I was fortunate enough to have an account

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as mine only flares up a couple of times a year, so far, but you change see the changes in my fingers, etc. I'm very stubborn about everything in my life, like Frank Sinatra.....I did it my way.....don't take meds, don't follow any particular diet, etc. I do live in Florida which of course helps with the Raynaud's which was a problem when I was in Virginia a few years ago. Medications do not like me at all, they always cause some kind of problem, so when the pain is really bad I'll just take good ole Bayer aspirin that seems to help a lot. I'm about 60 years old now and one day will probably have to do more but for now, just aspirin and ignore it. Stupid maybe? Who knows. Look at all the bad things they are finding out about certain meds now. I'd rather just trust in the Lord for now; will do meds when absolutely necessary. As for typing, it takes an hour or two before my fingers really fly anymore but they do still have wings!!!

Do as I say and not as I do....make sure your friend has a GOOD rheumatologist...they can do wonders for those who find themselves really incapacitated!!!! If you are in Florida, go to Dr. Norman B. Gaylis in Aventura, Florida. He really helped me with my first flareup before I moved!!

I know very well the difficulty of taking vacation and while I do not take a vacation every year, I have taken time off for a cruise for my 20th anniversary and for three major surgeries.

I have taken my laptop with me on trips and done what I can while away but it's not the same quantity as when I'm home. I tell all my offices several weeks in advance the dates that I will be gone and that I will do what I can while I'm out but they will have to wait until I return for my undivided attention. I have not had any problems with this arrangement. I did not take the lapto on the cruise and everything was waiting when I returned. Yeah, it's kinda of tough getting caught up but I consider it even tougher not getting away at all.

When I had the surgeries, I made arrangements to have other friends take some of my work while I was recuperating; all of the offices have been very compassionate and understanding so I've been very fortunate in this regard.

It's not easy to take a vacation but I have found that if I explain what is going on and give them plenty of notice, they are very understanding. Everyone in the office gets a vacation, including the docs, so they understand when I'm due for the same.

to get started in this field when it was possible to be hired and trained on the job. Some of us started right out of high school in the transcription department of a hospital where OJT was offered.

After retiring from another career, I took an aptitude test given by MRC, and did well enough that they basically let me train myself in medical transcription. I spent the next several years with my nose in books, looking up every other word and for the first year listened to every report twice just to make sure my work was okay. It took a long time to train my ear for ESL dictators. It was slow going and not very profitable at first, but eventually I began to make fairly good money at it. I've worked for MTSOs ever since, and currently make $20-$25 an hour - depending. But now these companies are really putting the screws to us.

Many employers now demand a ''certificate'' from a ''school'' for serious consideration. Some years ago, with over 10 years of experience with MTSOs, I interviewed with a local medical practice (the type with a staff of physicians and a stuffy professional practice manager). He did not really understand how I could be doing this without any ''formal training.'' I offered to demonstrate my ability, but once he realized I had no ''degree'' I was not allowed to test for a position. I have sent my resume to other local practices over the years, but never got an interview. So it was much easier to keep working for MTSOs, who at least would hire me based on experience and testing.

Anyone who has been in this profession very long realizes that it takes years of experience to become any good at it. However, I don't think a newbie has any way to get a foot in the door without some silly piece of paper from some funky school nowadays. Am I missing a way that the neophyte can get hired, work at MT and ''hone the craft'' without attending some rip-off school?

So many newbies can't find work and I have tried in house in my area, gues what they mostly outsource their work, I know Spheris does a few hospitals in the area, So I will try this IC for awhile but I am deffinatley going back to work, I cant live off of this yet and I am not doing this for (stay at home mother) I do not have children... Yet...

the fact that we have no debt but our house. There are those people who just have to have everything right now, no matter what the cost. We have 1 fairly newer SUV, paid for, and DH drives a paid for, older commuter Subaru that has over 200,000 miles that he drives 66 miles a day round trip to work. We don't have kids at home anymore, don't pay for college, still manage to save a bit. I'm always amazed at the couples with kids who have an SUV or mom van, a big truck for dad, boat, RV, flat screen TV, etc, and all the payments to go with them and then complain that they are broke. If people lived below their wage there would be no problem. Our next big crisis in the US is going to be credit cards...imagine buying $100 worth of groceries and paying 19% interest forever!

you use numerals for all numbers (and the old way is to spell out numbers UNDER 10). The BOS says to use numerals for ordinals; 10th, 2nd, etc. BUT, many accounts have their own preferences, so why don't you check to see what yours wants?

My own accounts been doing them for over 4 years, it is just one office person that says anything. I think that she was having a bad day last week and we about went on a minor screaming match with each other not only over this but some other things. So will let things calm down, check and double check to see if I can figure things out but without showing me, I am in the dark like I explained to her. When nothing comes back you think all is great.

separate folder on Word and I just click on the appropriate folder. I do 4 hospitals in one state and two more, plus a local.

You should never work for only 1 company. I learned this the hard way. It's always good to have a backup.

I took a small account a few months ago. 3 docs, I do 2 and 1 has his own MT. She is an employee but we cover for each other for vacations. It is lucky they have that other person and they are flexible when I go away (rarely). Some accounts might expect you to find your own coverage. I have had problems with them not paying on time. It's not their fault, they have a large institutional accounting office over them. But MT is my only income so it has been a problem. Make sure you have a cushion in your checking account or whatever that you can live off of if you don't get paid for a while.

Another option might be an IC position if you can find the right one. I also have an outside contractor position with a local hospital that has employees, but I charge them like a service and they make no demands on my time.

Something to consider is how much time you will spend doing administrative things like billing, recordkeeping, marketing, answering emails, picking up tapes if applicable, traveling for interviews or training if you will be working on their system. I find that stuff eats up a lot of my time.

You might want to consider a 30-day trial period in case you dont like them. My account turned out to have a crappy dial-in system, they expected me to fax every report 1-4 times, and they eat up my time with emails and phone calls - each doc has his own secretary and they have another MT and they all tend to call me for things they don't need to bother me with like I'm an employee. Instead of telling them to find one person to deal with me we agreed I would charge by the hour instead. I have no problem telling a secretary who calls me at 7p I will take down the info and call her back during business hours unless it is an emergency. It is hard to anticipate those things hence the trial period.

I don't think my account now is any better or any worse than any others. I have been doing this for over 15 years and basically 2000 lines a day has been my average for the last 9 years and during that time, I have worked in house for 1 hospital and for 4 different agencies.

I just make good use of a lot of word Expanders and sit down and work and not answer the phones and talk to people and watch TV, etc.