i've got a clear glass L-shaped desk,
Posted By: dcc on 2006-03-07
In Reply to: What does your office look like? - medtype10
and plain buttercup yellow walls (here when I moved in). I'm going to go into business with a family friend painting (faux finishes, murals, etc) so I'm thinking of painting my office with a stone look wall (on the wall with the window) and a mural of some sort (probably italin)on the wall that I face. I will eventually knock that wall down anyway so that it's open to below/looks over the family room so if the mural isn't that great it really won't matter-and if it turns out great- the wall will probably stay 
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I downsized from a very big L-shaped wooden desk
to a much smaller square glass, sorta light blue tinged background to it. I will say before I felt so overwhelmed with all that I had on the L-shaped desk and now that has completely dissipated. I also bought to go along with the desk a 4 tiered shelf that is right beside me and that holds my fax, telephone, printer and some other little odds and ends. I am very happy now. All the other the L held was weighting me down literally. Can't get as much on this desk and relieved my anxiety.
L-shaped desk, bookcase under the left side for my medical references
(homemade by my DH, of course), file cabinet to the left. Phone on the left side of L, mouse on the right, easy reaches for my aching elbows if I keep them in front of me. My desk faces my door to the office (sliding glass doors to the house) so I can see anyone who decides to just come in the door without knocking. If they knock, it takes me a minute or so to get to the door, but that's okay too. Even with my big L-shaped desk, I still have lots of extra clutter that I need to put away, file, throw away taking up my space, but at least I can find everything I need when I need it. :-)
Not conducive! LOL...ugly U-shaped metal desk facing a couch with a TV on a dresser out
s
Ilove my Goldtouch -- you can make it a "'weird shaped" or not so weird shaped sm
as you want. You can split it apart and angle it however you like and even tent it up too. It definitely has helped me a LOT! Before that, I used the Microsoft Natural and loved it, but this is even better. :-)
I should've been more clear.
I'm saying I'm okay because I have several plans I'm working on and several people are helping me. All it took was calling my parents. My Dad gave me so much confidence and made me remember who I am or used to be. I am going in for some counseling and more planning will take place then. He sold his truck a few weeks ago, so we are down to my truck. He stated that he won't leave without a vehicle. I going to be pushing very hard for him to find one and that will give him more incentive to leave. He has come to realize that we are not a good match. I have neglected to mention that when he is calm, he is actually okay. He was stirred up lately because I contacted my daughter's family for the first time since she was born. I knew this would upset him, but I didn't care. She needed that. I realize that you are all just trying to look out for me and that is why I posted originally. It seems some of you are turning on me and that's okay too. I think I was in panic-mode when I posted the first time and the finer points of what I was saying were missed. The emotional abuse has been worse on me and my kids than the physical. They were not even here yet last time it happened. The incident two weeks ago was because I was forcing a trip to see my daughter's family. He doesn't handle the step-father part very well. I will stop posting if it will make everyone more comfortable, but I did want to acknowledge those of you that helped me clear my head. I will be going to church this weekend. He will be speaking to the minister. He will be on his own if things don't improve with counseling. I may not have all of your support, but the support of my grandparents and my parents is much more important to me. Thanks again. Sorry if I offended anyone's sensibilities. I obviously have. Bye. Jodie :)
U-shaped
with shelves on both sides for all my books. It is oak colored veneer, made with pressboard. It is functional, but I would love something that looked more professional.
All diamond-shaped heads are poisonous snakes! I do know that! nm
x
Dictaphone also makes it's own little fan-shaped pedal to be used with ExText/
d
CONGRATS to Vanessa R. of Mine Hill, NJ on winning the computer shaped
/
I made a card with a nice close-up photo of hers printed oblong-shaped with a red background, a huge
blank space beside the photo for my message written in silver ink, and some pressed tiny flowers to decorate the edges, then I laminated. She was so proud to show it off to her friends. (You might want to use this idea next year, maing sure you press small flowers first, or you can think of other decors).
