Your symptoms - my two cents
Posted By: Lisette on 2006-02-23
In Reply to: Does anyone know anything about MS? - af
Hi - I want to try to put your mind at ease - I can't say for sure that you don't have MS but I can tell you that I had similar symptoms a few years ago, as did a friend of mine, both from extreme stress. You feel like you are dealing with the stress just fine, but your body still reacts. Try this - make sure you ae getting plenty of vitamin B-12, omega fatty acids (like flax oil), and take a supplement of the amino acid taurine. Also, are you sleeping well? Those can be symptoms of chronic sleep deprivation or lack of REM sleep. If so, you could try Valerian root capsules to help you relax and sleep better, or even Benadryl for sleep. I am not a doctor so of course I can't say for sure that this is the problem or that this will help, but it helped me - after I had two MRIs, tons of blood work, and a nerve conduction study - do yourself a favor and try the other route first! Especially the flax oil - especially if you are not a seafood eater!
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12 cents. I'd love to make 12 cents. sm
a line as an employee. 17 years acute care experiencing doing all work types and I only make 9 cpl plus incentives.
I'd just keep your eye on him since he has no other symptoms.
Mine was doing that about a month ago and nothing ever came of it. He must have just had a little cold or snuffed something up his nose. When we first got him, he was a mess with mattery eyes, ear mites, and blowing snot all over when he sneezed. Antibiotics and mitecide fixed him up, so we had to change his name from Snot to something else.
Have you had these symptoms before? sm
I could see a pinched nerve causing your arms and hands to tingle but not your face. You might want to consider see a doc for this as it could be something serious. I had these symptoms along with dizziness, headaches, and my muscles were twitching. I was freaked out that I had some neurological problem or MS. Turns out I had a "complicated migraine." But it's better to be safe than sorry!
Same symptoms here, but I'm 36
I think my hormones are out of whack. I feel extremely moody before and after menses and then feel depressed along with it. Then I get the panic attacks to where it feels like you are choking, then can't breath normal and heart raising.
I have those same symptoms, but I'm in my early 30s.
Have you had a tubal or come off BC pills? I was doing some research the other day and came up with hormonal imbalance, but not estrogen like they think. One of the posters on the Ask the Dr. board recommend progesterone cream for the sore hoohas. Read down the board and you'll see the posts. She said the doctors are mistreating it with BC pills, which only makes it worse.. I'm making an appt w/my doctor and asking for an endocrine evaluation to see how out of whack everything is. FWIW, my former doctor put me on BC pills with Prozac for my PMS. The physical symptoms got worse, while the Prozac made me sleep 12 hours a day, have really wild dreams, and lose all motivation to clean the house or work. I do not like that stuff.
There are there boys here, and believe me, males have their hormonal mood swings, too.
Been having those symptoms plus for 4 days now.
ears popping, congested, aching all over like the flu, headaches.
I did go to a hospital to visit a family member on Monday, so may have picked it up from there. I hate feeling miserable like this. I have 3 other family members who have had whatever it is, tho.
I have had symptoms for over 30 years!
I take HRT because I have drenching night sweats and will have to get up and change clothing, bedding, etc., if I don't I do not sleep well at all if I am not on HRT. I had to have a medically necessary TAH/BSO at the age of 19 and have been on HRT since for the most part. I have tried weaning off and my symptoms always come back within a couple weeks, not to mention the emotional aspect. :( I would LOVE to not need them but it really messes with my quality of life. Those of you with mild symptoms or none after a few years are very lucky. :)
I am looking at having saliva testing done in hopes that it will work even better than the HRT I use but I have to wait until I can afford it.
I once saw your exact symptoms on a PBS
show about these families who were sent out west to live in cabins..."Pioneer House" I think was the name of it. Anywhoo, one lady, a nurse, thought she had a blood clot in her arm because it was going numb and cold. She was on the pill too and that worried her even more. So, she saw the doctor and it turned out to be bursitis, although she didn't notice any pain! Weird, huh? But yeah, you should have someone check it out just to be on the safe side. Hope it gets better soon!
Former CT warning symptoms SM
are totally completely gone with editing.
