Fellow MT/QA person for 29 years!

Hello to everyone. I do hope we do get a lot of us posting on this board. Let me tell you a little about myself. I live in Kansas. Have to have a "revision" done and there are no doctors that I know of that do "revisions" (Had a Mason gastric bypass back in 1979) in Kansas except the doctors in Junction City. However, they declined to take me because they would prefer that I go to a large hospital to have it done in case there were any complications with my comorbidities. Their hospital is pretty much small-town. So I found my surgeon in Omaha, Nebraska. Have surgery scheduled March 1st, pending insurance approval (waiting answer any minute now) and finishing my pretests the second week of February. So at least until I hear back from insurance, I can't get "happy" just yet. I have been overweight most all my life. I weighed 414 at doctor on Dec. 22nd at my initial consultation visit. He asked me to lose 20 pounds on Atkins before surgery, and so I have been doing the Atkins (for the most part), and have lost 23 pounds so far. Would like to lose another 10 before surgery. That ought to make the doctor happy! I am 53 years old, single, have 2 grown children and 4 wonderful granddaughters, ages 11, 6, 5, and 2. Last year I gave up gardening and started limiting the time the kids came over because it took so much out of me to keep up with them... I realized at that point, I needed to make a drastic change. For me this surgery is all about me getting my life back! I can't hardly walk or breathe without shortness of breath! So I am very determined to see this surgery through and get on the other side and MAKE IT WORK! About my last chance I think. I presently to transcription work for a company out of Atlanta, GA, called Wordzxpressed, Inc. We do mostly office notes and letters. I love the work because we have our own dictators assigned to us for work every day. It gets to be easy that way. I also do some team leader duties of making work assignments at times. Also I have done QA work. My goal, however, after the surgery is to really find a new career! I want to be around people more and I have been sitting at home transcribing/working with very little contact with the outside world. I wish I knew what to go into, but whatever it is, it has to be more people oriented!!! Well I better close for now. It is after midnight and need to call it a night! Hope to hear from you!! Susan S.

Hi Susan, I know what you mean about finding a new career. I went back to college about five years ago, and I really enjoy the academic life. I don't know if I'll ever be able to totally quit transcribing - something has to pay the bills, and my chosen academic field (music) is not exactly a high income career producer, especially for someone my age. But, I love it, and it gives me that people outlet you mentioned. I have thought about being a student forever, because I enjoy it so much. Fortunately, I can transcribe when I have time and make enough to get by and still keep up with my studies. Maybe you should try going back to school! Best wishes, Kim

Kim, I just looked at your profile. Wow! You are my poster model for how I want to be after a year and a half. You look about 20 years younger and the fact that you can backpack, (in fact just carry that huge backpack) is incredible! My fingers are the skinniest part of my body from typing all the time but everything else is the pits. Well after this Tuesday (Feb 3rd) that's all going to change!! YEAH!!!!

Hi Susan, I've been transcribing for over 30 years and more than half of that has been at home. I do love typing in my pajamas! but I also do sometimes miss the interaction with other people. I loved Kim's idea of going to school. My surgery is Feb 3rd (yeah!) and one of my goals is that when I get thin enough to fit into a regular-sized desk again, I would love to go back to college and take a few classes. That's something I could do around my transcribing and family and church activities.