I am a single mom and have this fear every day
Posted By: your situation on 2009-03-02
In Reply to: I think you'd be wasting your time and energy and - money. sm
But, because I have to pay the bills, I cannot sit around. So I work 2 full-time jobs. I am eying my employee job carefully, b/c if it ever slows to the point where I cannot make rent, I will work 3 jobs and then let the 1 go which is faltering. Unfortuantely, I have been through what is happening to you but I was in a marriage. When I had to go out on my own, I realized how a person has to be secure in a job for all kinds of reasons, not just bills but self-esteem. I cannot tell you what to do nor is it my place to do so, I can only tell you where I have been and where I am now. Even if I had the ability to sit around and wait for work, I would not do it. I would first communicate and ask for full-time work. If no response I'd get a second or third job and do all until the time comes where I can judge which is the most consistent to pay bills. This is even if I did not have much sleep and raising a child alone. I am doing this now, and it is difficult, but I would rather lose sleep with a roof over my head and a good self-esteem, than sit and wait for work and let it eat on my bills and my confidence.
Sorry for the long note. Hope it helps. Good luck to you whatever you decide. PS: Listen to your heart.
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Fear of change is worse than fear of not being able to pay your bills? nm
:)
Fear Factor is a like being an MT.
zz
Never fear, Sandy, because....
your little "problem" meeting TAT is quickly becoming solved with too much overstaffing, etc. among companies. This appears to be just YOUR problem. I would find it extremely hard to believe that an MT would deliberately try to undermine you by not working her committed work schedule. Goodness, all of this "craziness" because of one innocent question by Julia.
Has anyone been following Psycho Fear Factor?
I don't think the Bates Hotel looks all that bad - in fact it looks a lot like MY house! So far I think the worst torture was having that newly divorced couple sleep in the same bed! I guess they signed up for the show B4 they knew divorce wuz pending, LOL. 
Wow, let's see, I remember when we could play outside without fear SM
and stayed outside and played from morning until night (we only came home for supper)...
When you could be a blue-collar worker and expect to make a living wage, and keep the same job all your adult life...
When going to the movies for 50 cents and sitting in the balcony was fun...
When you could say something without fear of offending someone and getting sued...
Ah, I remember...
I fear what the future holds too...
Those three beautiful souls growing up thinking this is the normal way to live. Call your family today and start planning to leave this creep. It won't be the easiest thing you've ever done, but it will be the smartest.
Not to discount your fear right now, but didn't her doc
advise her that the risks involved with surgery would include perforation of organs, and other complications, including death. Medicine is unfortunately an inexact science, and doctors are, after all, only human. May not be a clear cut case of malpractice, may "merely" be an unfortunate complication.
I've seen many people rush into a lawsuit, only to have their lives and money consumed by them, to find out they don't understand legal concept of malpractice and even if malpractice, if the insurance company has a better lawyer, you can lose anyway.
For now, I would focus my energy on praying rather than suing...
Saying you have to be "professional" to not fear about loss of a job
means all the people sending in posts about outsourcing, losing their jobs, worried about the possibility of such, are nonprofessional. I think this reaches a lot more MTs than just the "nonprofessionals." I hear their fears and know what it is, have been there before. I appreciate the post on my behalf and hope anger management is on hand for those who apparently cannot handle it. My goodness, just think about the season if nothing else...
I fear you tried the company out of Chicago?
nm
Forgot to mention - kids need fear of someone or something sm
that is my job as a mom, to make them fear authority and always try to do the right thing! I don't care how big they are, and my one son is 6'3" tall and weighs 250 lbs, I will still kick his ass and he knows it!
don't cheat yourself out a really good experience just because of fear...sm
I went to Africa in January to volunteer in a medical clinic for 18 days. Talk about leaving your comfort zone. There were two nights in particular where I really, really, really wished I wasn't there. But turned out to be a profoundly life changing experience. The word is "feel the fear but do it anyway."
No, that's next week's Psycho MT Fear Factor.
With FranQ substituting 4 Joe Rogan.
Not old but........Primal Fear! Excellent movie.
x
Complacency and fear of rocking the boat is a big
Totally not MT related, but where is the new season of Fear Factor on NBC? nm
I don't watch fear factor. They abuse animals. I also have better
stuff to do with my time then watch someone eat pig intestines.
I'm with your son, although my faves are SF Rockstar and SF Sobe No Fear. VROOOM ... lol nm
My biggest fear of doing my own file or someone else I knew doing it would be to hear
the dreaded words "obese female" and "looks older than stated age!" UGH!!!!
