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I am in a similar situation.

Posted By: MT on 2005-07-07
In Reply to: desperately need help - dls

I, along with several other employees, have filed a claim in magistrate court.  The company, which was a corporation, has now closed its offices, and are denying that they owe us our last paycheck.  We are going to court to fight it, but I am not sure what we will be able to do.  The labor board told us that since it was a corporation, and since it is now closed, that they cannot help us. 




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I had a similar situation at one job.
I was hired with a college degree to do customer service. They hired a guy without a degree to be a representative. I gave my notice because he was sexually harassing me, and they were only paying me $1,300 a month to raise my family of four on with no child support, welfare or social security. They gave me a nice raise of $500 a month plus bonuses, but they promoted him to be manager of another store. Shortly after I finally quit them, he got fired big time and they had to hush-hush everything. He was harassing other female employees, had his drug dealer show up at the store demanding money, and even got his wages garnished for child support on his girlfriend even though he was married to someone else. But hey, ethical and qualified women weren't even given a chance at the job. I've always wondered why I could never get ahead in the business world. I don't know if it's my gender or because I'm too nice and do the right thing.
In a VERY similar situation...
I am actually going apartment hunting soon and telling my husband I am leaving. I am going to tell him we can do counseling, but that is up to him. Right now, I cannot live with him, whether we work it out or not. I really don't think we will be able to work it out because in my heart I really don't love him, I care about him, but don't love him.

We have a 3-year-old daughter and she is the highlight of both our days. I am not truly concerned about this affecting her because he will be very close by and will be able to take her whenever he wants. I know he will be good about that.

I cannot tell you to go one way or another, but with my situation, I am truly unhappy and have been for quite some time. The issues we have today are issues we had when we married. They aren't getting resolved and are not going to go away. I am 29 and have my whole life ahead of me. I'd rather spend that time with somebody who will respect me, listen to me, and make me feel safe and secure. Whenever I am upset and could use a hug, my husband looks at me like a dog. At least a dog will lick my face to make me feel better.

Give yourself a period of time to see how things go. If they are not better by then, you need to move on for you and your child.

I wish you well. You deserve better.
I went through a similar situation.

I had worked for this one particular doc for 6 years.  I was very dependable, work was always returned on time.  I never missed a day.  I vacationed when he did.  Then one day I went to pick up my tape and his wife called me in her office to give me my check.  As she was writing out the check, she told me that "tomorrow we are going to start something new".  He was going to be trying some new digital dictation system.  I had no clue whatsoever that was coming.  I learnt the hard way, keep business as business.  I had developed a relationship with the office staff, the doc and his wife, which made the fall even harder.  I will never do that again.   Now with my other clients, I make sure it is on a business level only.


Sorry for your experience. 


Similar situation
I know what you mean. I have the same problem with arthritic fingers. I have so many keyboards trying to find the right one. I am still looking. Years ago Compaq made light touch keyboards, now they are all made the same as other keyboards.. One job, we didn't have assigned desks and everybody would look for those keyboards at work. I saw one at office max but you have to buy the computer with it. Also, thinking of purchasing the flexible keyboard like another poster suggested. You might want to try mini keyboards with flat keys. I use a laptop for that reason. The keys are easier but the laptop is uncomfortable in other ways. Today is an extremely painful day, and the fingers still hurt to type even this small paragraph, so sometimes it just doesn't matter about the keyboard. Another suggestion is to invest in voice recognition software, then just re-dictate the reports to save your fingers. I have that also for painful days, otherwise an Expander is just as fast.

regards,
me

I had a similar situation...sm

If it still feels like it's stuck then drinking liquids will help it move on down.  You may have scratched your throat when it got stuck. 


When I had a similar event happen to me several years ago, home alone, I slammed by back into the wall hard while waiting for the 911 operator to figure out that I couldn't talk and needed help (they're asking "are you ok and can you speak" doesn't do any good if you can't talk!)  After 2 whacks into the wall the stuck food dislodged and I was able to tell them that I was finally fine and to cancel rescue.   Sure scared me!!!


