i can relate. don't let anyone talk you into thinking you are strange or different.

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I think I'll start *borrowing* that phrase!  LOL again!

Thanks for the laugh, and thanks for posting. 

I'm with you.  I'll never have only 1 account.  I have 2 right now and working on getting my third. 

Good luck to you and everybody!

Except that now, my kids think I work 24/7 because when they were little, I had to much of the time (no support).  I did work 20-hour days at times, but not now they are grown.

Mother's Day: 

Tad (as in Tadpole, the pole was dropped, he is nearly 6'7"):  Hi mom!

Hiya Tad.

Tad:  You working? Gotta minute to talk?

It is my weekend...I don't work Sunday or Monday.

Tad:  You are NOT working??? You take TWO days off?  Ummm so you can talk for a minute?

Sure.

Tad: You really aren't working??

I trained 'em too well.  DD is here for the summer and she is so respectful of my working hours too.

When asked what I do for a living, I tell them, the response I get the most is this "oh, i've heard of that.  Been wanting to get into it as a side job."  Gee thanks. 

Or "Did you have to go to school for that?"  And actual disbelief when I tell them I did. 

Or "Don't you get sick of not being around people?"  Again...gee thanks.  What am I a shut in?  I still at least go out and check my mail a couple times a week!

Or "Whats that"  Blank look on face or extreme disinterest or disappointment.  Gee, thanks again. 

And here's the meanest one that I received from a guy I was dating for awhile "Are you just afraid of being successful?"  Hmmm.....can I get a gee thanks?

x

Not only was I new to the job, I was new to transcription, and one of the people I had to type reports up for was a russian gum chewer!  The job was at night too, so I had no one to call to "lend an ear" to help me translate and had to wait until the next day...I think I averaged about $75 for the week...and that was putting in about 12 hour nights in addition to waiting for daytime help so I could fill in blanks and not look like a complete tool.  I remember balling my eyes out like a baby thinking we would have to sell our house and lose everything we worked so hard for...just because I couldn't understand this one dictator that was 95% of my bread-n-butta at the time.

I didn't know I could ask for samples of the dictators work then either, that's how new I was.  Once I got a hold of a couple of those bad boys, it was so much easier...that and with some time I was much better off, financially and mentally. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is try and hang in there.  Maybe it's a test of strength so to speak...baptism by fire and all that.  Good luck and know you are not alone!    

I know how you feel.  Been doing this job for 22+ years and I feel like I have to fight myself to start each day, my productivity has gone to the dogs and I need a major break, which is impossible to get.  The apathy concerns me because I've never been so unmotivated in my entire life.  I cannot afford to take off and I cannot afford to keep doing what I'm doing.  The more burnt out I get, the less I produce and the less I produce the less time off I accrue (as in zilch).   I understand the rut you're in.  I sometimes wake up crying, knowing I'm going to pound my brains out for nothing.  The harder I try, the worse it seems to get.  I used to be a huge producer in the past but I am so fried right now that I can barely stand to log in to work.  My back hurts, my shoulders hurt and I'm so sick of sitting here watching my life go by that I feel like I've melded into an extension of my computer and foot pedal.  I've never been this burnt out before and it has taken me by surprise.  My family, friends and even my physician are on my case about not having a life but I don't know what else to do for now. 

There was a time when burn-out was recognized in this field and steps taken to prevent it.  But now the theme to MT is "mush, mush, mush! 24/7."  I sometimes envision someone cracking a whip behind me like a horse, then putting me in the barn wet.  And like that horse that has gotten too tired and just lays down, I'm becoming completely ineffective.

During the 20+ years that I was an IC (from my mid-20s to mid-40s) I toyed off and on with the idea of health insurance ... and even had it for a while when my state had a great subsidized plan available. Good timing on that because I ended up having a hysterectomy which came in a bit over $10K, insurance paid all but $1500.

Then I went again without insurance for a while, then had it as an employee, now am IC again and don't have it...but I will be getting it now in the next month or so, now that my budget is ready for it.

I've always been healthy as a horse, and even though I'm in my 50s now I still feel like I'm invincible - LOL! The difference today is that I don't have to look to far to find someone who was financially devastated when something unexpected came up and they didn't have health insurance. Even a fall from a ladder with resultant broken bones can cost in the thousands these days ... and I don't have a savings account to cover that kind of unexpected expense.

Insurance is like preventative medicine, as far as I'm concerned -- the risks of not doing it are so much higher than the actual cost of doing it! Especially with today's cost of medicine.

BTW, you can only deduct one-half of your insurance premiums as an IC, unless something has changed in recent years.

Good luck with your decision! 

I have to say I go with the rudeness.  This industry is falling apart.  Poor management runs rampant.  I have encountered the same thing as you have.  Once in a blue moon, I will run in a recruiter or manager who is on the ball and actually returns phone calls.  Most of the time, they act like you should feel blessed if they deign to call you back. 

I too am in search of intelligent management/MTSO. 

Patti, I wonder if that MT might be just using all letterhead so that is all that needs to be ordered, so they do not have to order matching paper for second pages. However, IF that were the case, I would assume the letterhead page would cost the doctor more, so that may be a way to present it as well to the doctor once you take over the account completely since $ talks for most of these docs. :D Also, if I understand you correctly, some reports are being done on letterhead that should be on plain paper and, if so, that is a real waste of money for the docs! I am with you - I have never seen anyone do that in my life. It is not only incorrect but, as I said, may actually cost more for the letterhead paper.

I was told on one account I work for that there are a couple words that I should divide/hyphenate that technically are one word. I was told that they wanted all the words  consistent that begin with this same prefix as some are divided/separated; however, some are not, and it is not correct, and I just can't force myself to do what I know is wrong! I guess if I were to told "do it my way or else", then I would. Otherwise, I am doing it correctly. :)

BTW, congrats on landing the new account and best wishes!

the harder the work, the more money it pays.  That makes sense to me, if you have work that you HAVE to get done.

Wow, I guess I'm just destined to have to put up with it.  I'm so scared about it though.