I find they give the best, meticulous pt care by far. Why do you fear?
x
Their control obviously isn't putting fear in those that abuse the information though. nm
nm
Fear of change. Kinda like I am when I am faced with learning a new acct.
dd
I wanted to learn it, but I fear the learning curve would be impossible. sm
 since I can't take any time off from the qwerty keyboard. How did you make the conversion?
No social life. I now have a fear going out in public! Working from home for 8 years now will do t
nm
I am a single mom
of 2 beautiful girls, 10 and 8. I support myself. I do not make my ex pay child support and he sees his children whenever he wants. It is possible to be a single mother in this world and not be bitter and angry. I have it better than most divorced single parents, but I have worked hard to get it this way. I guess my point is that whatever the situation, it can be changed to achieve the desired outcome. Everything takes time, love, and a lot of hard work, and being 30 years old and having gotten where I am today, I am quite proud to be a single mom.
Just a PS - and I'm single
no kids, never married. You all should start with the AAMT, which from what I can see, is nothing but a huge joke.
single mom
I raised 2 kids, boy and girl on my own. Something you might want to think about is sharing babysitting services. If you only type in the evening, possibly you would keep someones children during the day (save them money) and then they could keep your children in the evenings so you could work (or vice versa). There are ways around the childcare issue. You just have to use your imagination. If you are part of a church and your church has a church bulletin board, advertise through your church for "adoptive grandparents", an older woman or couple that need the interaction and would be willing to help you out and in turn you could possible cook dinner them them during the week or even clean their house, etc. The barter system is a great tool that people forget about.
Not OP, but every single job I have had
I needed to be trained for multiple reasons. Are you an MT? I doubt it because all MTs know you need training for the company's software, acct specs, how they do things in general. It does not matter how much exp a person has, you will always need to be trained on a new job regardless.
35F/single/1 13 yo son
nm
32/F/single..
no kids!
single
i raised by daughter all by meself (she is now 22)doing medical transcription. even with an infant it works for you really well. you child will adapt and entertain themself, but you can take breaks all the time and spend time with them. i thought it was the perfect situation, but i would suggest working during the day.
unfortunately, i went for a second marriage and that didn't work either and i was separated when she was 10 months so i'm doing all over again, but you can make this work really well for you.
i now have my own business and call all the shots working for eight doctors and I get to spend so much time with my daughter.
i love it.
keep working hard
single mom MT
Let me say first I have been in your shoes. I am still a single mom and still an MT. IT's been a struggle. When I divorced my boys were 9 months and 5 years. I made the same decision as you are to saty at home and work. I did eventually get daycare for my younger child when my older son started 1st grade and this helped to have 6 hours uninterrupted. The daycare costs can be covered by assitance. I know you don't want to go on government support - but sometimes we have to bite the bullet. They will help you with medical insurance and food etc. It doesn't have to be forever -- just while you are learning the ropes at work as an MT and gaining speed. Theh childcare I got was in my own neighborhood - a license daycare provider. I didn't want to use a center as I like the smaller home environment. I used to run a family daycare myself when I was married. I asked for a listing from Welfare office of licensed providers and there were 3 or 4 in my smaller city -- one only 5 blocks away. My older son eventually went there after shool - she picked him up.. so I could work a full 8 hour shift. We did this until my younger son was ready to go to school. Now I just work while they are in school. They are 15 and 10. I also work in the evening after dinner if needed after homework and they are older and know it's Mom's work time. It can be done. It's a challenge still for me because my 10 yo has a mild form of autism and on days that there is no school etc it can be a challenge. Then, I try to get a grandparent or Dad to take him for a few hours. I work as an IC now to have flexible hours....
WRONG! A child that has a fear of discipline = a well behaved child.
I have a beautiful, intelligent 11 year old daughter that hasn't had a spanking in 6 or 7 years and probably only 3 her entire life. She is very well behaved and I get compliments on her behavior constantly. When she does get out of line all I have to say is, "Shall I call your father?" Call it what you want, it works. She respects and obeys me and her father. Why??? For fear of the facing the consequences of misbehaving. Having a total lack of fear or respect for authority is exactly what's wrong with Generation X/kids today. I turned out just fine as did my siblings. Why?? Because my parents took "time out" to bust our a$$es whenever we got out of line.
Is that clear enough for you???
My take on single moms
This is not meant to start any arguing between anyone. This is just my outlook. I was raised by a single mom. Through no choice of her own, my father decided to end their marriage to be with another woman. I was 5 when we were kicked out of the only home we ever knew with nowhere to go. We had to live with some friends of hers for 3 months while she saved up money to get us a place to live. She was a nurse and worked her butt off 7 nights a week, working 60 to 70 hours a week to put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. She went without, didnt ever have nice clothes, didnt have a social life, was the sole supporter and had to be a mom and a dad to me. She was everything to me and what she sacrificed for me she did willingly and lovingly. She gave up everything for herself so that I could have a bright future.