Similar situation to yours
My daughter was a patient at an oral surgeon's office. I asked the doctor who did their transcription. That was 13 years ago and I have been doing it ever since. They asked me what I wanted for an hourly rate. Luckily for me, I am considered an employee. I am on their payroll, they do my taxes, and I get benefits, including annual raises.

The office manager is my contact person. I do my work over the internet, so no pick up or drop off. I am the only Transcriptionist for the practice.

I have no TAT. I usually get it back to them the next day, but if I don't no one says anything to me. Then, again, when I return from vacation and days off, I have to catch up the typing from those days.

Good luck to you in your new venture!
Similar situation
Similar situation in my family.  My brother works a full-time job for the government, a part-time job on Saturdays and Sundays for a tourist attraction in the area, and then he does every odd job he can after his regular hours on Monday-Friday while my dear sis-in-law sits on her behind (which is getting bigger every day) when she isn't out buying $400 purses and $300 pairs of shoes.  This woman has a teaching degree, but it seems she was only focused on getting her MRS degree because she has never taught a day in her life.  They eat out every night of the week because she doesn't cook at all (and know you know why his total cholesterol is 800+ and triglyerides are 1500+ in spite of medication).  I don't know what she is going to do when my brother kills over dead from working himself so much that he can't take care of himself.  Not only that, he has to ask her for spending money.  He is as much to blame as she is for not putting his foot down, but it is hard to sit back and see that going on.  I don't understand why some people can't realize the rewards in doing something for themselves.
similar situation
My husband is just lazy period. He has no disabilities. He just has no respect for my work, even though MY income pays the majority of the bills.

I finally resorted to taping hanging a poster board on the back of my chair that says, "QUIET PLEASE. I AM WORKING." Then underneath it in smaller but still highly visible letters "If you can't find it, can't reach it, don't know where it is - you DON'T need it."

The kids were much easier to train than the husband. Occasionally I have to point to the sign. DUH!

similar situation
AMEN sister!

My husband had a three day weekend because of Easter and what do you think he did ALL day EVERY SINGLE day? He laid in bed and watched television, slept, and did absolutely NOTHING else.

I worked Saturday AND Sunday on my days off because the accounts needed extra help. I also made dinner both days, cleaned the living room, did 12 loads of laundry since nobody else can seem to figure out how to do laundry, even after showing them all numerous times.

I also had to do all of the dishes, dusted, and then HE has the !alls to come out yesterday evening while I was finally able to sit down and relax for a bit and ask me what was for dinner.

