Frustrating to the max

I had a very bad afternoon. Actually, it was much worse for Meshell, but I had a small taste of the badness of what she probably goes through all the time. Want the gory details?

1-with no car, getting anywhere is a monumental task in and of itself. Meshell's aunt usually drives them, but this aunt has no phone. So if they want to go somewhere they either have to hope she drops by that day, or send a brother across town on a bike and hope she'll be coming.

2- having forgotten to give her mom her son's SS#, the mom was not able to get medicaid changed to their new address.

3- Meshell's son needs glasses. He broke them during the school year last year. Medicaid pays for one optometrist visit and pair of glasses a year, so she's trying to get him a new pair.

4- we go to medicaid to get a copy of his medicaid since it has not been delivered in 2 months.

5- we go to an appointment with his regular doctor so that he can get a referral for an optometrist (one of the hoops for medicaid).

6- I rearrange our life so that I can have the car. Although my son had a horrible night (and me- only 4 hours of sleep), I have to wake him up from his nap and get two cranky kids in a car to go get Meshell.

7- Meshell had arranged to pick up her son from school to take him to his eye appointment. He was supposed to be waiting in the office for us. We pull up as he's getting on the bus and thank the CEO that we arrived just then and were able to get him off the bus on time.

8- I get lost trying to find the doctor's appointment, since Meshell has no idea where it is and neither do I.

9- Got directions, arrived at DR's office 2 minutes before scheduled appointment.

10- My kids are cranky and pulling snacks out of the diaper bag as I read a gigantic sign that says absolutely no food or drink in waiting area.

11- Meshell is told that they can not accept a temporary medicaid card. I ask if we can call medicaid to verify payment (No), can we have them fax the card (No), can we sit in your office until you freaking serve us, do you have any idea all the hurtles, obstacles, tears, sacrifices, language problems, car issues, phone calls and close calls it took for us to get us to this place where you adamently refuse to help us.

12- take two cranky screaming toddlers back in car, after this totally wasted trip, we would have been much happier at home, Meshell wants me to stop at a convenience store, while the kids continue to scream in my car which is running, on what gas we have so we can stay cool- but I understand because I'm fantasizing about chocolate or something sweet at home to appease our totally frustrating outing- and I'm not even the one who needed help.

meanwhile a little boy in a new school can't see well all because of a totally messed up system. If they/we had money, cars, phones, a middle class life... none of this would have happened. You'd call up the eye doctor, make an appointment, go, buy glasses and leave a happy camper. Nothing is so easy to those without.