Home     Contact Us    
Main Board Job Seeker's Board Job Wanted Board Resume Bank Company Board Word Help Medquist New MTs Classifieds Offshore Concerns VR/Speech Recognition Tech Help Coding/Medical Billing
Gab Board Politics Comedy Stop Health Issues
ADVERTISEMENT




Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

A $14 goose-neck lamp from Target, 40 watt bulb. SM

Posted By: Wise.MT on 2007-02-02
In Reply to: What do you use for cold fingers while typing? - Cold one

I have used this little lamp for years in the colder months. It has a nice opaque cover so doesn't give any glare. I tilt it way down so it is pointed right over the keyboard. Keeps my fingers toasty.

For my feet, I use one of those electric lap throws, right over my feet, the foot pedal and the big wooden shelf for the foot pedal that my sweetie built for me.

I don't like to heat the whole house and run up the bill so I try not to turn the furnace above 60 deg. My two little warming devices keep me really comfortable.

Wise


Complete Discussion Below: marks the location of current message within thread

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu


Other related messages found in our database

I agree about Target but there are some things I cannot buy at Target and Walmart
has the best prices. I just don't have excess cash to avoid shopping at Walmart too.
Goose Creek Symphony..nm
nm
I have drainage too and a ton of ear wax! YUK! I lavage my ears with a bulb syringe and warm saline

about once a month or they will start to itch something fierce.  Nobody tells you about the ear hazards of being an MT, do they?  I also have to deal with recurrent bouts of labrynthitis which my doc has said may be a side effect of ear phones in my ears all day long! 


We should get hazard pay or worker's comp! 


Yes they are!!!! OSi and SoftScript are neck and neck
There are MUCH better companies out there. Please, for your sake, do not go there with SoftScript.
I'd ask the local authorities to tell the MTSO to stop sending THEM on a wild goose chase! NM
x
Yeah, especially since it's the name of a dog or a lamp!
x
LOL that's what I did when I dropped the lamp on my toe
and broke it.  However, Ms. Siren, if I were you I would not worry so much about the FMLA or the FMLA scammer gal you have working in your department and start worrying about the bigger picture when y'all are here in the jungle with the rest of us.  JMHO.
Yeah, I used sun lamp & tanning
when I was in my 20s to control my oily skin and acne. It was helpful at the time, but since my 30s I've had age spots on my cheeks. And who knows when I'll get melanoma or basal cell or squamous cell, so common these days.

I have too much junk on my desk for a lamp LOL
i guess i need to make room!
We are just tools, like staplers or a lamp. The company
d
Target
I go there with a set list and come out with a whole slew of things, I never make it out of there without spending at least 100 bucks and I also feel completely awful afterwards.  My friend says I go into this weird daze when I go there, kind of like float from thing to thing.  Must be all the pretty colors or something, very hypnotic.  The thing is, around here they are on every corner!  You can save a lot on the toiletries compared to grocery stores too.   
you are right on target on this one!
x
Target is better...
I would rather shop at Target anyday.  Our Wal-Mart were I live really sucks though plus Target has better and much cuter clothes for my little ones. 
Not exactly sure, but target appears to be MTs.
/
same here, love target

The 3 walmart's in my area are all terrible also so I always dread going there and try to do all of my shopping at Target. They have a better selection, the lay out of their merchandise is cleaner, neater & easier to navigate, the employees are always friendly & helpful and their products (in my opinion) are of better quality.


 


As with everything, I get mine at Target. nm
bbbb
walmart vs target
I agree there must be a different company culture. I actually considered working part-time at Target myself. Why? Same reason. I am sick of the unreliable workload and such with MTing. The cashier I asked about employment said she loved her job. My friend's daughter started there after high school. She has been there for about 9 or so years now. She has worked her way up to management. Granted she is making only 16 bucks an hour now, which some faster MTs make already. Still I think the people considering this change would not those fast MTs making the good money with reliable accuonts but rather the newbies or people who are not the fast producers. And you are right at least it is a consistent paycheck w/benefits. I understand Target benefits are good and possibly lower lever benefits offered to part-timers.
Didn't know about Target issues...
The Target issues you mentioned are pretty significant to me also. I guess I'll start going to K-Mart for non-food items. The grocery nearby is quite high, but I heard of a warehouse-type grocery that is opening soon in my town, so that's an probably my best option.

Thanks for sharing the info!
I know, those all make me want to shop at Target

in my state, there is also this to contend with: 


http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/23/BAGDKEBPA71.DTL


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/8/23/21560/4064


Jees.  Ya can't win for losing, can you? 


Still shop at Target at little bit (*never* Walmart), but I'm really going to try to make it much more exclusively Costco now. 