Glass of wine
I did not mean to start a war. I know the difference between a glass of wine and a "problem with drinking" as my father was an alcoholic as well as ex-husband. And just to let you know the open bottle that I opened Sunday evening for my glass is still in the wine case/holder with one glass missing. I will probably have to throw it out as I usually have one glass and forget that it is there to finish it. Would not make a good alcoholic as I forget to continue to drink -- just my one beer or one glass of wine every couple of weeks. Also, I usually wait until I am very near completion of my work before I "pop" the cork. But again, did not mean to start a war.
Glass of wine
Patti, unfortunately on this board lately, anything can start a war.
Like you, I sometimes start sipping a glass the last 30-60 mins. of my shift - about once a month. Ignore the hostile postings - some of these people read 2 words, take it out of context, and post in response to things that weren't even said.
Personally, I'm glad you posted because I felt a little guilty about sipping an ounce or 2 while working - I grew up in an alcohol-free home, but I certainly saw what alcoholism did to some of my friends' families.
Glass top stove
Have used these since the 70s. Be careful what type of pots you use on these. Never use any pots except the ones that are all metal underneath. The finish can come off the pretty red and blue pots and burn onto the stove. Check the bottom of your pots before you use them. If they have food embedded into the bottom, sometimes this will burn right onto the stove. Use the cleaner for a glass top stove. You can let is soak on the spots with a damp cloth on top of it and then go back and rub some of the soil off, but you have to keep repeating this until gone. The razor is okay under certain circumstances. Someone one stuck a contact paper onto one of mine inadvertently, not realizing the burner was on. Luckily for me I had the razor handy and got at it right away, while the burner was HOT. There's a lot of little tricks to keeping these nice. However, I did have one, a GE smooth-top free-standing range where the finish did actually chip off, which turned out to be a warranty problem. If the stove is new, maybe there's a warranty on it? Good luck. Try to relax and don't drive yourself wacko over it.
chug a glass of water
X
A glass of wine with typing
A while back there were several messages when someone made a halfway joke about drinking and I never answered but I do have to admit that when I sometimes have to work on Sunday nights or some late evenings I do sip on a glass of wine while typing, not an entire bottle but a glass of wine. Just thought I would not comment on it as several people were shocked that anyone would even consider it. Not all the time but occasionally and in moderation.
That is my Sunday comment.
Glass etching, maybe? see link
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_wood_glass_etching/article/0,1789,HGTV_3348_1383604,00.html
glass cleaning wipes
They are in a plastic tube kinda like the wet wipes but are made for monitors and TVs. Wal-Mart has them.
Glass half empty....
I can agree on a few points here. If you expect to be stroked, you won't find that in healthcare at all. I have worked in a hospital setting, have my own accounts, and also currently IC for a company online at this point. I just love what I do, and I'm pretty good at it. A lot of what you write is true in that this profession has evolved, but think about it this way. If we didn't evolve, then how long would a patient wait for you to get that report off of the old typewriter? How many people would go months and months before finding that lung mass or brain tumor?
Just like the typewriter has evolved, the technology in which we diagnose and treat patients has evolved with leaps and bounds. I still feel I'm doing a service to the patient. I like my job because I know it helps people. I'm sort of behind the scenes at this point and not visible to the patient any longer unless there's one in the waiting room when I pick up my tapes (doctor won't go digital), so I see the difference I can make.
Do I need to be stroked and told I'm doing a great job? No. I know I do a good job, but being told that every day or two is not why I'm in it. Money is just the means of a transfer. No one told me I'd get rich being a transcriptionist, but no one told me how much I would learn about the human body and functionality of it either and that I could most likely take that experience into another field.
Wow, when I type a report on a patient that has a serious illness, I think my lucky stars. I think at this point, reading your post, I may go back to school. My transcription skills could really help me become a coder (are they stroked/given raises every year?) or maybe I'll become a nurse (are they stroked/given raises every year?), or maybe I'll become a physician myself and pay my transcription enormous amounts of money and remember to call and thank them to express a job well done when really I should be calling my patient with the brain tumor or lung mass or any other disease. I wonder if the maintenance guy sweeping the hall deserves a raise or the nice lady cleaning the windows, then again maybe the physician himself wouldn't mind being reimbursed for the services he renders to someone without health insurance?
Buck up camper.... It's going to a long trip!
