I burn through keyboards like they're goin...

outta style, so I'm no help there.  However, I do have joint pain and sometimes it really flares up and almost cripples me...especially in the ol' digits.  I snagged a pair of these things called "Smart Gloves" from the office supply store and they have been a LIFESAVER on days like those.  I don't use them all the time, because they do slow me down a tad, but when I still need to work and really need the support, these serve their purpose beautifully.  After a few days of using them to support my hands, I'm right as rain again as if it were a weekend. 

I found a link to show you which ones I use.  They've got this bubble of little beads that lands at your palm and at first I thought it would be irritating, but it really is quite a comfortable unit.  I really like that the spine of it, the piece that goes along the back of your hand, is not metal...it's like a super rigid piece of flexible foam...quite comfortable and I highly recommend them. 

Best of luck whatever you go with.  Taking lots of breaks and running your hands under warm/hot water really helps ease the pain too.

Here's one link to that glove I use, but you can "Google" many more:
http://www.imakproducts.com/products/smart_glove.htm

• what keyboard would best help with arthritis in my long fingers and wrists - hurting_but_still_going
  • you don't want ergonomic, but - sm
  • Try magnets! I'm telling you guys, they work!...sm - casey
    • I wouldn't suggest wearing them while you work. - me
      • Magnets and tapes if you transcribe - those do not go well together either.
        • I've worn mine working for a year and haven't had a problem. .sm - casey
    • magnet bracelets ? what brand, or do all brands work ? - Marla Jones
      • See site....sm - casey
        • I HATE making mistakes...."they" and "probably"!!!....nm - casey
          • This is the magnetic ring site....sm - casey
  • I burn through keyboards like they're goin... - Hayseed
    • Hayseed - if you want a good keybord - indestructible - try this - mdlfcrs
      • If other have "dull" touch, do you mean this has a ...sm - casey
        • I don't know how to explain it - but it has more depth - in terms of - mdlfcrs
          • These keyboards are designed after the original IBM keyboards that - Indy-MT
            • thanks for helping to describe - mdlfcrs
            • See now, I LOVE clacky keyboards! - Hayseed
              • Saitek - AnnieM!AnnieM!
                • Major bummer dude! - Hayseed
                  • Blob Keys - AnnieM!AnnieM!
          • okay...thanks...nm - casey
  • suggestion - shoo

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some people still in the 21st Century are sitting wallowing.........

*hollers across the miles* - there ARE alternatives....to an ungiving, seemingly selfish spouse of either sex...........

I think the authors of it are bipolar anyway because they change so many snippy little things between every edition.  The doctors could care less about the BOS.  I mean really, who elected the AAMT to speak for all of us?  I certainly never joined their offshore-loving organization.

I think it sounds pretty normal.  I type specifically x-ray accounts right now, that is the job I was hired to do, and I feel that after years of typing, this is about all a I want to do!  But, I recently accepted a position as floater, and that means I have to do stat xrays, but also typing x-rays that need done in the TAT that is specified for each account....but when the x-rays are low, I hve to type whatever account needs help...this could be surgeries, H&P, etc......and lately, as you said, the xrays have been low, and i have been getting more and more of the other accounts! 

It can be confusing and frustrating because each, as you probably know, have different account specifics and different things that need to be done.  The only reason I like this and have agreed to do this is that the company I work for offered me full time but at an hourly rate.....I think this is awesome and really the only reason I don't get too upset with the different accounts that I type....I think, well yes they are time consuming, but I am getting paid by the hour, which gives me a little breathing room to look up information and make sure I am doing the report in the correct way!

Good luck, and if you would like to know the company I am working for, as I have found they are the BEST to work for.....just let me know, and I would be glad to share that information with you!

