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Fighting fatigue after 4 hours

Posted By: Shirley on 2008-03-20
In Reply to: Power naps. - nm

When you work 3rd shift - it is even worse.  But getting up and stretching works - don't nap because you won't wake up till morning!


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How do you fight fatigue?

I find that after a certain amount of hours, say 4 or 5, my arms and hands turn to jelly, and my body gets sore and fatigued from sitting in a chair. It is to the point where I actually dread working. And it's not because the work is hard, because it isn't. It's because it takes a lot of of me physically.


My question is, what are some tips to help fight fatigue? It's almost to the point where I want to only do MT for 4 hours and find another job to do for 4 hours a day, one that doesn't demand so much physically. Although I wouldn't mind doing this until I retire, what it does to your body pretty much has made that not an option for me.


adrenal fatigue vs perimenoause

I had adrenal fatigue from excessive blood loss from a miscarriage; the symptoms were entirely different-feeling from menopause/perimenopause. 


I do second the black cohosh, as well as 'dong quai', which is a Chinese women's herb.


I was on HRT, started feeling 'hinky' about being on all those hormones, and just stopped them on my own; titrated the HRT down, and then started with the black cohosh and dong quai.  Completely stopped the hot flashes, and fatigue and 'fuzziness' I was feeling. 


Actually the flu is a 10 day to 2 week episode, with fatigue often lingering
after the symptoms begin to go away.  The way to tell if it's a cold or a flu is that a cold is usually from the neck up, the flu causes body aches, fatigue, coughing, etc.  Also, the duration.  Colds go away much sooner than the flu.
I have wrist, arm and hand fatigue too. Have to watch the yoga - because some postures
x
Diagnosis of perimenopause versus adrenal fatigue? I'm getting very confused on where to turn
To me, my symptoms coincide exactly what to me seems to be perimenopause, but also seem to be some adrenal fatigue as well. Wouldn't adrenal fatigue be a natural result of the perimenopause hormonal fluctations, i.e., very lethargic and listless, insomnia, mood swings, energy swings, fuzzy brain? I'm getting conflicting advice and opinions and just don't know where to turn anymore. I just want this fixed, and didn't think it should be that hard. I went to this GYN my sister referred, but he seemed to me to be rather clueless and had me do some antithyroid antibody tests and put me on fish oil and folic acid! No hormone testing whatsoever. Then, I talked to a pharmacist locally who also deals with women on this same issue (my sister too), who has a Ph.D and consults with the MD. I took her test and she diagnosed me with severe adrenal fatigue, but again, I think this is probably just a result of the hormones messing up. Any advice? I don't want to do a lot of unnecessary testing that insurance doesn't cover, such as the saliva test. I'd appreciate any advice. I'm thinking to just go maybe just go my my PCP and get on an antidepressant or something.
fighting for work
I am currently working as an IC for a company who uses WinScribe.  I only work a few hours a night, but I spend so much time during the day looking for work that I am wondering if this transcription stuff is really worth it.  I like the doctor's I transcribe for and the company seems pretty nice, but I have a life other than work.  If I decide to leave the house for the day, I will probably not have any work to do during the evening.  Is this what a lot of companies are doing now?  Does anyone know of a good company that will just give me some p/t work without having to be trapped at home all day long?  
Just keep fighting the fight..... I remember...

seeing one of those earlier Star Wars movies, maybe the first one, and some guy next to me had a little about 2-1/2 to 3 with him.  That kids are TERRIFIED, keping asking "what's that Daddy, why's he doing that Daddy, DADDY DADDY!"


Have people lost their brains?  Kids can't process all this stuff.  Let them watch Thomas the Train or Little Bear and let them be kids.


I'm fighting a super Wal-Mart

I'm in the process of fighting the planning/building of a super Wal-Mart down the street from where I live, which is out in a rural neighborhood, about 4 miles from town.  I liken this incredible increase in Wal-Marts across the US as very similar to what is happening in the MT world.  Wal-Mart gets something like 80-85% of their merchandise from other countries--it's just like outsourcing!  Think of all the jobs that have been lost to this in our country.