I do the same thing now and then, have a glass near the end of my work, usually takes me an
I find it relaxes me a little and I type a little faster, but I certainly don't do it on a daily basis, maybe Friday or Saturday night when I am winding down. As for the open bottle, get a vacuum system for it--rubber "cork", then pump the air out of the bottle, it will keep for a LONG time, no more tossing of flat wine. Works great!
screen kind? Glass or trinitron?
Windex or rubbing alcohol on glass :)
Let me guess - you see glass as half empty too, right?
I tend to see the good in people and think positive. There are exceptions to everything. I don't focus on those - I move on. Your posts remind me of someone who goes to a a restaurant and says to the waitress 'Every time I eat in here the food is bad!' - so - she says 'Why do you keep coming back?' 
Glass if half empty for a reason
Someone is drinking out of it!
You make it sound like we are all a bunch of whining babies looking for a pat on the back. That isn't really the case. The truth is, we just want what is fair. There was a time when you worked as an MT and made good pay. You got benefits, maybe even a paid vacation. You were respected by the doctors you worked for because you were generally in office with them and they saw how hard you worked and what you put back into the office.
As work has been outsourced to services, these jobs were lost. The MT who used to work in house, have her nice benefit package, get paid an hourly rate, and had the opportunity to develop a relationship with the doctor she worked for, is now an IC working at home. She has lost her benefits. The doctors she transcribes for in her pool of work don't even know her name. She is "the typist." She is paid by the line with no guarantee. She bounces from company to company only to find that most are the same. They make promises that don't pan out. She runs out of work at one company, which means no pay. She works on a ridiculous and inefficient platform for another (less pay). She ends up bitter, and who can blame her?
I think many of us feel the same way. I have worked in this business for six years, and the pay that I was offered then is the same as now (8 CPL). Why has this not gone up? God knows the cost of healthcare, groceries, and gas has gone up. We shouldn't expect COLA?
I don't want a pat on the back. I don't even care if I ever hear a thank you. I want fair pay and respect. I want to be treated like a person, not like a machine hooked to a keyboard.
While I agree with your glass half full
there are few points that are not necessarily correct..at least with my company MedQ.
While I can still "type in my pajamas" I have no automy over my schedule, need to clock in, in my own living room, to maintain an impossible TAT. I agree schedules are very important...but rigid scheduling held to the minute is not even possible in an office envirment, let alone your own home. A 10 hour window has and always will be a more productive way to produce your work.
I do not agree we have it good. I feel it is an abomination that our profession and hard earned skill (a skill that takes a minimum of 3 years to perfect in order to work at home...alone) is paid such a paltry amount. I have never complained over the years of not receiving one raise...I was more than happy making my 45-50 K a year...but systematically reduced to 20-25 K a year..and working harder for it..is unacceptable.
What really frustrates me is the axiom.."well you don't like it..go somewhere else." I wonder how nurses, x-ray techs, pharmacy techs..and other group of medical professionals that also require 2-3 years training before performing their jobs would take being systematically deducted 40-60% of their pay..and told to..You don't like? Go somewhere else! Of course that would not happen to them...they have a union to protect their interests.
So while I agree constant bellyaching gets you nowhere and the inevitable deterioration of this profession is a fact, I am not grateful for this job...nor do I think I "have it good." Other than the extremely poor economy which does in fact make me grateful to have any job....it is patently unfair and criminal what has been done to MTs. And until I see contracts between MTSO and hospitals that delineate how ASR work is paid at 40% less than MT work..I will never believe hospitals pay a lower rate for ASR. They have no idea what work goes through ASR and what does not.
I'd like to have a tall glass of eggnog spiked with a shot of rum.
dd
How about grilled fish like salmon? Add a glass of wine and you're all set!
nm
My office has a sliding glass door that I keep open, but it helps me
x
Office lunches come to mind, the whole crew would have a glass of wine
We managed to get through the Friday afternoon following the glass of wine. It's holiday time, birthday time, retirement time. Rare - RARE - occasions. I remember the doctors have a very very slight slur LOL. I probably lost a keystroke or two on my speed. The nurses were happier that usual. The secretaries laughed for a change. It's all good.