Maybe someone else will have a more specific answer for the keystrokes, but CONSIDERABLY fewer per minute. As the VR system gets better and better with a dictator, you may spend most of the time just sitting there reading along with squeakily speeded up dictation. Other dictators will have corrections on every line, though.
Part of reduced Keystrokes is expander, too. For instance, I do ".t" when I come on a lowercase "the" between what should be two sentences, which backs up, inserts a period, double spaces, deletes the small t and inserts a capital T, then jumps to the beginning of the next word for me.
When I started editing, though, my Expander wasn't nearly so well developed and I still made more money AND my worrisome carpal tunnel pains, which a number of times required me to take nonpaid leave while I rested my wrists, disappeared. So have the wrist braces I wore religiously every night to bed.
Could it be no HEENT symptoms?
I only say this because you say "no headache", etc.
not symptoms of bipolar disorder
actually, that just sounds like most of the spoiled kids I've met - society won't treat them the way mom did so they're trying to push the buttons they used to push w/mom. (Did she die or wise up?).
Yes, been sick for 2 weeks - same symptoms. nm
x
my girlfriend had those same symptoms and never made it out
of the emergency room! Many conditions have these symptoms so you did the right thing. You just can't risk it if it is cardiac. When my girlfriend went to the ER, she went in total arrest and they could not revive her. She was 50. On another note, it could be anything from gallbladder, gas, hiatal hernia (very common symptom for HH) or an esophageal spasm (I get those). You did the right thing and a full workup sounded like it was warranted.
I started getting symptoms after about 3-5 years. Nobody could believe it. sm
Fellow MTs told me it was too early, but nope. I had the tests, and had/have bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. Think it's anatomical for some. I have very tiny wrists, and I've read that sometimes that can be related.
Some 15-20 years later, I had endoscopic surgery on the right side. I wouldn't recommend endoscopic. If you get surgery, go open. I learned later that it's usually more effective. I still have symptoms in both wrists, can tell no improvement in the right hand.
Best things: Physical therapy was the very best, but Worker's Comp obviously wouldn't pay for that forever. Cat's Paw (exerciser) is cheap and mimics a lot of the stuff I was doing in PT.
SmartGlove when I work. Helps a lot.
Trackball - huge difference.
Shorthand - I have made it my hobby to learn to work smarter instead of harder. I studied the productivity sites and am constantly working on building my ShortHand file. It's rare that something isn't in it. I have gotten to where it shows a savings of about 50% keystrokes, which is something to think about. It's like working half a day and getting paid for a full day.
Rest. Get up at least once an hour, go to your dining room table, put your palm flat on the table and press down. You should feel a really good stretch. And then I take at least 5-10 minutes to break. Maybe not the best thing for productivity, but the best for longevity.
Those symptoms you described sound like some of mine, SM
I get photophobic, have numbness and tingling, nausea, you name it.
CARPAL TUNNEL SYMPTOMS..sm
Is it possible for carpal tunnel syndrome to cause a slight tingling feeling in the face as well as the arms and hands? I have had just the slightest of tingling in my face for the last two weeks. No other symptoms at all...just a slight tingling. I have also had, for a longer period of time, pins and needles in both arms, more on the right. I've been a steady MT for about 14 years, and I'm wondering if it's catching up with me? I sorta ruled out a stroke since I figured I'd be dead by now and there are no other symptoms! Any advice/help is greatly appreciated. 
carpal tunnel symptoms
Well, it has finally happened. After 18 years of transcription, I'm starting to have symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. It has come on very suddenly, over the course of just a week. What I would like to know is if it is possible to turn this around, since it's just coming on? I have bought wrist supports, which help immensely, as does naproxen. I'm taking frequent breaks also. Can somebody give me hope that I won't end up needing surgery?
VR editor - still with CT symptoms, very severe. sm
I have to admit, it has eased up a little; however, I have had CTS for over 12 years now and never did anything about it. As I age, use my hands the same, and keep the same sleeping habits, my symptoms have gotten so severe.
I really can not say it is better or worse with transcribing or editing these days. It is more pronounced when sleeping or grasping things.
I would not change a job for reasons such as tendinitis or CTS, etc.