I saw what my mom went through as a single mom. There was no support there when the pipes broke, the car wouldnt start and she couldnt get to work, if her child was ill, if she were ill. There was no second income, nobody to lean on.
Through all her struggles raising me, she never was bitter and never complained about being a single mom. But I feel that any single mother out there trying to raise children to be all they can, at the same time solely supporting the family should be regarded with a little respect. Look how hard it is in this day to make it even as a married couple with kids. It is hard.
If you havent walked down that road, you will never imagine how hard it is. I think some compassion is due to that lady and her children. Maybe not just because she is a single mom, but because at some point in our own walk, we may need some compassion sometime ourselves.
single mom homeowner
Got my home through USDA Rural Housing, no down, just needed good credit. They adjust my payments according to my income. Eight years ago when I bought it, I was making minimum wage.
I identify with every single
Very good and clear description of what will happen at this company.
I believe they are taking the bottom of the barrel of hospitals out there and
not putting any restrictions or caveats on the work - instead making the MT
"eat" the loss and MQ is playing the odds.
But if all you get is bad dictators - you will not survive. Probably the reason the
hospital had to outsource IN THE FIRST PLACE - is because of the doctors.
What I've never understood is WHY CAN'T THE HOSPITAL DEMAND
APPROPRIATE AND DISTINCT DICTATION.......IT IS TO THEIR LEGAL AND
MONETARY BENEFIT.
I mean they require appropriate credentials, and timely dictation of reports - just because we are mostly women "typing" is that the reason no consideration has been given to what has been thrown at "transcription"? I have wondered. I know you say "transcription" in a medical staff meeting and the eyes of administrators go DARK and they nearly throw up in your face. The hospital just WANTS IT DONE AND DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING MORE ABOUT HOW IT GOT DONE.
Well, it would be simple if they also spot checked physician's dictation
as part of Quality Assurance and if they were not doing it right - in English - with
English structure sentences - they were kicked off staff just as when they don't
do their charts timely.
simple 
Yes, I'm a single person - sm
Two people could not fit in this cottage it is so small. The $1,100 mortgage alone I could not do without working for 2-3 companies consistently. And pay a car payment or take a trip on top of that? Or pay for medical insurance? Forget it, it's not in the budget. If I have a slow week my finances are in ruin. 
Thank you everyone for your replies!
Yes, being single over age 30 is sinful...
according to David, so I'm WAY out there dangling on the cliff! The odd thing is - he just got divorced from someone 20 years older than him - isn't divorce a sin? Somehow he has neglected to mention THAT little detail about HIS life. Hmm...perhaps I shall use THAT against him, lol. Well, as my Mom would say - I'm going for the grandchildren!
PS: Can y'all go with me and my other sisters?
Any single moms out there?
Hi all. I'm hoping there are a few single moms out there who can give me some advice. I have two children, ages 15 and 11.
Background: I divorced my husband in June. Everything was going well financially until I lost my Independent Contractor position unexpectedly in October. I could not find any work for a month and had no savings.
Now, I come to find out my ex will be dropping all medical coverage this spring. He will be self-employed at that time and have no access to insurance.
AS OF THIS SPRING, my financial status looks bleak. I have no savings, no retirement, no medical insurance and no life insurance. I'm totally lost here.
I have a few options: I could stay self-employed and buy all of my insurance, etc. I could work when I wanted and be home with my kids, attend their school functions, and so on.
I could get a full-time MT job in an office with full benefits, etc. However, my kids will be alone on vacations and in the summer. They may need to forego some school functions and may need to stay at home alone when they are sick.
I've been self-employed now for almost 8 years and the kids and I are very used to it. I hate to give it up, but, I do need to do what I have to.
Any advice?
I have my DH claim 0 and single, but we also have
extra $$ taken out of his check. We have been hit with a penalty of under $60.00 the past 2 years for not having enough taken out for state though. Hopefully this year we have taken out enough.
29/F single mom to a 7-year-old boy. nm
If you are looking for single coverage, you
S/B able to get something reasonable. If you're looking for family coverage it is doubtful you would find anything under $350.00/mo. You might want to look into medical savings accounts. You have to qualify for these and I'm not sure what the criteria is, but Google it. If you are a non-smoker and have no pre-existing medical issues, aren't grossly overweight, and not planning a baby anytime soon, you might want to look at getting mainly a major medical plan that would cover you in event of hospitalization or something catastrophic, and just pay routine care out of pocket.
