Trucking wakes up to sleep apnea

guy down the street had it....knew it and refused treatment....2 years ago this month...found out about him while i was in the hospital...........rip at 53

 

Yeah,yeah,and YEAH to all the above posts..,and some people say you will be DEAD at 40 if you smoke..,others,-I have this uncle who smoked until he was 94 years old..My point is this.,I think the medical people could care less about truck drivers heath,-the smell a lot of $$$ to be made cause truckers are an easy target(a whole different subject) What of FAT cops,judges,doctors performing surgery who are fat,where is THEIR testing...It is B.S.,plain and simple.,if you are happy with your mask,more power to ya,as for me in this truck,it aint gonna happen...Footnote,IMO,when your time is up,its up,preordained,but,again,a whole different topic.

 

I've submitted this before, and I will again.

I was tested for SA when I came to Schneider. I figured I had it, as I had a history of waking up gagging and choking and never really feeling rested. I had one of the worst cases this technician had ever seen.

Been on CPAP for over three years. Missed only one night during that time. Improvement has been unmistakable and pronounced. No more afternoon naps. Incidentally, my father has used CPAP for over ten years. He is a physician, same height as me, but normal weight. His SA was not as severe as mine, however. He also strongly suspects his father suffered from it as well, based upon his knowledge of his father's sleep habits, mood, etc. There is no question that it can be hereditary.

Snoring is not an indicator. Weight is not an automatic indicator, but no question those who are overweight (such as myself) are more likely to suffer from SA.

My mood is better, my alertness is better....my whole life is better since I've been using CPAP. My wife was so impressed by the change that she went and got tested. She now has a machine, though her SA was not nearly as severe as mine either.

Will there be abuses for the almighty dollar? Of course, just as in everything nowadays. But speaking for myself and through my own experience, I thank God Schneider had me tested. I very likely would have wound up dead in my sleep at some point.

Oh, and to those who call it "junk science" or "BS"...please do not comment on something you obviously have zero clue about. Your ignorance comes shining through.

 

There is no scientific evidence that there is a correlation between SA and truck crashes. Let them show me proof and I'll have a test. As for untill then they can piss off. If I die in my sleep then I hurt know one but me.

 

The only part of it mostly that I call junk science is the BMI part. BMI is for the most part a useless number. Using a hip/waist ratio is far more accurate and easier to calculate.

 

Its funny. I know over 50 people that have been tested for sleep apnea that were told by the doc or clinician, that it was the worst case they had ever seen.

Really? How many worst cases can there be? Its nothing but a cash cow for these sleep specialists. Sleep Apnea is the most over diagnosed medical problem in history.

 

Ah, when you wake up and can't get your breathe for 30 seconds. Just roll over and go back to sleep, nothings wrong.

 

Nice bike and is that your fulltime rig or will you be getting something else?

I wonder if football players that weigh upwards of 400lbs have any of these SA problems,>>might be worth looking into?

Be safe out there,,

 

Thanks, I loves me bike

No, that was my first trainers truck. I will have my own assigned truck in 10 days

 

My doc tohought I would been a walking case of SA was tested nope do not have it. but yet my Father does so does both of my Brothers. Yet I have the Lung capacity of a Horse as the Tech said. Measured at 9 Liters max volume I could move normal for a person is around 4-5 Liters max volume. Maybe that explained when I played football when everyone was gasping for air I was breathing Normal. Coach refused to let us end practice til either I was gasping or someone puked Normally it was option 2 first.