Could be Flonase, but that is usually 50 mcg for non-allergic symptoms
Might get more of a response on Word Help board instead
I didn't have any hand/finger symptoms either, just
wrist. Using a brace at night helps some. I use the kind that has the metal strip so that you can't bend your wrist. I found them at my drugstore. I had surgery almost 15 years ago and did fine until this past year, and again am developing symptoms. My symptoms developed from writing, not typing, and now I can type usually without problems, but I can only write a tiny bit, can't grip a garden tool for long or do any type of fine motor movement for long and then if I do my wrists hurt so much that typing then bothers me.
I know there is some vitamin regimen to help, though I don't know what it is. I was put on Naprosyn first and was allergic to it. Orthopod suggested hot and cold soaks, 15 minutes each. I had cortisone injections and some other type of injections, and physical therapy. I was only out of work about 3 days, but I wasn't an MT at the time. I do not have the strength in my hand that I used to, but other than that haven't really had any problems. I do have trouble with pain occasionally, can't think of the word, but it feels like the scar is drawing up and I get shooting pains, but I can massage the scar and it eases. I'm considering a job change rather than going through surgery again, not because the surgery was bad, just because not only do I have carpal tunnel, but I have swelling and tingling in my feet, butt spread, etc.
Word of warning - make sure you have an empty bladder before the EMG study. They have to test both sides so they have a comparison and between laying flat, still, and the electrical shocks I couldn't get off that table quick enough to go potty.
Also, if you don't already, get a keyboard tray that is adjustable. You can find them at a woodworking store or in various catalogs. I can position mine at various heights and various angles. I also sometimes lower the tray and put a pillow on it and then my keyboard and it absorbs some of the pressure and using the pillow you don't have an edge from the tray or the wrist pad pressing into you. I also found I sit back in my chair better with the pillow. If this is not comfortable at least try a folded towel between the tray and keyboard.
I wouldn't discourage surgery, but I would try some of the things above first.
My doctor told me I have all the symptoms of "Andropause"...
Otherwise known as "male menopause"!! Sheesh! That explains a lot, lol. She said most men start to experience in their mid to late 40's (I'm 47), and I do believe it. Darn, I thot guys were spared all that "hot flash" stuff! 
Yes, helped for about 1 year, then same symptoms returned.
Just had hysterectomy last year. Never felt better. No pain, no cramps, no heavy bleeding and I can leave the house and not have to worry about blood running down my legs any more. The ablation worked in decreasing the heavy menstrual flow for about a year. Then it returned with the pain, etc. I have had endometriosis and ovarian cysts since I was 13, with many laparoscopic cystectomies, etc. I am now 38. I finally know what a normal pain-free life is like.
If you do decide to go with the ablation, get the NovaSure - it takes less than 5 minutes to perform and better results than ThermaChoice.
Good luck.
...The content stays the same - history, symptoms,
s
Yep, the newest "fix" for the last few years of PMS and perimenopausal symptoms is
Serafem, which is just Prozac. The drug company "reinvented" a use for Prozac when they needed a new use! So, its called Serafem. You're supposed to take it a few days before your period, or sometimes all month - just depends. Pretty flowery packaging! I went thru the same thing at about 43 to 44 - only symptoms as well, and never had 1 day of PMS prior to that. It just stopped as suddenly as it had started. Just me - we're all different. I tried the Serafem and it didn't help at all - just made me feel like a zombie 30 days of the month! Good luck to you! Just had my LMP 2 days ago - only lasts for about 1/2 day now! Yeah!! I, for one, will not be missing THAT each month. No way!! Also remember if you have female teens at home, those hormones are floating all over in the air! Its HORRIBLE! I have 2 daughters and we all get it the same time now, etc. Oh, yes, and my face breaks out now as it did when I was a teen when I had my period. Never had that my entire life til now. Just today we were all cracking up - all 3 of us had 1 huge zit on our noses!! Nowhere else, and all 3 had the same one on our nose! We are really fair skinned and blonde, and look RIDICULOUS!! Oh well!
what are the specific symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome (sm)
Anyone know the specific symptoms of carpal tunnel? My right top of my arm feels sort of numb, like my forearm and my wrist aches. Also, my shoulder hurts. Is this typical for carpal tunnel or maybe something else? 
