Driver Sleep Apnea

I have sleep apnea, and I have had the surgery to correct it. I also have the CPAP machine. I don't use it to much after the surgery but I do still have it.
The thing is akward to wear I hate mine, makes me very uncomfortable to sleep.
Now before I had the surgery I loved the machine I had not had more than a couple hours sleep in years before my sleep study was done. During the first 30 min of my study I had 30 episodes of sleep apnea. Then you had to have 180 episodes in 8 hours to qualify for the machine.

The technician immediantly came in and woke me up and put the machine on me. I never moved the rest of the night. I forget what the pressure was set on before my surgery, but I remember the home health guy saying his machine would not go any higher.

The DR said I was the 3rd worse case she had ever seen.

I can remember having my wife ride with me on a local job to keep me awake, by squirting water in my face.

The reason I went and got checked was. I left for work one foggy morning I was running up a 2 lane hiway in a International tractor pulling a 48' dump trailor. I must have fell asleep but I awoke to the flashing of school bus lights. I jammed the brakes and slid completely passed the stopped bus. Thankfully the kids were truck smart (there dad owned some trucks) and when they saw me sliding they ran away from the road.

I drove to the first place I could turn around and drove straight to the place I parked and got in my car and went home, then to the DR and had my DR to take me off from driving.

6 months later I came back to work, and have ever since. That all happened in 1997.

DRIVERS if you have any of the symptoms described elswhere get to a DR and get checked out. It does work!

 

Good info! Thanks Cybergal and 168.

DeiselDog

 

Will Be Any Problems With Getting A Otr Job?
I Have Been Using My Machine For 5 Mo. What Differance In Sleep Its Great.

Thanks Jeff

 

The easiest way to do it is to tell the company before you go to orientation to find their policy. Some may want documentation from your doctor to confirm you are using the machine well.

Roehl requires you to have a battery backup for the machine, and confirmation from your doctor that you are using the machine well. From what i understand Schneider is very aware of sleep apnea and will make reasonable accommodations for them.

Anybody that snores probably has some sleep apnea.

 

Ya know the amazing thig is there are companies that will hire you But as of now Schneider is the only one I know of that will take a questionair and if the questions conclude you may be a canidate they will send you to Houston on your 10 hr break and do a sleep study and get you the machene if you indeed have sleep apthea I was shocked when I complained of being tired all the time and the sent me to Houston and I am an Owner Operator.

Rev. Paul R.
Schneider Owner Operator
Amateur Radio Operator AG9R

 

To all - I've searched on sleep apnea throughout the forum and have learned a lot...

My pressure has recently been very high even while on medication, many night awakenings, and at times complete exhaustion during the day - to the point where I've actually went home to sleep.

I am completing my CDL training but now having 2nd thoughts about trucking with the way I feel so often...

Do these CPAP devices really work - I need to start getting some quality sleep or I won't be working at all!!!

Is there a site to visit with all treatments listed?

Thanks so much to any and all who can offer suggestions/encouragement...

 

Have your Doc set up a sleep test.The test will tell how bad your Apnea is.
And yes a CPAP really does work. Had mine for 2 years now.Ins paid for the machine (800 bucks ) and a new mask every 6 months.

 

I recently worked for Schneider National, with Sleep apnea. Their response from the maintanience office is that connecting a converter for sleep apnea does not take precedence, "it takes three days, hooking up a converter does not take precenance over truck repairs." This means you are waiting in the yard not making any miles. Yes Schneider encourages testing but does not provide reasonable accomadations for a driver with sleep apnea. It took me over two weeks to get in complaince with my using the C-Pap which works wonders on my sleep when I am able to use.
now Schneider won't rehire me because I made a stink over my being in complaince with my C-pap usage.

 

My cpap plugged right in to 12 volt socket...