I understand what some of you are saying about not having the money to pay a few dollars more on whatever it is that you want to buy, but it's no different from transcription!  Those who are outsourcing the transcription to foreign countries are very similar to what Wal-Mart does with its suppliers.


Where does this leave our country?  It's certainly scary for the future of our children in the United States.


Are your military members fighting for your
x
Fighting Fractured English

Blanks are not your problem.  Poor dictators are.


It has become a standard in the industry to make the problems of an ineffective dictator and make it an MT problem.


This is not and was never an MT problem.  We are required to transcribe in English, and the oral work coming in needs to meet an acceptable English standard.


I've been in the business for 15 years, and frankly I am sick of it.  Having exhausted every other resource to resolve this problem it is now time to fight back and sue these companies and the facilities who have made this our problem.


We are TRANSCRIPTIONSTS, not TRANSLATORS OR LINGUISTS.  If we are required to translate, they need to cough up the average salary of an interpretter which by the way is $200,000 a year.  I dare say none of us are making that as MTs.  The time has passed when someone else's disability directly impacts our paycheck when it is not our skill in question.  Enough is enough.


If you or anyone else is interested in pursuing this stand up with me and make your voices heard.  Send me an email.  I will keep your information confidential. The industry will never change as long as we continue to allow them to abuse us.  


NO MORE SWEAT SHOP LABOR.  THE FREE RIDE IS OVER.  IF THESE COMPANIES AND HOSPITALS WANT IT TRANSCRIBED IN ENGLISH, GIVE US A MINIMALLY ACCEPTED ORAL ENGLISH TO TRANSCRIBE. 


 


 


I believe this profession is worth fighting for...you work at BK if you want...
So we should just accept everything going on around us, like dumb sheep? What kind of attitude is that?

Answer this, are you supporting your household on being an MT. It does not bother you that in a few years you be making half what you are now, doing some dirty, low-paying job?

You are really okay with that, and think that is not a problem.

Believing in yourself and fighting for what you believe in, is what this country is supposed to be about. That is my opinion.

Listen carefully: It is the sound of the shifting of the tides coming in to divide rich and poor. If it happens, it happens, but I for one will fight it with everything I can.

I am glad I do not have your attitude. I happen to love this job, got in it because I love it, and am going to be sad when it is gone.

So many passion-less people...
Your insurance company's adjuster should be fighting for you.
You're entitled to the cost of repairs to your vehicle, payment of ALL medical bills and out-of-pocket expenses like gasoline for trips to doctor, pain relievers, and lost wages since you've taken time off work due to pain and doctor's appointments. Do not agree to settle until you are certain that you are back to 100%. Gather up all receipts, bills and wage stubs to send copies as demand for payment.
I've been fighting back for 30 years.
It hasn't done one bit of good.  The AAMT sold us out a long time ago and when the computer came into being, it made it way too easy to ship everything offshore.  At least years ago when we used a typewriter, you had to work in house.  Now everything is about faster, faster TAT and hiring people as cheap as possible to get the work done.  I have always said that if they could get trained monkeys to do this job and pay them in bananas, they would.  They don't give a rip about the MTs and they never have. 
As long as we have our health and our mind, we have a fighting chance.
I guess it is like the lady on T.V. said, the secret to happiness is appreciating what we have in life. I want so much more but also, I have had so much less that I have to remind myself I am actually doing okay, relatively speaking. And everything is relative. And, as Einstein said, "the unexamined life is a life not worth living" and so we owe it to ourselves to review our lives and makes necessary changes. Compromise when it comes to others within a household is necessary. Time for a family meeting, maybe? I give you two thumbs up for having created a family. You did something I couldn't do!
Look at the pot calling the kettle black - I am not fighting wth you. I more mature than that. sm
Besides everyone has their own opinions.  Glad I got to see yours.
Had it both ways. Send it back the cheapest way and eat the cost. You don't want to be fighting f
x
I want our brave men and women fighting in the Middle East to come home safe and sound. sm

Imagine the Christmas their families are having.  I am so grateful to them all. 