Holy Cow, a gallon of Jack Daniels? I had a whole juice glass once sm
and was sick for a week, can't imagine a gallon.
another thought - if you can't see under the water, possibly broken glass, or other sharp objects
which could cut you, and cause infection or tetanus.
Merlot, white zin, chardonnay, sometimes daily 1 wine glass with din-din. Maybe 2 if I am thirsty
No alcoholic tendencies.
I use round glass lids from old Corningware and other glassware for all my pots. Find 'em at yard
s
I use EXText with my current job and I've used at a couple of other jobs I've had. I've ne
used DocQscribe, but I have used Meditech, Cerner, Vianeta, the Precyse platform (I can't remember the name), Dolbey, and Lanier platform I think was called Cequence (?).
Out of all the different platforms I have typed on, I have liked EXText the best. In my opinion, it's very user friendly, easy to learn, and I really like ESP which is the built in abbreviation expander. Plus it is very easy to create your own normals which I love. My fingers literally never leave the keyboard because there are macro keys for everything. You can use your mouse if you prefer or learn the function macros. I love it. I think I'm more productive on EXText than with any other platform.
My desk...
is 5 inches from my bed - but I hate the long commute!
Go to desk top
Double click MyComputer.
Right click on drive you want to look at and click properties. This will bring up a pie graft of how much used or free space is available.
What's your desk like?
I am in the market for a new desk. What type of desk do you have, i.e. U-shaped, L-shaped, armoire, etc. and are you comfortable/happy with it? Any recommendations on where to go to get a good deal?
old desk
I have an old antique desk that was in my grandfather's accounting office.
If I were going to buy a brand new desk, here are some of the things that I would look for.
Space on top of the desk - do you want a lot of stuff on the desk, or just room for the monitor and a cup of coffee. I have a TV and 3 cat beds on my desk, so large works for me. I would sit at the desk and check the height of the keyboard tray or the positioning of the keyboard. Is it too high, too low, if you are seated appropriately, will it work for you. Does the tray pull out and if so does that bring you too far away from the desk itself to see the monitor? Is the tray adjustable at all? If you have arms on your chair, will the arms fit below the desk, or will they bump into things. Measure the space in your office where the desk is going to go and make sure you have those dimensions with you when you look at any other desk. Is the monitor position exactly centered in front of the keyboard? It amazes me when it is not.
Check the drawers. Do they pull out easily and are they sturdy enough to hold all the stuff that inevitably ends up crammed in them.
Is there a designated space for the CPU? If so, is it easy to get to the back of it in case you need to plug/unplug peripherals? That part is important - I worked with one of those big computer desks and it was a PAIN to have to change things or plug things in. What about spaces for the computer speakers (if you have peripheral speakers.) Do you plug your headphones directly into the computer or do you plug them into the speakers? Is the plug easy to get to? I have to unplug my headphones and put them away every night or else they'll get gnawed on, so ease of plugging them in is important to me.
When it is delivered, will they put it together for you either for free or an extra cost?
I am a HUGE fan of online shopping, but I have to say that this is probably one thing that I would not buy online. For something this large I would want to be able to see it and sit at it to see if it really works for my needs.
Happy shopping!
I have a desk for that
It is called an AirDesk. I use it in my recliner when my back is bothering me and I can't sit up straight at my desk. Google it and take a look at it. It was a little pricey, but it was well worth it to me. They make a version for laptops and a version for a regular sized desktop PC, which is the one I have.
They chain U to ur desk!
I have them at my desk but no, I don't bring anything
to the living room to work. I've been on my same accounts with each company I work for since I started with them and I know the dictators extremely well.
I have an advantage with Spheris that I don't with MQ in that I can look up past reports by any criteria - by dictator, by patient, etc., to find anything that is a pattern.
The only book I occasionally reference is Tessier's The Surgical Word Book. Other than that, I have many online refences provided by both companies that they specifically want me to use.
I've done this over 20 years and I'm very fortunate -- I just don't have to look many things up anymore. When I do, it is usually a new product - instrument, drug, procedure, treatment, etc. Yesterday, I had to look up "Fansler speculum", which I had never had before. Probably refer to that book maybe 2-3 times a week. Spheris always sends me a new updated word list that includes newest information about every month. MTDesk has some really good references.