Ditto. Go to hospital. Not usual symptoms for a migraine. nm
nm
8 cents versus 9 cents
Wait a minute....9/55 is to 8/65....would not 9/55 be significantly higher pay than 8/64 (spaces are not counted in either case)?
8 cents a line. Should be 10 cents for over 10 yrs exp but
b
No perimenopausal symptoms? Mood swings? Crying? Forgetfulness? Lucky you if so. I started all that
s
Maybe it is cents a day. nm
You do mean 7.25 cents, right? . . .
 Otherwise, you are working way too cheap. Those darned decimals!
My 2 cents
They also say that the end of the world will be preceded by natural disasters. Think about it, we have had the Tsunami and now Katrina - perhaps the end of the world is approaching, however I do not ponder these thoughts. Only God knows why, when, and how.
My personal opinion is that all will be fine. With hundreds of thousands of reports being done daily, albeit transcribers or machines, editing will still need to be done. Also, in my opinion, there are a lot of old-fashioned doctors out there who will never go for VR.
6 cents!!!!!!
People who work for this crap money are the ones helping to ruin the transcription industry!!!
my 2 cents too!
You should take your computer to a computer shop and have it looked at. There are ways to have it locked up, I have my in lockdown mode and no one can get in except my son, he is the one that locked it down, (CSE), so take it somewhere and have it done or they will continue to hack you! Good luck.
My 2 cents
I think the touch is somewhat better than the original MS "Natural" model. Seems to be quiet, no clacking. However, the letter "i" is giving me fits for whatever reason, although this is my first night using it. Space bar feels a bit funny too.
The function keys are a bit smaller and hard to read if you're in the bifocal set like me. The zoom feature is pretty neat, as is the calculator function.
I think I will eventually get the hang of it and I do find it to be comfortable. I'm not a big fan of MS hardware, having once spent $$$ on a trackball that I could never quite get to work and didn't like the lack of product support, but this thing is a winner.
Well ....my 2 cents......
If I wanted to work mandatory OT... I sure the heck would not be working at home!
My 2 cents sm
Grr...sometimes I get a little cranky when it seems I am the only one who doesn't return the 25 minute blah, blah, blah progress notes that are behind TAT because everyone else skips them. However, with my company this is recognized and rewarded. I will get the cherries routed to me by my supe and have been told that once my minimun daily line count is met, I may cherry pick to my heart's content.
I chose not to cherry pick because I think it's important to maintain my own integrity. Why waste precious energy on on another person's lack of value for their own integrity? What goes around comes around, in some way or another.
I'm going to go have a cherry ;)
My two cents
Unfortunately, most platforms do not have a built in feature in which to provide feedback to MTs. It is standard to have to use a software other than the platform to provide feedback.
I suggest you speak with your supervisor about your concerns of low production. If he/she cannot offer any suggestions that may improve your level of productivity I'd start looking elsewhere. Please keep in mind that if you decide to seek another QA position you will likely have the same problem.
My 2 cents....
I have no problem with saying Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Joyous Kwanzaa, Seasons Greetings, or Happy National Potato Week.... Whatever floats your boat. But when saying ANY of those is BANNED, I have a problem. Can you imagine if we only banned saying Happy Hanukkah? That would never happen. So why is it okay to ban Merry Christmas? Americans wouldn't know a theocracy if it ran over them. Everybody needs to relax. The only theocracy we might ever see is if we go soft on fighting these Islamofascists who seek to destroy us.
My 2 cents
Well, I think speech recognition is definitely growing, but I think 3 to 5 years is exaggerated. When I worked in house, quite a few rad MTs got laid off because of VR, but they still had to keep a few for the difficut ESLs. I work for a hospital at home now. This is a large teaching hospital and they still hand-write the majority of their reports (H&Ps, consults, etc.). They are working on dictating these in the future, but I just can't at all see things turning totally to VR in 3 to 5 years. I think there will always be hospitals who want to have MTs, plus there are a lot of private doctors out there and clinics who need MTs. Yes, I think the demand for MTs in general may decrease, but in my opinion there will always be some demand. I suggest to broaden your experiences and don't limit yourself to one work type or specialty. The more experience and versatility you have, the more marketable you will be in the future. 
just my 2 cents.....sm
not a prude here but what I don't like about this show is all these SO-CALLED MEDICAL PEOPLE (characters) having all this unprotected sex.......in the 21st Century....where sexually transmitted diseases have the potential to KILL. And at 10 pm when it is shown on the East Coast, teenagers are watching......*tsk tsk*
just my 2 cents.....