For us slow pkes---my best would be 3 hours, worst 6 hours - just depends on the dictator ,
I have to look up (i.e. Dr. names, addresses)...I have to do a lot of that and it majorly slows me down, without all that and good not too horrible dicators, in 1 hour I can do anywhere from 15-20 minutes of dictation.
But in transcription, if you are good at what you do, you can do 8 hours of work in 4 hours. So eit

you slice it, both companies will still get 8 hours worth of work out of you.


That is the problem I've been having lately being an MT.  Companies want to pay us on production and they set minimum productivity standards, but want us timed in for 8 hours a day.  My thinking is, if they want 8 hours of work out of me, pay me hourly with production incentive.  If they want to pay me on production and tell how much I have to produce in an 8 hour period, then when I hit that mark, I should be able to call it a day even if I've only worked 4 hours.


Seems these companies want it both ways and it is simply not fair to us MTs.  JMO, tho.


If it's my fav doc with lots of shortcuts, 1-1/2 hours to 2 hours max
x
I see, we sit at the keyboard for 40 hours and then throw on 20 more hours
Is this how you do it? Me? I got a PT job so that if my FT job didn't have enough work to meet my needs financially, the two jobs together would.

They hired me to work a specific shift and that is what I am working. If they want me to type after I clock out, then I will happily do so.
I must say, I work long hours, sometimes 12-14 hours a day.
I thought it was important to mention that. However many hours it takes to get the work done is what I do. Some days 12 hours, other days 6 hours and sometimes 14 hours. So, I guess there really is no easy answer.
I do 2000 lines in 6 hours - so maybe 3 hours - nm
x
typing 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week
is TOUGH.
on my wrists I mean.
and not getting any benefits... and for a salary of less than 30K? not really worth it...
That was PT at EACH. Isn't PT up to 32-35 hours?
She could be working 70 hours a week to make that kind of dough.  Ergh, not me, no how, no way, uh uh.  I'm happy with the 35 hours total that I've been putting in lately.
hours
Contracted to work 8 hrs M-F but I usually do more, may be 1.5 after baby is sleep. If I have to work on Friday nights I can make my personal quota in 5.5 hours.
12,000 AND 40 hours
No, 12,000 not enough. Must do 40 hours to be full time.
About 6.5 to 7.5 hours. (nm)
.
40 hours?
I got a letter from my office but it stated the 12,000 lines or 10 or 6 for staturatory. It stressed lines, not hours, Massachusetts office, great supervisor.
About 6 hours from me-- they are way out there! - thanks for the tip
x
Here, here! But it won't take us 8 hours

but 14 hours to get a decent line count.


Hours

If you are an employee and have a schedule to work, then you should work all of your hours. Generally services don't hire you to do so many lines per day (although you will always have a minimum goal), but to work 40 hours/week as a full time employee. One of the biggest problems is those who agree to a schedule and then just decide they don't have to work it. If you can get your "quota" in 6 hours, what will be expected is that you simply are able to do more work on that day.


And BTW, never any such thing as a dumb question! :)


PT here, do 25 hours over Fri, Sat and Sun.
nm
7-1/2 to 8 hours
I work 7 1/2 to 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, make 5000 a month.
About 12 hours . . . (sm)

That broke down to 1881 lines in my usual overnight shift (I've done 1950 before but usually average more like 1200-1400/shift), then far less productive the rest of the day as I had both children home (daughter homeschools; son was sick).


Thank you all for being so very encouraging.    I didn't expect that . . . I've seen other posts about production where the OP got hammered for bragging.


My method is normals; I save a copy of practically every report I transcribe (no patient info, just the body).  Even if I only do the same dictator twice, I save a lot of lines on headings, especially since my primary account has highly formatted headings.  While I love Instant Text and have been using Expanders for 12 years, I believe the combination of normals and expanders produces far greater productivity.


Think the service will notice?  I love them dearly, but they've been in a sparse-communication mode of late.


