>

>
>And as for the LLL/LC conflict, my major problem has not been charging when I
>should have been volunteering, but volunteering when I should have been
>charging. I still find it difficult to charge for things I have done so long as
>a volunteer. The way I have rationalized it is that as a LC, I don't have the
>liberty of telling a mom that I can't talk to her right now, or I can't  work
>with her today because I need to go eat lunch with my kid. She is paying me to
>be there during whatever hours I'm "on."  Family first works with LLL, and it
>contributes to LC, but cannot dominate it.

Melissa, this is part of the problem as I see it, with being on call as an
LC. Here in Vermont, we do not get paid enough to be on call 24 hours /day
etc. We are NOT an emergency service, and we state such in our answering
machine message. "If you have a bf emergency that cannot wait, please
contact your physician."  They ARE on call as emergency services, because
they get paid to do so.

I guess that this is one of my "hot" issues, because we get a LOT of Friday
at 5 pm calls , and it seems that many people feel the need to exit on a
particular case so that they don't feel like thy have to do something about
it on the weekend.

Personally speaking, I try to avoid doing stuff on the weekend...it really
messes up my family time, ..I am still putting them first, and I do get into
trouble sometimes. But rarely do I find an emergency that  SOMEONE didn't
know about a few days before. My friend has a cup that says "A lack of
planning on your part does not necessarily constitute an emergency on my
part." "nuff said. <G>

My pediatrician on the other hand, charges more for evening and weekend
calls...shouldn't LCS? Or are we women who are SUPPOSED to be helping people
day and night...cause that is what women DO? <G> Devil's advocate here.

>
>One more pump story then I'm outta here. My worst experience with a customer
>happened this summer.
Melissa, we hand out a paper on rentals and returns....and it is clearly
stated that you may NOT drop a pump off without prior notification...ie
calling us. THe price of the pumps are clearly stated , and I always tell
amom what it takes to replace it..ie $550.  Our worst pump losses
unfortunatley seem to come from the Medicaid population, although this is
not unilateral by any means...it just means that low income women often are
carless, and move around a fair bit, and sometimes we just can't get the
pump back.

Kathleen
>

**********************************************************
Kathleen B. Bruce RN, BSN, IBCLC
Williston, Vermont USA
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Remember to stop and smell the "roses!"
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