These kind of things are probably better handled if you don't let him think you need his okay for everything...go apply, sign up, and then let him know on these nights and times you will not be at home, that this is a done deal...all the responsibility for the children will be his. He probably will react negatively at first, but what is he going to do? Move out? Now come home?
Also, first check and make sure there is a market for a dental hygienist in your area. My niece has to travel 1 hour to work as a dental hygienist every day, and the local market is very tight. Good luck!
my 2 cents
I don't always send corrections back. It depends on how busy I am, how many blanks you left, whether knowing what the blanks were will make you a better MT, how new you are to us, how new you are to MT, how long you've been on the account, etc. I always respond when someone specifically requests their corrections.
My 2 cents
I am a hospital coder by day, home MT after hours. I have my CCS (certified coding specialist) certificate and have been coding in house for 6 years. I must be honest and say that I make more money transcribing part-time than I do coding full time. MT pays by the line, you write your own check depending on how hard you work. In house coding is not only hard to breat into but usually pays by the hour.
And here's my 2 cents.
Before I would see a chiropractor, I would have anything medical ruled out by a MEDICAL doctor. Like the above poster, I would be very careful about having anyone snap my neck around. People have been injured. Once a doctor has ruled out anything wrong that would require traditional medical treatment, then maybe I would see a reputable well-recommended chiropractor. That being said, there are some warning signs when you do see one. If he has charts in his office showing spots on the body that control things like digestion or renal function, or talks about curing everything from toe fungus to a brain tumor with chiropractic manipulation, then RUN. And finally, if he tells you he needs to see you on a daily basis or every other day basis... Forget it, he's a money grabber. I saw a chiropractor once that was included in my HMO group, and he saw me twice, I felt great afterwards, and that was it. It was just a muscle spasm problem in the lower back. Just proceed carefully.
My 2 cents
I'm not really sure what to tell you here. If you are having a hard time making production, then perhaps you should ask to be moved to another account that is less demanding. I am a newbie myself and I jumped in with both feet. I transcribe for an acute care hospital and I love it. I'm not really sure how you can become bored with it so soon. With acute care there is a very wide variety of reports on a daily basis. I do everything...from ER notes, to OP report, H&Ps, procedure reports, discharge summaries, psych evaluations, hospice notes, death summaries, etc. I would think you would get bored faster by switching to an account where you did the very same thing every day, which is what you would be doing on a psych account. But, that is just my opinion. If you need to do that to get your production up, then by all means, go for it, but having experience in acute care will benefit you in the long run.
2 cents
I posted the second "opinion" and wanted to add that I do not disagree with you at all. I totally believe that acute care is one of the best ways for experience. I just wanted to point out that if this person is overwhelmed, stepping back a notch might be a good way to go. I would like to note that I do not get bored with orthropedics.
Just My Two Cents
I got into MT because I found myself a single mom and needed to work from home. I can't say that I've made much money - we barely get by - but, the staying at home part I do not regret. I've been working for the same group for 5 years and I'm burned out. I haven't had a vacation, don't get sick days, paid vacations, or any benefits for that matter. I'm looking to get out of MT and back into making some money in a "normal job" to pay for college (two in college now) and retirement for myself. I've been very disappointed with the MT world/pay and am looking forward to getting out! Pay versus time spent is just not worth it to me. Being able to work from home was the only plus in my book. Just my two cents.
here's my 2 cents........