I made dinner for the kids and then the dogs got the what was left over. He got nothing!
I've been going thru similar situation for the last
3 years. Don't be too sure that the person does NOT want to be found. Nobody is that stupid, especially after this amount of time. My person ended up being a criminal - in and out of jail, and still lives in my township. Her car is still registered at my address with motor vehicle - police come by regularly for one reason or another as her kids are criminals as well. I still get all her mail, all her bills - now obviously in collections, etc. I have been to the Postmaster, filed formal complaints with the state head post office - Newark, NJ in my case, and even gone to the police for their help. I DO NOT WANT this person's mail. Same as you - I get nowhere. I either throw it out or leave it in box with a note on it. I also have "accidentally" opened up some mail and called the collectors to tell them wrong address. It is NOT against the law as long as it is accidental - believe me, I've checked with the PO and a lawyer and police - as long as I give no details about her. Just that this address is not valid. It may seem silly to other's reading, but it is a very frustrating situation to live with. I feel your pain!
Similar situation, my take on things.
I have a a circle of friends where I cannot abide by one of the people who is affiliated with the group. Personal reasons, but significant ones. In the same situation, though I'd love you, I'd not want to see anything that belonged to me or mine on "her." You need to respect that, and you need to make the choice whether to keep clothes for you and not pass them on, or not take them at all. It's not easy.
My niece was involved in a similar situation..sm
This man, my father-in-law, her grandfather recently grabbed her breast and butt and tried to kiss her. We all thought he was a saint and could do no wrong. I find it hard to believe that your stepfather just started this behavior. He may have done things like this before. I told my niece to tell her grandmother. It did not go over well but in the end, she believed her granddaughter. She chose to stay with this jerk, but she also still has a relationship with her granddaughter. The granddaughter does not go over there anymore but grandma goes to see her. We've warned other family members to stay away. Later, it came out that he fondled his stepdaughter when she was 14. We have also found pictures of a neighbor in her bikini on his computer. My niece was 25 when this happened. The incident with the stepdaughter was 25 years ago. That's why you should be very careful about your stepfather. I would just tell your mother and stay away from your stepfather. Don't be afraid of the person with the big mouth. This shouldn't be kept a secret. Tell everyone. My husband's family wants to hide this from everyone because they'll think badly of the grandfather. Too bad for him. I've told everyone who will listen. He at least admitted to it. I think everyone who comes in contact with him should be aware that he's a pervert. I wouldn't even talk to the stepfather. Just stay away from him. Good luck in what ever you choose.
in similar situation and am buying her out for the account
I am in a similar situation but have a very strong noncompete clause. I took over the account, and we are negotiating a price for the takeover. She promises she will be fair. I consider the money as paying for a business consultant, as I still can learn a lot from her and borrow her transcriptionists for overflow. This makes everybody happy-the client, the service owner, and helps me. It also keeps my integrity, as I did not "steal the account."
I agree. Just thought someone might have been similar situation before. nm
:+
I was in a similar situation a few years ago, I got divorced. nm
xxxx
I totally agree and had a similar situation.
.
I had a similar situation last year I "adopted" my dad's dog - sm
when he remarried. His dog, a beautiful male husky, and my dog, a choc. lab, got along already but wrestled a lot, could look pretty nasty but they were rough playing, at least when I visited up in PA they did this. Down at my house in VA, during a visit they did not "fight" so much. We also had a 15-y/o schipperke at the time (has since put her to sleep). The husky has become a bit more aggressive, which is unusual for the breed, but only towards other dogs. He is fine with our lab though. The two of them would gang up sometimes on the schipperke but she was a fiesty dog and could take care of herself even though she was a 1/4 of the size of the other dogs. They eat in the same room though on opposite sides, they have fought over treats, bones, so I try to be careful and aware. The husky used to be a super picky eater and now eats well with no fussiness anymore since he has competition. I am glad we have never had any major problems (the husky does want to eat the cat and almost did, luckily I was right there and got the cat out of his mouth before damage could be done). Your dog is probably just trying to show who is the boss. Dogs had a pack order, and top dog is the boss. I suspect your dog is trying to establish that. They can get pretty nasty with each other in establishing their pecking order. We have had 3 dogs usually most of the time over the past 10 years, and it is interesting to watch the dogs around the one "in charge". We had 2 schipperkees originally, and the older one was the boss, then we got a husky (who has since died) and she put that dog in its place and the husky was actually scared of the sckipperke, even though the husky was 2-3 x the size of the other dog. If she does not get better, you will probably have to separate them, no fun for your dog, but if she can't not be aggressive towards them she should not get near them. We gate the dogs in the dining room/utility room (joined together) at night so the husky can't eat the cat, and when they are in the house we make sure that the cat is in a safe place so she doesn't get killed by the husky. (the lab and the cat are fine together, the lab will actually bathe the cat, funny to watch). It makes like interesting, of course it would be better if they would all get along but they are animals and following their instincts. Good luck.
You can also visit the new forum WAHM for folks in a similar situation, too. nm
nm
LOL I did something similar.
I used a desktop timeclock and stopped it every time I got interrupted or distracted.  I'm very productive when I get up first thing in the morning and type before everyone else gets up.  I've also learned to shut the computer down completely when I'm done working for the day and go do something else entirely.  Unfortunately, I've been sitting here waiting for work for three days now.
Does anyone know of something similar
I cannot get my foot pedal to work with this program.
I think the 2 are actually very similar -sm-
...at least that is what I've heard. I, too, use WP. It looks like most nationals and online companies use Word. My current supervisor mentioned to me recently that the two platforms were very much alike - maybe try setting the tabs to specific points just like we do now in WP and see if that works? At least until someone who does work with Word posts... lol
Wish I could be more help.
Another one similar
Used to work at a hospital where you had to manually input the patient's names.  The doctor said the name, it was extremely foreign and sounded like it had about 20 syllables and then without missing a beat he said "and it's spelled just like it sounds."  I groaned out loud and then the doc said laughed and said "oh, just kidding you know!" and he then spelled it very clearly.  It made me feel like this doctor actually realized there was a human on the other end of the line.....better than the doctor at the same hospital that used to dictate while shaving his beard with an electric razor!!  Using the urinal while dictating or flushing is my other favorite.
Yes, it is similar sm
IT has your ST converted expansions on the left (if you set it that way) and what would be the list you see at the bottom of your ST in Word on the right. Unlike ST, the line does not travel, however.

