My black briefcase was stolen today. It was a very nice briefcase. My uncle had given it to me. It was a black leather (oohh so soft) zippered briefcase. It was beautiful.
I didn't carry any money, checks, identification, or other items of monetary value in my briefcase. It was a beautiful briefcase that housed nothing else but a history of my children's medical records. My briefcase was a plethora of doctor's visit notes, FMLA paperwork (and then more backup paperwork), long-awaited final diagnosis write-ups, and treatment plans. My briefcase contained day-by-day, event specific notes concerning the grand IEP pursuit.
My briefcase was important.
I looked around for my briefcase peeking into dumpsters (from my car, it was dark and there is freezing rain) hoping to see it abandoned by the fools who wagered it perhaps held some cash, but no such luck. I hope the thieves who stole it, upon realizing that there was nothing good for them in my briefcase, feel as foolish as I do now, as I kick myself for not locking my car that ONE time.
You know, aside from my day-by-day event specific notation concerning my son's IEP, everything in that briefcase can be replaced. But damn, that information was important to me, and I had it organized just so. It pisses me off that someone I don't even know has access to my pumpkin's very personal autism diagnosis and history. It pisses me off that I need to go back to HR to request a copy of the FMLA forms I provided for them. I like having my own records, and I like having them with me pretty much at all times (until it is time to grandfather them to the filing cabinet.)
Ah well, better my briefcase than my purse, eh?
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10 comments:
I cannot even to begin to know how you feel with losing those papers. So useless to someone else. The violation is probably greater than anything. We have been victim to theft in a huge way this past year.
The one thing that i wish i couild have found in our back alley like your and your searching was Emma's receiving blanket that we brought her home in from the Hospital after she was born.
Go hug your purse
Take care
Chris
Thanks for your comment. I guess these feelings come and go, but when they are there they are so strong... Though I know that things will always even out - and I do believe in happy fairytale endings also :), there are times for just a little while (like yesterday for some reason) when things just feel like crap. And it is always good to know that others sometimes feel this way too.
HORRIBLE! Yeah your kid's records are YOURS and no one else's. the bag itself had a personal value to you! I don't know, it is hard to judge which would have beren worse - losing the money or dirtying your personal integrity.
Theft sucks. Did you report it to the local police?
Sarah, how frustrating. I guess I will never understand people. The whole theft thing is such a personal attack and they do not have the brains to even realize that. I hope your search to replace everything is an easy one.
Bummer - I guess it's good that your car wasn't vandalized as well.
Isn't that a kick in the stomach.
All the work you put into putting everything together and also the thought of some stranger reading through personal intimate details about your life is terrible.
Sorry this happened.
ok, I had to giggle at Shannon's comment. Does anyone else see the humor in that statement? (Shannon you are awesome)
Arseholes.
More than five years ago a binder with negatives in it was stolen from my car. I'm sure whoever broke my window to get it thought it was cds they could sell and threw it in a dumpster when they realized it had no cash value.
I'm still pissed.
Major suckage man.
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