Been doing MT for 31 years and have come to the bottom.  I'm quitting the national I've worked for for 6 years because of the stress  of working for them and am going to try to transcribe part time and edit part time.  Haven't been allowed to take a day off since end of Sept.  The only problem is, will have no health insurance and now I'm probably going to be even more stressed about my finances.   Am looking to get out of MT altogether-one way or another.  The national sapped my will to MT!  (and almost my will to live ).  I'm not a fast typist anymore (and I say typist because the national didn't want an MT, just a fast typist), in fact, it's sometimes physically painful to type and production is the only key these days.  In fact, had the national tell me they didn't want knowledge and experience, just production.   Very demoralizing to have someone tell you that.    Anyway, out of there in one week! 

HOw do you combat burn out from MT. MT is all I can do right now. I do not want to start at the bottom of any job....Maybe a WalMart Greeter for a few days a week would work, but I am not about to go to work in an office where some 20-yo chicky will tell this late 50-yo chicky what to do.....

so how do you deal with burn out?

 just kidding of course !

if and I repeat if you are doing that much you will

crash and burn.  you either pace yourself in MTing

or you leave pretty quick.

but unless you are doing only OPs or only ERs i

honestly doubt you are doing quality work of acute care

with all the crap that comes with the docs not being able to

enter right numbers, say right names, say decent drug doses

or even say the drugs correctly.  nope doing all the leg work

necessary to do most acute care, you won't do 2800 lines in a

decent number of hours a day to have a life.

I know how you feel.  Been doing this job for 22+ years and I feel like I have to fight myself to start each day, my productivity has gone to the dogs and I need a major break, which is impossible to get.  The apathy concerns me because I've never been so unmotivated in my entire life.  I cannot afford to take off and I cannot afford to keep doing what I'm doing.  The more burnt out I get, the less I produce and the less I produce the less time off I accrue (as in zilch).   I understand the rut you're in.  I sometimes wake up crying, knowing I'm going to pound my brains out for nothing.  The harder I try, the worse it seems to get.  I used to be a huge producer in the past but I am so fried right now that I can barely stand to log in to work.  My back hurts, my shoulders hurt and I'm so sick of sitting here watching my life go by that I feel like I've melded into an extension of my computer and foot pedal.  I've never been this burnt out before and it has taken me by surprise.  My family, friends and even my physician are on my case about not having a life but I don't know what else to do for now. 

There was a time when burn-out was recognized in this field and steps taken to prevent it.  But now the theme to MT is "mush, mush, mush! 24/7."  I sometimes envision someone cracking a whip behind me like a horse, then putting me in the barn wet.  And like that horse that has gotten too tired and just lays down, I'm becoming completely ineffective.

Did over 250 minutes (100 being mininum) of dictation in 7 hours with breaks...stayed at the grind while others workers too their time, chatted and barely got the required 100 minutes... I've learned to slow down and just be happy producing quality work instead of having to be the "top" because I've found you can't keep that pace up forever. I was young and needed the money and did what I had to do. Do it while you can.

I have my speakers plugged in behind the tower as I was told that if you plug your earphones directly into the tower you could blow out the sound card.  I'm no maven but it's what I was told. 

It didn't take any time at all to get used to the GoldTouch in the tented position.  I bought mine off of ebay and am keeping my eyes open for another one, cheap, to have as a back-up. 

I have a COuntoured keyboard that I bought off Ebay. I have had it for a month or 2 but just havent had the time to work with it.  It seems kind of complicated to get set up.  The Goldtouch, I plugged into a USB port and off I went. 

I have seen and bid on all kinds of keyboards. They even have one handed one that resemble the top of a job stick.  One hand does it all.  And there are ones called Bats (I think) that are everything done by one hand.  I am trying to buy one of those kinda cheap. 

ALso, I have tried Dragon Naturally Speaking but the time to train it took too long.  It was quicker to type. 

I have no idea when I will be trying that out but can let you know.  If I lose your email I will post that I have tried it.  It looks to me like it is going to be like when you spell something out on the telephone.  So many clicks per number to get a certain letter. 

I have never had trouble buying anything off ebay.  I have seen new and used keyboards.  Mine have all been used but I always check the stats on the seller to see that history.  Also pay with PayPal so would have that as a recouse also if had problems.  And of course, I save all correspondence, etc, not just for ebay but any kind of cyber transcactions.