If you have both programs and want to learn more about IT, feel free to contact me. I have about enough mastery to help convert an ST glossary to IT and I have set my IT about as close to ST as I can. I have not had the time to completely figure out the "singles" glossary needed to run concurrently so I can use single letter shortcuts, but I have been told how to do this.

If you are an ST user no other program will ever be quite as fast for you, but IT is the closest I have found. I am not that much slower and I have been playing with IT for a whole week...

I would tell you not to worry too much about converting over truly. I am adding lots more expansions that are similar to the singles and/or the just start typing see it in the line and use it stuff. I use 2 x 3, 3 x 2, 2 x 2 and 1 + 1 + 1 codes with extra tags for s, ing, ed, ly ending etc. The good news is that with 26 letters in the alphabet and an astronomical number of possible combinations, I don't think it likely I will run out of possibilities. Also, ST limits the length of your expansions, IT does not. Given that you can add full strings of text, full sentences, etc. the speed has the potential to come up dramatically. I would not use IT to make and use normals, I prefer to create Word or WordPerfect documents, I know you could use it for this purpose too.

As I have said, it is really all about the glossary. However, I'd prefer the way ST operates.
Oh so similar! sm

Different kind of work but the similarities are striking.  When I did speak up, I was basically told I should think about taking a hike.  In my case, something wonderful has come along that is taking me in a different direction.  I will continue to do this work either full or part time in addition to that but with an employer that I know and trust.   


I don't know the answer except find a good, fair boss/company or pray for something to come into your life to change things up.  It is very sad for the good ones of us.  I guess you could job hop and be the newbie all the time and get the good work.    Just kidding (sort of).   


I just went through something similar- sm
the lady doing an old account of mine just disappeared one day, so I got to clean up the mess she left, just finished it up last night finally, had about 200 minute to wade through on top of my usual work. I compared voice files to the work she had turned in to figure out what dates she had done what work. They should have provided you with her last couple of weeks of work so you could have avoided the duplication. Hard to say what to do, I would not be happy about eating it but it is probably the thing to do, but make it clear to them that if they give you any more work in the future that ends up being duplicates that you will have to charge them. If they want to avoid that they should provide her previous month's work to you so you can check it to make sure there are no duplicates.
I have done something similar
I had read that when trying to concentrate on a task/project, that you can get more done with 90 minutes of undisturbed effort and a short break.

It always takes me a good 15 minutes to get into my zone where I am at my fastest. If I keep interrupting myself then I never get there and the line count suffers.

To the posters who can't do the 410 (neither can I!), still over time the rate will get faster and faster.

Thanks for posting this simple but effective idea to edge up our $-per-hour just a little bit. It all helps!
Saw something similar last week (sm)
but it was a dog in one of those umbrella strollers.  Seemed quite content actually.  I gathered from the graying muzzle that walking probably would have worn her out before they got around the corner.
ROFL! I tried something similar.
I told my boys that they'd have to hug each other, apologize and tell each other three nice things if they were mean to each other.  They're such twerps that it didn't work.  They'd bearhug each other as hard as they could, sneer sorry, and say something like, "Your breath no longer smells like a camel's backside."  I give up.
Similar experience
Yes, I just had a similar experience like that. Funny thing, I thought the recruiter should have been a little nicer to me, unless he figured out quickly that he didn't need me. Had to sit and listen to him on his soap box for 15 minutes.
Another similar experience
I talked to a gal (not actually a recruiter, but one who runs a MT placement service) who had the same condescending attitude. She talked incessantly about her outstanding credentials, incredible experience and MT ability. I realized 2 minutes into the conversation that I did not want to do business with her. Then I pointed out she had misspelled some words on her website. I never heard from her again. LOL
I had a similar circumstance.

