Hey Douglas, Sorry for the delay but I was on vacation - yeah I got a vacation - woo hoo! Anyway, I'm a 911 dispatcher (Fire, EMS and Police) on Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in Jacksonville, NC. I've been a dispatcher off and on for the past 14 years (San Diego Sheriff's in California, Beaverton PD in Oregon and here in NC). I had WLS 8/22/2002 and have lost 217, 17 more to go to goal but it's been slow - probably because I need to get my behind back into the gym... lol!!! Anyway, I hope you're having a great day! Sheryl

Thanks for the support Sarita. I went tp my PC today and while he offered me the choice of a note or trying a sleep aid, I went for the sleep aid.. I don't want to be like another guy here, whiny and gets a Dr note for every little thing. I am trying to be a "team" player even as disgruntled as I am right now I still enjoy the job. I asked when they switched me if I refuse SL, would I still have to move, and was told yes... SO, the Dr gave me 3 days of samples of Lunesta, I will try it, see if it helps, if not I will go for the note and see what happens.

I know everyone deals with BS at work, but I gotta get this out If I weren't having other health issues right now and if I didn't need my ins so much, I am sure I would be out the door right now. I cannot adjust to overnights, it has been almost 6 months, I just cannot sleep during the day, no matter what I try, (OTC) sleep aids (finally giving in and going to see a Dr about prescription stuff Tues), sleep masks, blacking out the windows.. I have tried going to bed first thing when I get home, staying up till noon, even staying up till 3 or 4 then heading to bed.. I usually end up with 4 hours of interupted sleep (something, I have no idea what, wakes me up between 10:30 and 11 every morning, I go back to sleep but wake every hour at least from then out) I get up about 1-1:30 and putter around with no energy feeling lousy.. I usually go to bed again between 6 and 8 pm and sleep till 10:30 before getting up to get ready to come in, and I am exausted all night, finding it harder and harder to stay awake, yet to fall asleep, but I have nodded off once or twice.. not good. I am at my wits end. The office won't move me, because I am needed as Alt Shift leader here... too high on the food chain for my liking.. the odd thing is, on my days off I sleep for my usual 4 hours in the am, then have no trouble going to bed at 10 or 11 pm and sleep right the night, which is why I have waited so long to get a prescription sleep aid (that and the fact, I don't want to be on one of those) I have been out sick more the past 6 months then I was the year and a half before that (not couting time off for surgery) Of course that is not the only thing going on... we had a change of management about 2 years ago, we went from being ruled with an iron fist to a free for all... no one cares about anything, write ups are not followed up on, we have many dispatchers who are not fit for the job and are going to get some one killed eventually,and at the least make us look incompetent to those in the field and the public but the office will not pursue our write ups.. our union is worthless, and our shop steward (not voted for by me) is all talk, no action. We have been working without a contract since 12-05, we are getting 5-7 dollars an hour less then surrounding counties (the commissioners say that is beacuse they are busier, and they are, but they also have 16 people per shift to our 4, 3 overnight, to compensate, it evens out if you ask me) It seems like the misfits and malcontents get what they want in terms of preferred shift, time off etc (one girl was allowed to schedule 3 sick days off to care for the boyfriend she was in the process of dumping to help "care" for him after a minor surgical proceedure) I am so fed up. At this point, I am going to look for another job, but need to wait till my arm "stuff" resolves.. I was hoping to make it until may, after my 1 yr anniversary from WLS, to cover the bllodwork and visit, but I don't know if I can last that long... CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am a Senior Public Safety Dispatcher for the City of Poughkeepsie 911 center run out of the Police Department. We are a small center with only 15 fulltime employees including myself and the 1 other supervisor. We dispatch Fire and Police and currently transfer EMS to local provider but send FD on life threatening calls. We are just in process of becoming EMD sometime this year. Bob

Well, Dina, what happened with the contest.. how did you fare??? ( I can't access it from work..grrr)