1600 lines/day is great!  The service I work for says their top MTs average 1300-1400/day.


12 hours
is a LONG day transcribing - more power to ya!  I keep mine about 6-7 hours and that works for me!
usually 24-48 hours but not....N/M
#
Already did - hours ago - did you get it? *l*..nm

in 3-1/2 hours: 500 first job/90 second =
.
If you have the hours they have to pay you for them, it is
the law.  You can call the Labor Board and they will gladly get your money for you.  Be sure and keep good documentation in case they protest. 
few hours?
The trainer was supposed to call at 8 a.m. to get me set up and started. I, of course, was all nervous while waiting. He finally called around 9 and announced he hadn't had his muffin yet and would call me back. I didn't bother to answer the phone after that.
28 hours???

Never takes me more than two to three but then I have everything gathered and ready to put in.  Even the first time I used TT it only took 3 hours or so.  And now shorter since it downloads last years info.   But give yourself 4-5 hours on a Sunday afternoon.   I usually do it, let it sit, and then recheck it before sending it in.


 


 


5 hours per day???
You are going to be driving 5 hours per day?  How many miles?    After a week you can afford to buy them digital hand helds and do it that way.  I go to three different spots for pick up and delivery - 5 accounts, and it takes me 45 minutes -- an hour if I stop and chat a lot and I think that is excessive sometimes.  How many hours of dictation will you get for that amount of driving?   When are you going to be typing or are you the one that asked about transcribing in a car?  I don't think that you can charge enough to make it worth your while.   At $20 to $30 per hour that is an extra $100 to $150 per day and if they want to pay that much extra per month, $2200 then they have a lot of money to spare.  If they have 6 to 8 hours of typing you will be putting in a 13 hour day and you will be tired after all that driving and it is just ridiculous -- have them go digital and you can show them you can save them literally thousands per month.   Good luck. 
IC and set hours
The one big problem with being an IC and having your hours dictated to you is that the IRS can come back on you and disallow your home office deductions - because if you are working set hours - in the eyes of the IRS you are an employee - this happened to me once, so I referred the IRS to my "employer." He did not appreciate this - but he was told that if he wanted to keep me then he would have to allow me to work my own schedule not his. So, thankfully, he changed his tune (I don't think he wanted a headache from the IRS) and it was a nice 10-year relationship. I have had to mention this in almost every interview I have had since, though, when hours were brought up - and even the nationals act like they didn't know this law - it's in the 20 laws of the IC put out by the IRS.
hours
Most of the time work many more hours than paid and very little given in return.
I do, but I put in a lot of hours. nm
nm
Hours later.
I tried to tape it back together after opening it 2-3 times. What a mess. I did get it to play somewhat and yes I lost at least one day and it still won't rewind properly. It won't take this doctor long to redictate since he speaks at least 300 words a minute. Thanks for your help as always.
About 6 hours.
I guess you could say an average is 250 lines per hour.  With your experience, you should near that in a 6 hour day.  Most companies want 1,000 a day, which means 8 hours, but you need time for googling, uploading depending on platform, etc.  I type in Word and have done 300 lines easy in an hour or hour an half depending if I have to look anything up.  I hope this helps. 
why 4 hours?
nm
How many hours

$3000 sounds like a lot but you don't say how many hours a day and how many days per month you work...if you work 12 hours a day/30 days a month that isn't very good ($8.33 hour) but if you work 8 hours a day/20 days a month that is much better ($18.75).  No one can know if that $3000 is good or not without this info.


 


how many hours

I work about 8 to 10 hours a day, five days a week.  Of course, sometimes I spread that time over the weekend too...but I work about 40 to 50 hours over a seven day time period.  I have been there, making little money and typing all day and not getting anywhere, but I stuck with it and I asked for a raise and got it, and now I feel like I'm finally making some money...but making 7 or 8 cents per line...you almost have to kill yourself to make a lot of money.  I would not start with a company, at this point, for less than 10 cents a line. 


I hope this helps give a better guidline!