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I agree, my right thumb too, cause it's the

Posted By: spacebar thumb...sm on 2005-12-14
In Reply to: what do you think is the... - b

My right thumb aches constantly, sometimes to the point of almost a burning feeling. I know it's because I use this thumb only for the spacebar!


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One for the thumb!!! nm
tt
I know what you mean about the thumb.

I also stretch my wrists, hands, fingers often and it helps a lot!


thumb w/ mind of its own
I just recently noticed that my left thumb likes to extend when I use that hand to type.  It is not to the point of being sore or achy, but it is feeling kind of stressed.  I don't know of any other way to describe it.  Does anybody have or has had the same issue?  How do I make it stay down?  Help!
thumb issue
I was thinking that might be it. I do not have an ergonomic keyboard as of yet. I might want to get one pretty quick. I did try buddy taping it to my index finger and hand earlier. That seemed to help too, but took a little getting used to.


my thumb issue was due to
De'Quervans? (I'm not going to look it up right now) tendonitis.  It's located on the side of your wrist by your thumb.  Mine got pretty nasty, had to go the route of cortisone injections then finally surgery but 7 yrs out and no more issues or pain. 
thumb problems
It could possibly be DeQuervain's tenosynovitis.  I had it.  I was in a lot of pain for a long time.  Finally had surgery after several cortisone injections and physical therapy.  All better now, though.  Good luck.
thumb issue
it is DE Quervain's, I know because I do PT reports. Whether or not this is my problem, we'll find out. I have an ergonomic keyboard coming, as I am not going to mess around with this. I did put a hand towel under my wrist pad. It is helping for now. At least, I don't have to buddy tape. That's a pain. lol. Pun intended!
Actually the ones I have do not have fingers, just a thumb.

I really love them, There is a strap around the wrist to adjust the tightness, but the neoprene is a great fabric that seems to work really well for me.  I hate to recommend anything because sometimes what is good for one is not so good for another.  I would recommend going to a surgical supply store and they should let you try them on, that is what I did. 


 


Thumb soreness
Anybody have any remedies to help with sore thumb.  My thumb is constantly sore from hitting the space bar. The longer I type, the more my thumb is tender.  Any suggestions to soften the blow to the space bar
A good of thumb is 30%, that should cover everything.
x
My rule of thumb is a $100 minimum
Of course, closer relatives and friends receive more, but always at least $100 for graduations, wedding gifts, etc. when someone is an acquaintance.
ExText-sore thumb

Does anybody have trouble with a sore left thumb from doing speech recognition in ExText? I have been doing it now for 5 months and have constant pain in my thumb. Just wondered if there was a better way of doing it.


Rule of thumb - THERE'S NO FREE LUNCH
If you don't want to do much, don't expect to make much. That's just the way it is.
Rule of thumb in the NE is October & April when

the time changes. Daylight Savings starts in April and Standard Time in October. It always works for me. Change all the clocks and change all the batteries.


For those who haven't done so yet, though, better get changing.


Left thumb backspace keyboard
I can backspace with my left thumb and space forward with my right thumb. No reaching up with my pinkie to the backspace key at top right. It's called an "Erase Ease" I think. Let's me fly.
But it isn't a "rule of thumb" anymore...Carla is right...sm

Bella, it's not a "rule of thumb" anymore. That was before the advent of word processing software. Word and WordPerfect do automatically adjust the spacing at the end of a sentence to make it more readable and pleasing to the eye. The only reason so many companies still ask that it be done is because that USED to be the norm in the time of typewriters and that's what we learned from Gregg. Companies I work for who are newer generations and know about the ins and outs of Word and WordPerfect know that they adjust automatically in order to put a clear, able to see, nice looking space at the end of a sentence.


However, with this being said, the original poster should still ask her contractor/client/company what they prefer. It is never left up to us unless we're the owner of the contract and developed the template or format ourselves. Especially if it's an MT account that pays based on character lines. Some would say that extra space is no big deal, but just how many Keystrokes do you think that is in a day hitting that extra space after a period? Maybe enough to make up about 10 extra lines or so? Probably. I'd rather get paid than not if they don't want you doing it and you are anyway.