After my knee replacement I developed an infected seroma. The wound had been draining for several weeks and then one night I spiked a temp of 103 and had severe chills. I ended up in the hospital and had to had the wound incised and drained (7 weeks after my knee replacement). I was in the hospital for five days on IV antibiotics. I my case, if I hadn't had the IV antibiotics and I&D I would probably have had to undergo a repeat knee replacement.


I would say that any infection is serious and I would advise that you do what your doctor tells you. Take your antibiotics for the full 7 or 10 days as prescribed and if you develop fever or chills, call the doctor right away. It's nothing to take lightly.


Best wishes. 


 


 


Similar questions
From my experience testing, many are already similar or the same questions. 
I use Shorthand. It is similar to PRD
and can be set up to suit your needs. There is no limit to number of entries that can be made. You can enter several pages or just a single word. You can use the option to have a prompt or not. You can set it so you have to use an Expander key or just use the normal punctuation or space bar for entry. You can make a selection menu if you like.

However, I have found that for long reports (normals that you need to have entered if not in the typing platform) it is best to store them into a separate file and set a code for the expander to import a document into what you are using (also easily done in shorthand.) I probably save over 60% of my Keystrokes with this program.
I took Relora, very similar sm
I had consulted a naturopath, who tested my cortisol and found it was too high. I took Relora and various vitamins to get my adrenals back on track. I also gave up caffeine and refined sugar/"white" carbs, which fixed up my system. Without the caffeine and sugar, and with the supplements (including Relora), I ended up losing 40 lb and keeping it off.

:) I would still be taking it, but I felt so good and ended up getting pregnant :)
I just went through a similar experience.

I have 15 yrs experience and have been away from doing MT work about a year and a half.  I applied at several companies.  I, too, failed the first test I took.   


Turns out that the new AAMT BOS rule which I wasn't aware of is that on numbers 1 thru 9 in a sentence, you have to use the digit and not spell out the word, i.e., 5 instead of five.  Once I clued into this I passed several other tests and am now back to work.  I'm sure you just as skilled as you ever were!! Don't lose your self confidence.  I agree that the best thing to do is brush up on AAMT BOS.  Good luck!!


Similar problem...but different...
park about 10 cars on the street and in their drive and yard (and have driven through MY yard sometimes to get out)..then proceed to sit on the hoods and party. My neighborhood went from a relatively quite, older neighborhood... to (forgive the expression)... just the hood...I'm devastated because I can't afford to move. I now have to accept loud, noisy, obnoxious neighbors (have 2 quiet neighbors left)... and the loud bumping music, the tons of dogs in their backyards... and the cars in and out all night .. you know, the ones that only stay 5-10 minutes  and never turn off the motor. Other than stay on the phone with the police, I'm not sure what else I can do.. no help to approach them, only makes them worse
I did something similar about 7 years ago
I live in the Philadelphia area and charged 12 cents a line.  I also had a few private clients and that is what I charged.  I think the average is 12-14 cents these days for the standard 65 character line.  Make sure you get it in writing.  Also, if you are going to bill them and not be on payroll, be aware that hospitals somethings are not too great with paying on time, maybe 30 to 60 days.  Make sure to bill in small increments weekly or biweekly so that if they ever default you can take them to small claims court.  If they owe you too much money, you would not qualify for small claims court.  I am not trying to be negative.  I just wanted to give you some info that I have learned over the years.  I also added in my contract 30 days notice of termination of the contract, how much I would charge, mininum amout of work expected, how I calcaluated a line, when payment was due, etc.   I hope this helps.
i had a similar problem and when
the police couldn't help out i finally called immigration.  within a day or so the house was back to empty (it was a rental).  about a month or so later another group moved in and the first night the neighbor on the other side called immigration (he didn't even bother with the police this time) and again the house was empty.  the owner of the house gave up trying to use the property as a rental and sold the house so now our street is back to peace and quiet.  it's amazing how all of a sudden they speak perfect english when you mention 'deport', 'green card' or 'immigration'.  personally, i could care less who you are or where you come from but if you cross the line and won't try to come to an agreement then i fight dirty!!! they can party and do whatever they want but they don't have to disrupt the entire street (or neighborhood) while doing it.
My similar experiences.....

