to my newborn baby boy is nowhere in his record?

Umm, yeah I wasn't happy. 

Since you know those are one of the shots you have to have to start school.

Not that, that is my only reasoning for being irritated about it. 

You see my son was born overseas and IF I had to get in contact with 

that hospital it would have been a pain in the butt. 

Not to mention that since we are military and I am only a dependent, my hubby would probably have to be the one to make all the phone calls. 

So I go home and do what the man suggests...

dig through my sons medical record and see if I can find it somewhere 

else in there other than where it should be.

Ok, no problem except that when I start digging there is 

NOTHING 

in there from the time he was born until when he was 12 months old and got sick? 

Huh? 

Where did all the well baby visit stuff go?

I feel like my son has a whole other medical record somewhere out in limbo. 

I guess we will be on the phone with the hospital in Okinawa trying to locate it. 

I did happen to find a yellow card that we had to have while living in Okinawa with shot records on it for my son.

Guess what was the very first one listed?

His HepB dated on his birthday! 

Now at least his shot record is correct or it will be first thing in the 

morning when I go back to the clinic.

From now on when my children get a shot or go see the doctor I think I may be asking to personally watch them put the information into their record.

And I know I will be making sure that I keep EVERY shot recorded from now on.

Sorry this is just a bunch of rambling but I needed to get my frustration off my chest.

Deep breath in and let out.

Now I can get on with my day.