Soooooo, after my ramble....always ask your supervisor, etc.


DG


Is it at the thumb base? I had mine x-rayed, and it
NSAIDs and wearing typing gloves seems to help. Also, after the initial 1-2 yrs. of constant pain, it did settle down considerably, now only hurts if I use my hands for twisting, such as opening jars, wringing out wet washcloths or laundry, or using screwdrives instead of a power drill bit to assemble, dissasemble things. I also have a lot of pain riding a bike. I padded the handlebars as much as possible, and try to ride with the the sorer of the 2 thumbs resting on top of the handle bar with my other fingers, not gripping it.

Anyway, good luck, and hopefully it'll settle down in a few months!
Rule of thumb on dictation. A dictated
minute on average takes 3 to 5 minutes to transcribe. So, at the top, 60 minutes of dictation can take up to 5 hours to transcribe. Would not do it for less than $20 personally, and then based on what I do now I would be losing money.
My left thumb is the only "finger" I don't use, carpal tunnel is bad enough already.nm
x
I just noticed my right thumb twitching. I tell ya I'm falling apart! Last week my rear end and

left leg were going numb and now my thumb is twitching.  Ya know how you have your thumb poised above the space bar, well whenever I pause my typing my thumb twitches slightly and softly taps the space bar.  I keep rubbing my hand hoping it will stop.  Anybody else have this problem?


Maybe I'm getting to old to be an MT anymore.  Been doing this for almost 14 years and never so much as had a headache.  Now within the last year, I have head, neck and shoulder problems with muscle spasms and tightness, my rear end problems, and now this!  Frustrating to say the least! 


Had a Sony hand control years ago, then my thumb killed me! nm
..
I use Verizon mobile and the rule of thumb with mobile broadband is...
Basically, it will work whereever your cell phone will work.  If your too remote, it may not work, but I do know a lot of campgrounds like KOA offer Wifi, which means you should be able to pick up that signal too. You can always call ahead to the campground etc. I use mine going down the road for the most part but every great while going through the mountains I lose reception.  
Agree, agree, agree! Just listen to Benny Hinn..

he speaks perfect English, especially when asking for money!  Also, in my opinion, blanks should be left in the doc's dictation if not able to be transcribed, maybe then they will know that are NOT understood.  With QA fixing them, what need is there for them to care if we understand them or not? 


I agree with you....

I mean afterall there is no evidence that she is dead.  From the beginning I thought they were guilty and I still think that Joran knows something (not saying it was an intentional murder-- probably an accident)  The biggest thing that plays on my mind is why did they lie in the beginning if they were innocent.  I believe that they were covering up for something.  There have been theories that she went for a swim and drowned but there has been absolutely no trace of her.  No shoes, handbag, nothing, which leads me to believe that everything was gathered up and taken somewhere. 


I feel for the family but they need to let the Arubans do their job abiding their own laws.  I know the mother has said she will stay until she finds Natalee but you can't live in Aruba forever.


I agree....

I think you have to blame Natalee herself before you blame the chaperones.  What was she thinking going in a car w/ three strangers in a foreign country???  And also, what about her friends.. what were they thinking letting her go to the bar or leaving the bar alone?  Back when we were in college and were on spring break or just bar hopping in this country..... you NEVER let your friend go off w/ some strange guys.  That is just common sense.


I agree!
It is stated above, "I wouldn't give my daughter 2 cents towards a trip to Aruba at age 18. There's only one reason to go to an island like that, to drink."

Thank you! Me either!

I feel awful for this girl and her family. I really do. But no way in Jerusalem would I have allowed my 18-year-old son OR daughter to go to Aruba (which is a colony of the Netherlands, where pot is legal and who knows if there's any regulation on alcohol).

An 18-year-old is in no way socially savvy or emotionally prepared to be turned loose in a strange place with very loose laws and be expected not to get into some kind of a situation that he/she is in no way prepared to handle.

NO WAY

I really hope they find this poor girl, but it's not looking good.
I agree - for all we know
they could have taken out a second mortage on their home to finance this "vacation".
I agree with you...
besides if I sat all day and typed an American doctor who dictated in monotone speech I'd be sleeping by 10 a.m. I look forward to the challenge of transcribing the ESL's every day..it makes our jobs more rewarding!
I agree
nm
I do agree with that...