Don't be to quick to jump to Target
You may need to investigate what Target stands for. A good start would be the American Family Association's website which will clue you into whether Target is for you. I haven't shopped there for well over a year because of discrimination against Salvation Army, the sale of sexually explicit material (sold in XXX stores), etc. Target is not even an option for me! Sometimes in today's society, we have to choose the lesser of "evils". I would rather shop at Wal-Mart than support Target.
I'd hit my target heart rate just
x
Good hunch but why did she target
the coffee house?  Alex was after Daniel, not Kevin.  I think she has something to do with that chick (can't think of her name) that was in cahoots with Tom Fisher and who took Lauren's baby years ago.  Time will tell. 
I have been using $10 ear buds from Target for 8 years. sm
I know a lot of people think I'm nuts, but they have worked absolutely fine for me for all these years. They don't last forever, probably 4 months per pair, but a lot of times I'll find them for 2 pair/$10. I'm not even loyal to one brand, but my current pair are Koss.
Walmart, Target, Radioshack, Best Buy,
Etc, etc... they're everywhere. Some places may or may not carry them in the store or you may have to ask for them in store, but they're available everywhere online. Cheapest is maybe 30 bucks and average is 40-50.
I saw on internet that Target has a division I
x
I can. I think you could get fast. It is a broader target than a keyboard key.nm
:+
Tip on Aching Wrists/Target Laundry Detergent!
Okay, I have hesitated sharing this one for a long time now, cause I know, absolutely know, I will get flamed somehow, cause its sort of silly, but its not silly to those of us whose wrists and/or arms are shot from this "career".  I have really bad wrists now AND elbows - actually if your wrists hurt, chances are your tendons are aggravated right up to your elbow, too, though the pain might not localize there.  At any rate, I also found my wrist would hurt with some "ADLs", mostly laundry.  No matter what size of detergent I bought, they were always heavy, and the motion of pouring deturg into the cups really hurt my right wrist. Sometimes I could even hear an audible "pop" on that motion of holding this heavy bottle and pouring. My physical medicine guy said it was the motion of that with the weight on top of typing that wreaked havoc on my wrists, and that even lots of women who don't type have popped their tendons out using laundry detergent!  Well, this is SO stupid, but...a few months ago I went to Target and saw their brand "Method" laundry detergent.  Its super concentrated and fits 32 loads in a tiny bottle. Plus, its like those mouthwash dispensers where you just hold the bottle upright and squeeze and a tiny bit of the detergent fills in a tiny cup at the top. You fill to the line, which takes all of 1 second, and that's all the detergent you need! Plus, this stuff is awesome with the laundry.  Prior to that, only Tide could get my kids clothes clean. This stuff is the BEST, and it smells great! Its about $6 for this bottle, which I would have thought expensive, but the savings on my wrists are priceless!  My carpal tunnel and elbow tendonitis have nearly completely healed. It was just this stupid combo of motions that did my wrists in!  For those older MTs like me, who've been at this for over 20 years, try it! It might help!!  Again, I see a sports med guy, and get injections occasionally. I used to have to wear wrist braces, etc.  I was scheduled for surgery until I started using this silly Target laundry detergent! Now, no more pain!  Isn't that so weird? But neat?
Bull Terrier (Target dog), 3 yorkies and a parrot. nm
:+
Take it all the way to the top. I have even emailed Target hqters before. Didn't do any good
:+
For home things and general odds and ends Target

For groceries Super Walmart. I get my makeup and some hair necessities on-line from specialty websites.  For incidentals, impulse buys like clothes, purses, general fun junque, etc. I like street-side vendors, specialty shops, and some of my favorite chain stores like Kohl's (which I can't live without)!


Well if Target did business like Walmart then the prices would drop but everyone would hate them to.
Walmart fights the good fight for the consumer Target isn't willing to. But love Target commercials and children's clothes. I take the best of both stores and don't begrudge either for their marketing style.
Well you can always strap one around your neck :)

Think about it. The possibilities are endless when you learn to be "without hands" doing this job.


If it is lunchtime, cutting a sandwich into 6 individual pieces and stabbing each piece with a toothpick works very well as you only have to do one bite at a time and your keyboard doesn't get nasty from touching the bread.


For dessert, don't buy Reeses peanut butter cups. The "Popable" Reeses fit nicely into a small cup that you can toss a mouthful from whenever the urge hits you.


I don't recommend anything that you actually have to pick up with your fingers, i.e., Cheese Doodles, Doritos, salt and vinegar chips, etc., as the keyboard gets really icky and you lose time that way or you have to wipe the residue on your pants or a leftover coffee filter.


I've also found that a straw works well with coffee once it has cooled down to tepid, as it usually does before you expect it.


stiff neck

What do you do for a stiff neck from working at the computer too long?  Mine is killing me today.


