What to do when your body is wrecked from the repetitive stress movements of court reporting for 18 years...

[Michelle Bulkley]

So I'm at that point that my body is just about to give up from the physical stresses of cr'g for so long. Anybody else have this problem? I now dread going to a depo bc I know I'm going to be in pain all day while typing away. I've spent thousands of dollars on docs, chiropractors, stretch constantly, exercise, take advils, aleve, and I really don't think I can do it much longer at this pace. The pain and discomfort can bring me to tears.

I'm not sure what else to do. I've written a screenplay and some song lyrics. Gonna try to sell those, but of course that's fantasy land, and I have to be practical. I'm giving myself till the end of this year to make a change. Also I got to play a court reporter on a TV show last month that airs this summer. No speaking part, but it was a blast! I definitely want to pursue that some more.

But what really sux is court reporting is such good money. I live very comfortably now. I'm 41, single, no kids, good savings, but in order to make a career change, I have to move out of my expensive townhome.

Sorry for the long vent, but I'm wondering if anyone else is going through the same thing as me and what you did or are doing about it. Also maybe anyone have any suggestions on how to get rid of the pain?

Another thing... It really is gonna be hard to downsize and live in a crappy, probably tiny apartment again like I did when I was in my 20s, but I gotta make a change. No sugar daddy for me, no husband to fall back on. Tough times...

Thanks for listening :-)

[Michelle Bulkley]

Yes, I have a scopist I use but not for all jobs, only when I'm in the weeds. ...which I'm in the weeds now, so I apologize if I haven't had time to respond to everyone who's directed a comment at me! I've been on a case all week in west LA, and that commute for me is about two hours each way, getting home at 8 or 9 each night. Fun, fun...

[Kellie Zollars]

Hi again.

Try sending your scopist everything for two months and see if you notice a difference in your health.  You will end up feeling better and be able to take more jobs ($) because you're not sitting at the computer as much.  

It's all perspective - I would kill for a job going all week - even that one.  When I got to my Tuesday job, they said they just settled.  My Wed, Thurs, Fri jobs went off the day before each so I couldn't pick up anything else.  Not what I want to happen a few days before taxes are due.  On the bright side, I'm all caught up and cleaning up the paper stacks on my desk today, then driving kids to a school band competition after school today. 

Best of Luck.  

[Glen Warner]

Hi, Michelle.

Back when I was in theory, my school had one of our local officials come in and give us a motivational talk.

At one point during her talk, she mentioned that the number of hours she worked would vary from day to day ... including a few 12 hour days (!).

During the Q&A period, I asked about those 12 hour days:

"Didn't your hands and arms hurt?"

She admitted that they did ... and in fact, she was planning on quitting about a month after she began working, because of the pain!

She went on to say that she confessed her intention to a friend, who directed her to a local naturopath, and the naturopath recommended that she buy two small dishpans, put some ice in each one, add cold water, and soak her arms, from wrist to elbow, for one hour a week.

Naturally, I asked if it worked ... and she said she was coming up on her 20th anniversary next week!

She also said she would record TV shows on her VCR, and she spent that hour of soaking by watching one of those hour-long TV shows she liked at the time.

And, speaking of TV, you mentioned that you shot a TV show.  Which one?

As for your script, don't rest on your creative laurels ... come up with another idea, and start massaging it into a story ... then write the treatment, fix what needs fixing, and finish off that script.

Good luck with everything!

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Glen,

 

That's a great idea with the ice.  I'm going to try it.  Makes sense because it reduces inflammation.  Thanks for posting this.

[Glen Warner]

You're welcome, Kelli!

One of my FB friends is an official in federal court in Chicago, and she has been doing a variation of the ice treatment, but it's been a while, so I can't recall what she is doing differently.  She has reported positive results, though!

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

I did it yesterday.  I will say that after you take your arm out of the ice, you can't use it for about 15 minutes because it's frozen.  I'm going to try to do it once a week, like you said.  Can't hurt.

Sort of messy with the ice/water.  I wish I could find one of those sleeves you put in the freezer that you put on.  That would be perfect.

[Michelle Bulkley]

Thanks, Glen. I'll try the icing. Good idea! About the TV show, it's called "Perception" and airs I think this June. It was funny because they had me set up way off to the side of the courtroom where in reality no cr would ever sit, but I wasn't about to tell the director that... He did call me in in front of everyone, though, and asked how they should handle marking of exhibits.

[Alice Clark]

Also one thing to be aware of if you take statins is that the muscle pain or neuropathy from that can take the form of shoulder/arm pain.  I had started red rice yeast which contains a naturally occurring statin.  The literature seems to say that fewer people react to it than to the prescription statins.  However, shortly after I started I had developed a one-sided right shoulder/arm pain.  I connected it to maybe lifting my grandson and pulling something.  It continued to plague me for four weeks, and I occasionally would get some weird pain/weakness around the left knee.  It was so painful at night that I couldn't go to bed without taking ibuprofen.  It was bothering me during the day but I could go without the ibuprofen.  My chiropractor gave me an adjustment but she didn't think it had to do with the thoracic outlet because I didn't have pain she would expect there.  I had never heard of the statin pains being in the arm and shoulder, but once I googled it to see if that was possible, I came up with all kinds of personal anecdotes of that.  Be sure and think about that as well if you have a new kind of pain involvement and are taking any kind of statin.  I've been off statins just a couple of days and already it's so much better.

[Peggy Feyche]

Any suggestions for a burned out reporter that is getting next to no work anyway due to the way the industry is going in my end of the country in Ohio.  But any suggestions what a court reporter should do that's in her late 50's, still very healthy, very minor aches and pains, just can't stand sitting and listening any more to one more plft or deft, much less listen to attorneys drone on with their questions. I still want to work but need full-time employment.  Do any of you know any reporters who have gotten out of the field all together and found something else to do?  Very curious how to get out of CR and wonder what other reporter have transitioned to.  Thanks!

[Alane R. Harrold]

Peggy ~

Please contact me if you're serious about your next chapter in life.  I know it sounds crazy, but your letter sounds just like me.  I started by changing my mindset and getting rid of my fear.  I am not talking about a scam, a get-rich-quick scheme.  I am talking about an opportunity.  I got on this rocket ship on January 23 and am not looking back.  I promise not to "sell" you on anything, just share my story.

Alane

 

[Alane R. Harrold]

Hello, Michelle ~

I have been a reporter for 31 years and also had to make a change, mostly due to 40% income decline with reporting.  I searched for something for over two years and finally landed on something that, quite honestly, has changed my life.  I would love to share it with you or anyone else who is in a similar boat.  My phone number is [phone].  

Alane Harrold

[Michelle Bulkley]

I'm curious! Can you say what it is here? If it involves selling something, I am the WORST salesperson. Nearly starved to death in my 20s trying to get into sales, lol.