Evil does exist no matter where you go and my post was meant in no way disrespectful to you or your opinion (I hate it when a flaming war starts like the ones above).  I just know how one seemingly insignificant comment can start a whole line of growing misinformation...  Kinda like that game we probably all played as kids..telephone or whatever 


I did not hear about the comment of America being the Great Satan, that is interesting, I am going to have to check that one out! 


agree...

IN some cases we did, but do you really think the Indians didn't do the same?  There is a myth about indigenous peoples on any continent being "noble savages," but in truth, there were warring thieving tribes among the Indians here who leeched off the peaceful tribes before the Europeans got here.  Lying and cheating are not exclusively European virtues.


I still say they need to get over it.  We spend way too much time in this country talking about mistreatment and ills of the past - we need to spend more time and energy on building a future for the children and grandchildren we say we love so much.  The best way to give them a successful, peaceful future is to let go of our resentments and choose to love our children more than we love our grudges.


I agree with you (sm)
it takes a village to produce a perfect report! LOL! I embrace the feedback from QA, both positive and negative.  And I make notes and try not to make the same mistake twice.  Life is a learning process, anyways.  The day I stop learning, I guess will be the day I die!
don't think so, i agree, it is a
x
I don't agree.
We get a lot of local coverage, but what about national coverage like on Fox, MSNBC, CNN, etc.? Every single news network has been focused on this one single incident on just about every show from 7 to 11 p.m. for months.  Nancy Grace gives a 30-second blip in her missing person segment, but the majority of her hour-long show is devoted to the Holloway case.  Look at all the help that was donated to the search effort in the Holloway case because of media attention and contrast that to the help that could be focused on other cases in addition (not instead of) had they received the same saturation of news coverage.  It's not a generalization, it's an actuality.
I agree
Yes I agree with both of you Joran was involved.  I think it was drug related probably not to her knowlege, an accident or something and then they panicked and did whatever they did.  When you hear that the father actually said, "No body, no case", that sends off bells to me.  My fear is they know she will never be found, and he will just do his 116 days in jail or whatever, and her parents will never have any closure.  Sad.  I hope we are all wrong.  I hope she shows up somewhere like Elizabeth Smart, no matter how traumatized, it can be dealt with.  However, I still don't think it is fair to all the other parents with missing children who cannot get their story on CNN for 3 hours a night, not for even a minute.  That has to be a plight worse than hell, not knowing; and thank God I don't know how it feels and hope I never will.
I agree with almost everything you said except for
the fact that you don't think our work impacts patient care. I have to disagree with that one. So many times the things that we transcribe are read and re-read to help those giving direct patient care a better understanding of what is going on with their patient (I used to be a nurse and quite often read previous transcriptions). While we are not directly involved in patient care, we do have an impact on their care. Anything that is placed in the chart has an impact on the care because if we transcribe something incorrectly (which we all do)whether it be MR#, wrong med, whatever and nobody catches it then it becomes a part of the record and may be referred to many more times down the road.

I do agree that a lot of transcriptionists would be happier if paid by the hour with incentive bonuses for QA and/or production, but like you said, that is not likely to happen.

I am glad that we can get on this board and discuss our different opinions with others. Sometimes it gets a little lonely working at home and it helps to know other people's insight into different things.
I have to agree...
Degree in advertising and marketing and promotion and choosing to do MT. How pitiful is that?
I agree

I can do 1800-2000 lines a day, so 1000 is a piece of cake.


I agree
On of my good friends is trying to get pregnant now and she thinks becoming an MT at home is going to be easy. She is planning on taking the education direct MT program. I told her, she better know what she is doing.

I doing all the research I can, so I won't make a big mistake.

After reading the posts I don't think it's worth it. I feel I can be a better mother to my child if I continue to work outside the home now. Like a pp said being home physically isn't enough, you need to be their for your children emotionally and mentally. At least once I leave my office, my work stays there and I can give my attention to my baby.

You all have helped so much!!!