How about a neck pillow you can
That can help sometimes; you can even make one. Just sew up a tube and fill it with beans or rice. Or maybe you could get someone to massage your neck to loosen up those tight muscles? If nobody is around to do that for me, I sometimes stand under the shower with hot water or take a long soak in the tub with Epsom salts. Also, those neck rotating exercises help loosen up tense muscles sometimes. Hope it gets better; I know the feeling well. If it's not the hands, wrists, or arms, it's the back, neck, or butt.
help for stiff neck
I have many severe problems with my neck (which is one of the reasons I am on SS disability). Take a long mens tube sock and fill with rice and some lavender. Either tie the end or sew it close. Heat in the microwave, then hang it around your neck. It will work wonders. This also helps sore shoulders as well.
Stiff neck
What really helped me, and I know they are expensive, but an Aeron chair was the best MT investment I made, especially the one with the swivel arms that you can pivot to the right position for your keyboard. No more back or neck ache. At least this worked for me.
It is about the norm around here in my neck of the USA. nm
x
My neck does hurt too...but...
my wrists usually get super sore when I STOP typing, I guess from not using them so much. If I take a weekend off, I am in severe pain with them, usually the brace works or taking ibuprofen, but now the brace doesn't fit. Thanks for your help!! I have actually thought about trying acupuncture, someone I know did that and they don't have any back pain at all after some sessions, supposed to be covered by my insurance too. Thanks again for your help!
neck pain
I had neck pain and both wrists/hands, and they thought it was carpal tunnel, finally had an MRI and had herniated disk at C5-C6 with nerve entrapment, ended up with cervical diskectomy and pain went away for a long time, but now back in my neck when I type too much, but I also have spurs in my neck and DJD in my neck. Transcription is a tough job, repetitive motion causing back, neck and arm/hand/wrist pains. I found the Thermawraps that you can buy at the store to help a lot, it has heat and you wear it like a collar. I have been to a chiropracter and acupuncturist and these did not help at all, and that is why I had the surgery. If the neck pain keeps up, I would have an MRI, I waited too long for doctor to go ahead with one, nerve was trapped under C5-C6 for 3 years and that is why I had the surgery. Good luck, hope the pain is relieved. I had it for a long time and it can be terrible.
QA is not breathing down MY neck, as I am only the--sm
transcriptionist with a small MTSO, but they may be breathing down the MTSOs neck. All I know is that one doctor in particular, a felon on top of that, has his office QA each report for errors and for line count. If he feels the line count is in error, he demands a return of funds charged...not from me personally, but from the MTSO. My MTSO also has another account that discovered that their transcription company was charging for lines not typed, i.e. ALL lines, and fired them for it. So they DO check. Even doctors do not want to get ripped off. The OP can charge whatever she likes. Maybe 11 cpl in her area is the going rate. That is not for anyone else to decide, but she must be honest above all, or she won't have ANY account for long.
Maybe she won't be such a pain in the neck
once you have your cervical surgery.  They can probably get off paying her real cheap.  Sounds like you are being duped.  You may want to consider working for another practice who appreciates you instead of going above your head and hiring people since you are the supervisor.  If they didn't think it was a good idea, they wouldn't have had the girl waiting there for you to train when you got back.  Unfortunately this happens.  Believe me, I know from experience, I worked for a hospital for over 15 years.  They hired a lady that was ready for retirement.  She comes and goes as she wishes.  She did not listen to a word I said.  She had medical problems herself and as far as I was concerned was not worth my time.  So you know what I did?  I resigned.  End of story.  Now I am happy and not having to train.  So instead of thinking they care about what you think, start caring about what you think and find a position somewhere else where you are more appreciated.      It sounds a little late in this game to train even someone with a lot of experience if your plan is to go out in just a few months.  Everyone can be replaced, believe me, it is so true.   
So what neck of the woods are you from?
In other words, where do you live in case this is a little deep for you. I have been a Transcriptionist for over 30 years and it is simply our way of speaking here in the south- has nothing to do with being lazy or unintelligent either one. Even with my southern twang, I still pride myself on my understanding not only of English but what we do for a living every day. No slouch here.
I know about CTS, but do any of you have neck pain? SM

My neck is killing me, I guess from staying in the same position for hours. I am starting to feel a knot in my neck!


Thanks.


neck pain
I like the center of my monitor even with my eyes. This keeps my neck straight. Also if you wear glasses be sure to measure the distance from your eyes to the monitor so you are not pulling your head foreward.
A break? Your arm, your neck or your leg? Your choice...
x
Sore neck and shoulders
This is the first year that I have had this type of pain. There is nothing that will relieve it and if there is the slightest movement of my computer screen or anything out of the ordinary, there it goes. I am afraid surgery is in my future. I do take breaks and your schedule sounds good. Thanks for the information....
Put a frozen sirloin on your neck. nm
//
Forgot one...NECK after shoulders(nm)
X
Back/neck pain
If anyone responds to the post about upper back/neck pain, please let me know - I have the exact same problem, and it makes long hours just miserable sometimes! Thanks in advance!!
Migraines really are not associated with stiff neck.
I have been cursed with them for about 15+ years - stiff neck is usually associated with some types of meningitis - RUN to the nearest ER, my friend. Photophobia, sensitive to noise, nausea, vomiting -- these are migraines - stiff neck, no.
Get a soft neck collar and try
Roll up a towel and put it under your neck when you sleep for support. If you don't get a collar you can also use a rolled towel and pin it while you're working.
Neck pain is horrible. Good luck