FReepers I Need to Pic Your Brains - Help!

me

[GrandmaC]

I know I have not been on for awhile. Many of you have written to me and asked what is going on. After Jarbidge in July 2000 I moved up to Idaho to be closer to my daughter. As many of you know I am disabled. Since I moved here I have been having a major nightmare with doctors. Without boring you with details, I am ready to quit the whole lot of them. But I have a ball and chain around my neck, social security disability, and long term disability from my employer. I am not looking for sympathy or instant cures with herbal medicine, but I am a good conservative and I want to remove this ball and chain! I also am not looking for charity or people to feel sorry for me!

This is where I am asking for help. I need a way or means to support myself from which I can do on my computer from home. It needs to be something that does not require a lot of reading. I have my computer set up at my bedside. Then I can quit the doctor thing, and just go once a year or so to my doctor in Reno for my meds.

This is a brief synopsis of my working history.

• Secretary for 3 years
  
• CNA-for 1 year while in school
• RN &/or Charge Nurse– for 19 years (Primarily Pediatrics, but also Adults and L&D)
  
• Started & Ran a Maternity Home for Pregnant minors while a nurse
  have gotten 501C3 status for the maternity home and another organization
• Authored Matty’s Heart a Child’s and Parents Guide to Open Heart Surgery (I donated these books to Kids with Heart many years ago and do not receive anything for them.)

  I have been disabled since 1996 with Myasthenia Gravis and Adult Onset Stills Disease.

  I must also say I am a very conservative Christian so anything I do has to be in line with my Christian Values and Love of my Lord.

  I need approximately $1500 a month to support myself: medications, utilities, house payment/rent etc (does not include medical insurance which I will loose my Medicare). That is the trade off. But I do not know what else to do. I need a business that can generate that kind of money and is not physically taxing. Oh yeah, I am 54 years old. Been disabled since I was 48. Was in the middle of starting the Medical Storybook business when I became ill and lost it all, infact still paying off some of it. I believe in honoring my debts, so I did not file for bankruptcy.

  Well it seems like an impossible task to me – How about you guys, any ideas to help me get off the taxpayers dime.

[4CJ]

Based on experience, I'd have to say medical transcription or something similar. Contact local hospitals, doctors, and even temp agencies. My ex-neighbor made excellent money. Based on desired income, look for $19 per hour or more if self-employed.

[Cinnamon Girl]

Have you tried contacting publications that you enjoy to see about writing a column based on your expertise?

[backhoe]

Thanks for that info- something involving writing at home seems like a natural choice to me, too.

[Prodigal Daughter]

I used to do medical transcriptions remotely from '91-94. I'm sure all the equipment I used is obselete by now. The pay wasn't that good back then because there were so many expenses involved. Even working 7 days/week, and I type very fast, I remember I had to pay long distance phone bills to record the transcriptions from hospitals in different states. There's probably a much cheaper way now with new technology. With your medical knowledge, you'd be better at it than I was. Also, if you get a doctor's office that transcribes on tapes, or a doctor's office or offices that are in your area that will dictate into a transcriber at your house via phone, you wouldn't have to consider long distance.

I don't think the company I worked for exists anymore (I'll freepmail you the name), but here are some companies at this Google Search. I don't know if medical billing would be better for you? Not as much typing. I used to have pain from carpal tunnel after years of legal and medical transcription, so if I had to do it all over again, I might choose the billing over the transcription, even though the coding/billing takes more training and more updating.

You might call the hospitals in your area, ask for the transcription or dictation dept. and then find out what company they use, then call that company directly. Lots of times they are desperate for good transcriptionists. Let me see what else I come across and I'll let you know.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Hey. The job I worked at before being laid off and starting my own, was a telecommute position (work-at-home).

I have since seen many places that offer work for at home people, but also many scams. Note: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! watch out for scams.

But you might consider getting a business license and then call around to some doctor offices for doing books or transcripts. Maybe even churches or legal firms.

If typing bothers you, might I suggest Dragon Naturally Speaking, it is a speech to text (and vice versa) program for your computer. I used an older version and it worked great. The newer versions are even better.

I hope something comes your way.

[MinuteGal]

An unformed idea popped into my head.

Why not write some very short, simple, but fun stories and poems for children who are in hospitals for long or short term care? Something the hospitals might buy to put on the kiddies trays or the magazine carts they push around the wards.

You could start out simply. Print out pages of script on your computer with some bright colors and little graphics. Have a couple pages with blank figures sketched in for coloring. Perhaps attach three dangling crayons with ribbons.

Bind them in some way with ribbon, colored twine or raffia. Keep the booklet small and thin as you can. You should end up with an attractive little package!