Well, first of all, I do understand what you're saying about having a different perspective on things. I've been doing this for 28 years and I definitely believe I have some medical knowledge under my belt and can think for myself about some things. Unfortunately, we also have several pharmacists in our family (in-laws)and they definitely know their medications, they just don't know the other aspects of it, the medical side, the side I see every day. And, you can tell, they don't think for a minute I know anything about the medical field. They ask questions like, "Are you still TYPING?, or "I don't know how you sit there all day TYPING for doctors, they would bore me", as if that's all there is to it. Or the big one: "I have a friend who can type good, maybe you can tell her how to get a job typing for a doctor. so, when I remind them of my degree and all the years of study put into this, that I'm not just a typist, you can see their eyes glaze over, because they just don't get it. But, I do get in my punches when they're talking about "pills" and how to give them or the makeup of them, but look blank when asked about a real-live medical condition and what that is. I just give a very off-handed explanation and let it go..they all sit there looking the other way, as if I just spoke "OUT OF TURN", after all, children should be seen and not heard.
Don't let your mother influence your feelings. If you're concerned for your aunt, see if you can find the doctor or speak to him over the phone and voice your concerns. If you don't, who will?
I don't proclaim to have the knowledge of a doctor or RN (well, at least not an RN with years of experience), but 28 years in this business does give us quite a bit of knowledge under our belts....we're not ignorant. Like a friend said, who is an RN, "How do you think they became doctors or I became an RN? They read, read, and read some more". So, she doesn't blow me off.
Doctors say to participate in your treatment, but it has been my experience they DON'T REALLY want you to know or ask anything, just be a good little patient and do as I say.
I say if you can be in the room when your aunt's doctor comes in or speak to him over the phone, you should ask these questions. Don't worry about what your mother thinks. Just because she doesn't want to admit you may know something about this field, doesn't mean you shouldn't express your concerns to the doctor. Speak up for your aunt.
Now, I'll get down off of my soapbox.
2 cents
In one post you basically itemized partly what you would need to give a lawyer if you were to file for a divorce - division of debts. The only other issues would be division of any assets and custody.
Next I noticed that you referred twice to _your_ son, not _our_ son (indicating to me you feel more invested in the child and not acknowledging his parentage).
Next you have this offer of a house that is trashed to help out your family and you take the stand that you will fight for your house. Having been there and done that, if YOU move into that house, it will be held over your head until you die (not just if you were to ever move out even on good terms). Also his family will become even more intertwined in your marriage than they already shouldn't be.
Others may disagree with what I'm about to say as being underhanded and mean, but I will tell you that if you want to be respected, you have to show you are willing to stand up for yourself. In your case, you have many people to stand up to.
You are mentally prepared to be separated, well, as I have read your posts. Go to that house and clean the bathroom, the kitchen and a bedroom. Find calmness within yourself as you do this. Then offer your husband the key to the house, a truck to move his belongings and invite him to live in it...alone. Don't fight. Load the truck yourself before he wakes up if you have to. Tell him you love him (if that is a sincere emotion) and that in order for the two of you to work out your problems, sometimes being apart can bring a couple together. File a notice in your local paper for 7 days that you are no longer responsible for any of his financial responsibilities. If he won't leave, tell him you will need to call someone to help him. When he is gone, change all the locks.
This is an extreme measure and in my case, I got what I wanted - permanent elimination of the man from my life. Think this over carefully before acting on it because you could lose your family; however, it seems to me - IMHO - that you are already in a place where you are thinking of yourself, your son, and your home as your priority. When my family (meaning his and mine) got overly involved in my marriage, it ended any hope of saving it. Think about how long you can emotionally and financially carry the baggage you currently do.
As I said, just 2 cents...
my 2 cents
Seems like most marrieds who argue - argue over money! I think the disability takes it toll on people - he feeling less like the provider and his parents feeling like they should jump in and "baby" him. My husband was hurt very bad in an accident and things haven't been the same since. I think I can relate! I do agree with the earlier poster who says the tie with the parents isn't good for your marriage. You two should be as one - with the two of you making your own decisions, etc. If you both love each other and want it to work you probably should talk to someone on the outside to get help working things out. It would probably help if you felt appreciated for the load you carry. He may feel so low about his situation that he may not express that to you often enough. If you are a giving person and it sounds like you are, you probably keep giving and now feeling like the parents are showing a lack of trust on your part feels like a stab in the back! Try to find some outside support for yourself - I would suggest a ladies group at a local church. Just getting out and going to a Bible study or coffee and not so much caregiving (son and husband) would be good for you! Remember Marriage is God's Design for Man and Woman and he has the answers! I wish you luck and God's Blessings on your marriage. CB
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