First, I'm sorry about this loss, but you must NOT dwell on it.  You must move forward for your sake and financial sake.  This is unfortuately such common behavior in this business, and reading your post did not surprise me.  I have been an IC for over ten years now, and the practice you describe is SO common.


I have learned throughout the years to set aside as much money as I can so that when the rug is pulled out from underneath me, I'll have $$$ to fall back on.  I also keep a supply of hundreds of stamps/letterhead/envelopes handy so that when this happens, I don't have to go broke buying this stuff and marketing for other clients. 


Basically the same thing has happened to me.  I just lost one client last month due to them finding a cheaper rate, and another account I have had for eight years is going EMR next month.  I will then be officially out of business, you might say.


But that is NOT going to keep me down.  I'm doing mass marketing to doctors, attorneys and all kinds of businesses who need "virtual transcriptionists," and you know, I feel if I market enough, the law of averages is going to be that I WILL find new clients.  You must have faith in yourself and do not take what happened to you personally.  Yeah, it was lousy, rude, and unprofessional of them not to give you any notice after years of good service, but what can you do?  Don't lose a wink of sleep over it - move onward and forward, and you will be successful.


Good luck!


I had something similar happen
a couple of years ago. I went to download some work one morning, and found a couple of new MT names. I asked the office manager about it, and he said that they were trying someone less expensive to save money (I had raised their rates once in 5-1/2 years). I asked how much longer they planned to use my services, and neither he or the doc would give me a straight answer. When it took the new person 22 days to finish one day of dictation, they asked me to take it all back. I walked into the office, picked up my check, and left my resignation. They didn't give me notice, so they didn't get any. They ended up having three people screw up what I did perfectly alone. Oh well...

In any case, MommyMT14, I encourage you to move on, consider your options, and don't invest any more in these working relationships than the docs invest in you. The only job security is your self-confidence. You'll be fine--good luck to you.
LOL, I just posted something similar (sm)
I ~could~ listen to her if I had to, but I wouldn't buy her CD. I might search radio stations if she came on while I was driving. During her songs I usually listen for about 10 to 15 seconds and then go throw in a load of laundry or something LOL.
I had a similar experience

Good for you and you should be so proud and what a lucky little dog! :)


We rescued a tiny little Shih Tzu almost three years ago now. She had an injured eye that the owner never took to the vet to be treated and her eye had to be removed. :( A rescue place took her in and had her eye extracted and they had her spayed. She had ear infection, worms (so looked like she was starving), and kennel cough as well. We got her and I had her to the Vet every day for the first week. She was SO sick I thought we might lose her. Our vet was great and just charged me for medication for her. She looked awful too because the owner had hacked her matted hair. It look like she got caught in a fan! She was just horrible looking. You wouldn't believe the difference in her then and now photos! :) She is the most loving, sweetest little girl. She is treated like a princess too!


We have two male Shih Tzu as well that we love dearly. One has a lot of medical problems we are dealing with. I tell my husband I do MT to pay for their medical expenses. :D That is just part of being a responsible owner. We are going to be doing allergy testing on our middle "child" tomorrow and start him on injections as he has SO many allergies and has secondary problems due to this.


Anyway, our Shih Tzu snort water too. I find putting my finger under their nose where it makes them breathe through their mouth usually will stop it. Sometimes you have to do this a couple times. This is very common in short nosed dogs. Ours even drink out of water bottles so don't do it as much as drinking out of a bowl but still do.


Yours might be doing it more so due to the kennel cough or bronchial infection. It sounds like to me, by your description, that is more like a kennel cough. Mine have all had kennel cough and yes they did get their immunizations for that but did you know that that injection only covers a few strains of kennel cough so they can still get it?!? I didn't know that until all three of mine got it and had the vaccine!