We currently have insurance through DH job, but when I was looking for independent coverage Celtic had the cheapest and then Medcost was the next cheapest. I called several agencies and they all quoted me on Medcost, but the premiums varied as much as $200.00/mo. BCBS has something caled Blue Advantage that you might want to look at. I hate BCBS because they are such a pain to deal with and deny a large percentage of claims, but it might be an option.
Every single weekend here...NM
XX
Any single moms?
I am curious, any of you gals a single mom? I am single and I also home-school my daughter and I am just curious how everyone schedules their days. I have been doing this for a while now but am always curious as to how other singles get it done. Thanks!
SINGLE MOMS
Oh yes - I have five children, however, they go off to school every morning - that is really the only way to get the bulk of my work done (although have been doing for 17 years at home). When they were younger did most of my work at night while they slept. It is not easy, as we all know "a woman's job is never done"........
Single homeschooler
You are not alone!  I am a single mom, have been homeschooling my 12yo daughter since birth, and have been an MT for 6 years. In fact, I chose MT so I could work and still homeschool. Do you have a set schedule you work? What is/are the age(s) of your child/children? (Boy, that was an awkward sentence!) My daughter is pretty self-sufficient so I mainly just oversee her schoolwork. I work for an MTSO (2 docs but not a lot of work from either one) and 3 docs I got on my own. I don't have a set schedule, which is both a blessing and not so good! I am never off work! How about you?
I happens every single time that someone sm
post that they are able to make a decent living doing MT, earning 50K a year. Those who cannot even imagine doing it doubt it. These are the people who obviously do not belong in the field, cannot pull anywhere near ever 200 lph. I could care less whether you believe it or not. I care about my life, my job, my direct deposits, my tax returns. I haven't done 40 hours a week in years, but I will still top out at about 52K this year. I am in no way chained to my keyboard. I do not, and never would, run around hustling up accounts, dealing with office managers, or any of that bullshit. I prefer to let my company hustle the accounts, do a good job for them, and be paid accordingly, with full benefits.
The ones who claim to make a lot by having their own accounts are only naming gross income. They pay a lot out of that in taxes, and to subcontractors, and probably really actualize about 35K. Mine is pure profit, all take home.
It has held true for a long time: If you cannot hack it in this business, then get a babysittter, buy some new clothes, and go get a job out in that great world. I love it where I am.
Working Single Mom
I was a single, full-time working mom for almost 20 years with 2 sons who are now 26 and 23.
What I had to do was learn to let go of some of the expectations I had for myself, and delegate a little more of the household duties to my boys. So, they microwaved their own meals on weekdays and I cooked meals on my days off. They took over doing the laundry and I folded it once it was out of the dryer. They swept or vacuumed the floors and I mopped- that kind of stuff. They both resisted all of these changes, but I stuck to my guns. Eventually, I was able to have more stress-free time for them AND myself, and they were able to see that it takes ALL the members of a family to create a home- not just Mom.
When you say many MTs are single earners
in their homes, what difference at all does that make? Is that to make an exception for someone who is single versus someone married that the single one deserves more? I think the statement of being single not warranted, makes not 1 bit of difference to me.
I wasn't trying to single Deb out...sm
She is actually the only one who said she had her own account. However, I did get this impression from the others that posted their line rates, which is why I was sure to put "you all" in there. For some reason, it never dawned on me that the MTs that posted line rates at 12 cpl and up owned their accounts. Seriously though, it would have saved a lot of posting! LOL I almost hate to ask if I'm the only one that didn't realize that. Sometimes I scare myself.
I proof every single one to voice
I've been an editor and proofreader for a lot longer than I've been a medical transcriptionist. I am well aware that the mind can see what it expects to see rather than what is actually on the screen or page. I proof every single one of my reports to voice, and knowing the mistakes I've caught in my own reports, I wouldn't do it any other way. Even with proofing, I average well over 200 lph, and my two most recent QA scores were 100%.
Well, if its about the post below where the single mom got shafted on a job,
yes, its a darn shame. Horrible thing to happen. But, she is a single mom and all the more reason NEXT time to be darn sure that doesn't happen again. Something must have gone wrong with the typing part of the test - I think I read that? yes, they said she didn't pass the test, so while the whole thing is a huge mess and a huge shame, the company also shouldn't be obligated to hire her just because she's a single mom. Though I don't think the original poster was saying that either - it just got twisted into that by some of our usual sweeties! And as has been said, on the bright side, the company sounds like a screwed-up mess, so she is better off. Praying she gets her old job back. I've gone back with my tail between my legs MANY a time...I'm sure lots of us have, right?
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