Donate a few to a hospital for a test run in their childrens' ward.

If they want more, they pay. They might even want to handle them in their gift shop for people who want a quick gift while visiting a child.

Then, if you get one paying customer, try to expand elsewhere.

Maybe lady friends would help you put them together at a coffee-klatsch.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Good luck! Grandma Moses became a millionaire in her nineties!

Leni

[HELLRAISER II]

I think that the Medical Billing is right up her alley, she has Secretarial skills as well as nursing skills & I see stuff advertised all the time for this type of self-employment. Who knows it might also educate her in ways to decrease her own medical bills.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"After Jarbidge in July 2000 I moved up to Idaho"

d4now, maybe you may know some resources in ID?

[frodolives]

Greetings! Have you contacted the Center for New Directions at North Idaho College? 1-208-769-3445.

....and I'd like to add, you can Pic your friends, and you can Pic your nose, but you can't wipe your friends on the sofa....cheers!

[d14truth]

'Link' for any prospective FReeper doctors who will study AOSD and develop your 'cure'--

Adult Onset Still's Disease

As God's creation, we are 'wonderfully made', but complicated.

[backhoe]

One other thing popped into my head ( and may be off the wall, depending on how many other competitors are in her area )- telephone answering. Unbelievably around here, there is only one service ( and a poor one ) for a two-county area... about 100,000 people.

[gnarledmaw]

Everyone is so PC these days, Im not really sure how to say this....

I have a friend who is a polio survivor. She couldnt hold a regular job. One day she heard that a chain store thats real big around here felt that they needed more "diversity" in their commercials. She applied and became the "handi-capably diverse" person in the commercials. If you dont feel that you would have any aversion to being the diversity representative in a commercial it might be worth looking into. From your picture above I dont see anything to suggest that you wouldnt be an excellent spokesman.

This gig didnt put a lot of food on the table for in and of itself but it helped make ends meet and then because of the commercials...

People with polio started asking her to come to meetings and do survivor speeches. Maybe thats another angle? In and of itself it doesnt pay a her a lot either but added in with the commercials and odds n ends she is able to get by alright.

I realize that neither are likely long term solutions but maybe you could do this kind of thing for short term cash until your new book or other endeavor gets rolling?

[Humidston]

Ummmm, you need help so that you can get the medical attention you think is best? Your background is in medicine?

Can you work out some kind of medical work IN EXCHANGE for medical care???

I don't know the in's and out's of your situation, but couldn't you work out a quid pro quo with a good primary care physician?

In the meantime, you - DEAR LADY and HERO, will be in my prayers.

[Dianna]

All I can offer are prayers. It sounds like you're getting some good ideas though.

Good Luck!!!

[Amelia]

I don't have any good other ideas, but I'll bump the thread, pray for you, and add that my former neighbor trained in either medical billing or medical transcription so that she could work from home, and found a job very quickly.

[HELLRAISER II]

Another thing that she might be able to get into is Collections. That is collecting money for Credit Card Companies & Banks, sometimes it's called Skip Tracing. With a phone & a computer you can do this job, however your going to have to make the contacts & that means some leg work & possible outside contacts to get started with. But once your set up, you won't have to move.

[colette_g]

Apparently The Independent Homeworkers Alliance are reputable and have been around a while, the currently have a "Transcribers Urgently Needed" link from their home page, they also have a message board where people discuss work from home issues at http://www.bizrealm.net/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi - I don't know how good they are though. May God be with you.

[KC Burke]

Besides Medical Transcription, a related field is Medical Coding. This is a critical need bor many small medical practices as I understand it as they need the proper Medicare type codes for their billings. It dovetails into the Medical Transcription Market

[colette_g]

Also, check out the Internet Bureau of Commerce ,they have some good advice that can help you avoid scams. The sound advice they have on their home page is "

Top 3 Warning Signals of a Work At Home Company Being a Fraud

Company Does Not Provide Proper Contact Information

A phone number should be available to anyone who would like to contact the company directly with questions. Some companies will give a phone number to a drop box or answering service. However, you should be able to talk to someone directly.

An address that is not a postal box is also important. Any company that is asking for your trust should provide this information. If it is not on their site, contact them and ask for it.



There Is A Fee That Will Guarantee You A Job

You should not have to pay money to have someone hire you. Legitimate employers look for certain skills, not money! Do not be confused with job services. They often charge a fee, however, you receive a valuable service in return. For example, job database services are companies that will research job openings and put them in a database for you to access.



They Provide Poor Customer Service

A legitimate, well established company will have customer service, whether it be online or live. This is important. What will you do if you have a problem with the company? Do you know who you are going to talk to?


" Be careful out there!