Best wishes. :)


There's another one similar to Mary Kay... sm
called BeautiControl...talk about expensive!! On the other hand, I love Pampered Chef and most of their products, but can't stand some of the pushy consultants who think you just "need to have a party!"  I understand that they make a living doing what they do, but give me a break!
Our menu's very similar to yours
Were having Taco Bell tacos, cheetos, and Star Bucks Carmel Machalatas (I think I spelled that right, but it's those ice cold carmel coffee drinks they make. They go great with Tacos.
I have a similar problem.....sm
I have chronic pain and had trouble with many OTC and RX non-narcotic medications, either they didn't work or I had side effects, gastritis, etc. I too finally went to a pain clinic and am on Percocet. I am now on 4 a day, like clockwork, and after almost 2 years I am ready to quit too. I am lucky in that this still helps the pain and I have not had to go on to Oxy or something stronger (and belive me they offered!) I really don't have any bad side effects with this and it's not affecting my life, amazingly. I am just very worried about the long-term effects of the drugs in my body and worse trying to get off them after all this time. I too have run out and I felt like a heroin addict needing a fix. So I know I'm totally addicted. It is awful. I applaud you for reaching out and doing something about it. I hope to do the same soon but now I just can't imagine my life without them.

Signed,
"I feel your pain".
There was a similar attempt
   in the Ramsey neighborhood that was interrupted when the mother of the child at that house awakened in time to save her daughter.  Don't ask me why the police department could not add, subtract or multiply.   I'd bet the farm the Ramsey's did not kill their child but hopefully Patsy knows the truth now and can rest in peace.    Let's also hope that the criminal that did this crime cannot harm another child.
Here's a similar situtation...

My dad was sitting at home watching TV and suddenly the entire right side of his body went numb and was tingling.  My mom took him to the ER.  They did a CT and some blood work, and the only pertinent finding was high cholesterol.  He was 44 years old at the time, so the doctors did not believe him to be having a stroke.  We had told them that high cholesterol and strokes run in his family.  They were about to release him even though he was still having persistent numbness and loss of strength on that side.  They were trying to diagnose him with just anxiety. 


My mother and I demanded an MRI and low and behold they found an embolus.  They immediately admitted him and began treating him for it.  The doctors were extremely apologetic and tried telling us that this just doesn't happen to people at his age very often. 


Within 24 hours he could have been dead.  I am just so very thankful we demanded something be done because we would have lost him I'm sure.  They did other tests while he was in the hospital, but the high cholesterol was believed to have been the culprit.  They evenutally assumed a piece of plaque began traveling through his blood stream and ended up getting stuck in the smaller blood vessels of the head.  Thus, cutting off the oxygen supply and causing the numbness.


Stereotyping can be a dangerous thing when it comes to treating patients.  I wish that doctors would realize this.


By the way...we just celebrated his 50th birthday.  He's on cholesterol medicines now, no residual effects from the stroke and works like a horse everyday.


I know of a similar story and think that they
should have random drug tests.  I worked at a hospital and heard a doctor snorting (he didn't have a cold). 
I had something similar happen -- sm
one night a woman called here looking for Jim (my DH). I asked who as calling and she said "his girlfriend". My heart just about stopped. I asked her again who she was calling for and this time I heard "Tim". By this time I had recovered myself. She told me her name and was hunting down Tim, another guy my husband works with. She was the "crazy girlfriend" he (Tim) was trying to ditch. Lucky for him his cell phone was broken but she had copied the list they all carry in their wallets of co-workers home and cell numbers. I told her I knew his cell was busted and I'd have Jim pass a message on to him the next day that she was looking for him. Boy, talk about scaring yourself though. What's so funny is Tim married her and they have 2 kids now! Guess she wasn't as crazy as he made out.
Not PP...I was just noting it is similar
x
I had a similar problem, and I...

defrag's, scanned until I couldn't scan anymore, deleted and reinstalled software, an don and on.


Are you running Norton?  I was and never realized that the trash bin has "Norton Protected Files" as well as "normal" trash.  Well, I emptied the protected files, and, much to my surprise, there were over 55,000 files in there!  It took about 15-20 minutes to empty.  My computer has run fine since then, and ow I get rid of those so-called "protected" files every day.