[*Beth*]

As some of you know my pdoc has been pressuring me to get set up to do telemedicine appointments. I've been resisting it all the way. But I want to give a huge thanks to those of you who have been encouraging and supportive, telling me that I CAN do it! I seriously doubt that I ever would have given in to doing telemedicine, were it not for the cheering on I've received here.

SO. I ordered a webcam (Amazon finally has them in stock again) and it came today! I can easily figure out how to set it up, but I'll have to call the clinic's IT person to tell me how to actually connect with my pdoc and therapist.

I still so want to do in-person appointments, but there's not much we can do at this point, is there.

If anyone has any tips, bring them on. For example, can the person I'm talking with see the room behind me? I mean...my refrigerator is behind me and my cats' boxes are in view. My 'fridge is old and dirty-looking. I'd rather have something in the background that is nicer, or just blank.

Anyway, I keep looking at the thing, not knowing whether to be excited or totally creeped out

[Wild Coyote]

I'd like to help you from becoming creeped out!

Your new webcam, does it have a cover? If not, could you make a cover?

Some day, you'll get an email from someone claiming to having access to your web cam. They will say they have footage of you doing various things on the camera and they will threaten you, hoping you might not like for these alleged sensitive pictures/recordings to be made available on the net (especially shown to everyone in your address book). You might not know if they are telling the truth IF you have not covered the camera. Easy does it! Stay safe!

[*Beth*]

Yikes, thank you WC. I had no idea and that is definitely creepy. I'll cover it - which actually makes me feel better...there's something unsettling about a camera staring at me while I'm online.

Hi BethRags. I'm glad you're getting set up. Regarding what is seen in the background, you should have some idea of what is visible because on most video conferences, you'll see pretty much what they'll see. You'll be visible in a small viewing box somewhere probably in the corner of the screen in which you see them (your tdoc or pdoc). The image of what's behind is usually slightly blurry, so if the fridge is a little dirty, that won't be painfully obvious to them. I don't think a kitty litter is a big deal, unless maybe they see your cat using it You can always shift the litter boxes temporarily. You may even be able to shift your webcam (and yourself) slightly, as well. My webcam is built into my laptop. In my case, I could literally walk around my house with it.Also, there is software out there that you can get that allows you to put a different virtual background behind you (i.e. the beach, NYC, a snowy mountain, bookcase, or even a celebrity), though some choices could be a little distracting I've seen some for as little as less than $5. That's what you often see behind guests on news shows. They usually put a view of the city they are in or even the news show's set design.

I have heard of cases like what Wild Coyote describes, but never personally received such a message. The whole "Big Brother is Watching" is a concern, but I think rare, and I imagine messages like what Wild Coyote described are not much different than the scam robocalls we get. If someone out there was watching me, they'd likely see a woman often in pajamas with quite a few "bad hair days". Definitely don't write your ph#, address, or SS# on your fridge.

It certainly never hurts to put a little shield on your webcam when you're not personally actively using it.

[BlueSkyGirl]

Lighting is everything. You want to be in a bright room. Also, you want to be facing the window or whatever the light source is (facing your back to the light source makes it more blurry and pixely). Background doesn’t matter unless it is a complete mess. Make sure your background is tidy and presentable. The lighting is much more important. Good luck and have fun! I love teletherapy and have been using it for years.

[*Beth*]

Thank you, BlueSkyGirl! I was wondering about the lighting.

[divine1966]

We do a lot of work meetings on zoom and google meets and only few people do it in bright light. Most of us have our hair looking all wrong by now etc so most people are in dimmed light. When I had my therapy session (on Microsoft teams) I also didn’t sit in a bright light. The only time I recommend to sit in bright light is if you are the one giving a presentation or conducting a meeting as a host. Participants don’t need to do that.

As about how to connect to the meeting, depending on a platform you are using therapist will tell you how to log in or send email invite for you to click on,

Good luck

[yellow_fleurs]

I live in a small studio and most angles it seems will show things that aren't that attractive for a video call. A lot of people at my team at work will show their video during our meetings, but I just feel awkward about it because of that. For therapy, I found a place I can sit on my couch which is against the wall so as not to show off my whole apartment.

Anyways, good luck and I hope you find it helpful to have the video with the therapy session. It's not perfect in my opinion, but hopefully an improvement on just a phone call.

[*Beth*]

Thanks to each of you for your tips and encouragement! I so appreciate the input...I feel much more confident.

I also live in a very small apartment. It's nice, all in all...it's just that the old refrigerator is right behind me. But I'll figure something out.

I feel lucky because the clinic I go to has an IT person who will help me out, as far as connecting with my pdoc and such.

[Fuzzybear]

BethRags