I have well over 70 websites that are "favorites" for reference.
When I travel and want to work, I only take The Surgical Word Book with me.
But everyone had ash trays on their desk :)
The cafeteria was a blue haze of cigarette smoke too even though the smokers could smoke at their desks.
The nonsmokers had to go outside to breathe during lunch instead of the smokers going out to smoke.
Now THAT is a change for the better.
My DH was putting together my new desk and he had
gotten to the deep drawer where files go. He put the frame of the drawer together without putting the bottom of the drawer on. Fortunately I happened to walking through the room at this point and told him he has to put the bottom in the grooves on one side before he can finishing putting the drawer together. He tells me that the directions don't say anything about that. I told him common sense dictates that you have to put the bottom before you put the second side on. Poor man. He is very bright, but has zilch common sense. I'm not very book smart, but have been blessed with my share of common sense and then some, so I guess we made a good couple - LOL.
I believe MT Desk has samples.
xx
height of desk
But aren't most hotel desks sort of high? That is what I was wondering. It does seem like a convenient options. My husband travels a lot, and once the kids are both in college, I would like to start going with him some. 
MT Desk clan? More like...
...be prepared to do your own searching for the answers.
MT Desk participants will offer you thinking and researching ideas, but they will not toss you the answers as easily as it is done here or other MT sites. It is managed very differently than other MT sites and the participants adhere to the "teach them to fish" rule.
MTs, especially those of us that work at home, should be able to be self-reliant in this field and possess decent researching skills.
As you've all just experienced last week, what happens in the future if both MTStars.com/net just *poof* from web again? Who will give you the answers, when you are so used to having someone else do the researching for you?
Surely there's been exchanging of harsh words now and again, but I've seen the same thing happen here on this site and others. Major difference is, on THIS site, you can't tell who is making the comments, because on this site, you can hide who you are by changing your name for each post you make, whereas on MTDesk, each person has 1 identity for every post they make. So yes, on MT Desk you WILL see the same folks replying on 'hot' topics as they do not have as much flexibility to name change between posts as is so easily done here.
Clan? I think not. I see it as a group of folks helping other MTs hone their researching and thinking skills, helping you to hopefully become a self-reliant MT.
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with MT Desk.
LOL- What does an "organized desk" mean????
x
desk wireless
My desktop is wireless and connected by a router to the modem downstairs in our house. The wireless network is passworded. People can steal from unsecured wireless networks, but a good hacker can probably steal from any network.
I got rid of my HUGE desk...sm
i use a 20 inch widescreen laptop and i just ordered a very small rolling desk. i use wireless keyboard, mouse, and headphones. that way, I can roll my office outdoors when the weather is nice or in my bedroom or any place I will be comfortable as I suffer from chronic back problems.
I have an armoire desk
I love my armoire desk when I am done with work....It closes up so I don't have to look at work at night or on weekends when I don't have to work. My old desk was all open and every time I would walk past, I would get a guilty feeling because I was not working.
Also, when company is over, they don't have to look at all my sticky notes. On the inside of the doors, I stuck some corkboard on them so that I can tack up all kind of notes and a calander, things that I use often.
The only drawback is it does feel a little cramped when sitting there for more than 8 hours, and my books are on a shelf up a little high, so I have quite a stretch to reach them.
Overall, I love it. Hope you find one that works for you.
Keyboard, lap desk, etc.
How have you got everything else set up? I am assuming you are not using the laptop keyboard... I can't do that. I have to have a real keyboard. Have you found a lap desk, or how are you situated that makes it possible to work in bed? I have fibromyalgia.... on flare days, I sure could use the comfort. Thanks for the tip about the foot pedal!
laptop vs desk top
Mercedes -- not sure how others do it, but I have both a desk top and a laptop. I started on my desk top and moved to a laptop, as I make frequent trips to the Chicago area and could take my work with me. I use a zip drive for some of the lesser used materials, so as to cut down on my files on the laptop and basically use my desk top as a backup and where I house my invoices, etc. Just thought this might help. It has worked for me for almost two years.
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