THANK YOU:)
Have to say I agree with you
Luckily, I didn't have to do it at home part time, but I had a job away from the home during the day, and worked at home typing in the evenings and weekends.  I had 3 kids to raise by myself with no help, so I did what I had to do to make ends meet.  But I know they felt neglected when I was at home, and "always working."  Luckily, they grew up okay, but it was hard, and there is always the guilt of "always working".  I remember them saying those words very clearly.
I actually agree with you. What gets me is SM
when people in this situation go on to make things infinitely worse by having two, three, or MORE kids. Get some common sense, people! It's bad for the kids, and the rest of us are sick of being expected to pay (literally and otherwise) for your mistakes!
agree
Agree you should get it all. Sorry she had a stroke, but you are working your butt off to keep her afloat.
yes, I agree

That is what I am working on, keeping at it.  Hard right now for me with 3 kids at home and in my face sometimes.  But only 1 month till school.  Ahhhhh, cant wait!  Still, I find that after my 1000, I start to dwindle a bit.  I want 2000 a day, so that is my goal I am working towards.  Have to find ways to motivate myself. 


I also strongly agree with you about the attitude component.  That plays a major role in our jobs.  With changes coming on board at my company, I find the better the attitude, the better it all goes for me. 


I agree - sm
Career Step is the BEST I have found in my research, and have had the best luck with girls coming fresh out of that course and training them... diamonds in the rough, and they were OUTSTANDING!  It is a course you do on your OWN, so if you are successful in the course in managing time and focusing, then you will do well as an MT.... just realize we all SUCK at first... it is experience that makes the MT....  Don't take constructive criticism to heart, USE it to the best of your ability.  I have been a mentor, and OSi actually has great mentors for "newbies"....   Good Luck.... and let me know if you need any help or have any questions....  Bobbie
Unfortunately, I have to agree with you on this one.
American customer service people over the phone, who probably think they are too good for the job they are doing and feel the need to take it out on me by being short, condescending, and sometimes nasty on the phone.  The Indians are very cordial, friendly and patient and are grateful to help. 
Yes, I agree.
and MTStars being watched more closley for this damage control because it pop ups on the first page of Google and Yahoo for keyword: Medquist.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=medquist&btnG=Google+Search

http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&fr=sfp&p=medquist
Oh, I agree with ya, except....

I have to look up every single lab test that she abbreviates (incorrectly) because our account does not allow for ANY abbreviations (for this reason, I guess).  She has listed over 37 different lab tests in this report and half of them she abbreviated incorrectly.  I have to look them all up in Stedman's path...if not in Stedman's path then in Stedman's abbreviations, and then if not in Stedman's abbreviations on google or path sites.  I spent over 2 hours on this one 27-minute report. 


I normally love the long, meaty reports especially if they're OPs.  But this woman obviously didn't know what she was doing...and the worst part is that she isn't new.  She does this all the time.  I cringe when I see her name show up in my job list, which it usually does about every 5 months and then 10 jobs in a row.  So I'll probably spend all 8 hours on just her 10 reports and be lucky to make 800 lines.  Yeeehaww.


Well put. I agree...
I am an instructor at a career college. We dropped the MT program 2 years ago. (I still teach medical terms, but now I teach medical assistant students.)The program was dropped because we couldn't place new graduates, and it was clear that the field was headed in a different direction--not only VR, but also overseas outsourcing. That was a wake-up call to me. I'm still in the MT business as a QA specialist and consultant, but I have expanded my editing skills to include legal clients, and I also do freelance proofreading for a magazine. I applaude your decision to earn a bachelor's degree. Good luck in your new field.
I agree
I was never sure why it mattered so much if an MT in Kansas or Bangalore saw that I had gallbladder surgery. I am more concerned that these people either in US or foreign countries have access to Social Security numbers, which I still see plenty on reports that I type. Also there may be concerns about some conditions finding their way to potential employers or insurers.
I agree.
I think it would be nice to have a method in place for MTs to test and reinforce their skills, but this CMT thing sounds like a ripoff. A whole lot of noise signifying nothing except some bucks in someone else's pocket.

Sort of like AAMT.


I AGREE
AMEN~! I have seen that too and it makes me want to grab the kid myself, but I would rather spank the mother!!