Changes coming to the DOT physical....

Im not surprised. Ive always been a runt. But not anymore. Ive caught up to my beefier relatives. Im still a runt against them. The BMI is a valid threat. I already have all of the signs written here and if I took a physical (BMI is only 23, not there yet...) now they would toss me into studies. It's not going to happen.

It is not just the DOT physical. My personal doctor was issued a government laptop into which he had to record all patients including myself on those data points in addition to several questions such as do you have guns in your home. Thank you Daddy O... That has to go. (*By the way the waiting room and offices have Hunting Magazines with large big game guns on the glossy cover....) He quit using it years ago.

I pretty much quit using medical services because I have noticed fast that any doctor or medical person I run into has changed the narrative and information to comply with increased survillence to capture people not in medical limits or compliant etc. (Poor choice of words, but do you understand? It's easeir to live in USSR with police snapping you "Papers Please" everywhere you go..."

But I cannot quit all the way. I go to certain doctors in certain specailties and they do not ask anywhere near the questions presented here. But they do gather the information because I review the paper work etc.

So what if 2 million truckers quit? Otto the ROBOT will be the Savior. Or the Syrian or Somali Immigrant will do it for .15 a mile.

 

Sleep is not a issue for me, it is altitude, as in Mountain. Tis a shame because I loved the mountain. Love something too much and it ends up trying to kill. Eh. Something anyhow.

But I can see where in about 20 years when I get old and stupid it will be so easy to farm my body into a lab constantly as a cash cow to be milked in endless tests because my system is not that of a 18 year old...

 

My 78 yr old mother-in-law was diagnosed with sleep apnea. They said she has had it for years based on her reported symptims. Got put on a CPAP...she feels no different. Still falls asleep sitting at random times. It has been adjusted and re-tested many times, and still doesn't help. Her mom had the same symptoms, but didn't waste time or money on the sleep study sham...and lived to within 2 weeks on 100.

My dad had it (before they really knew what it was). Could snore the siding off the house, and would stop breathing off and on all night (according to my mom). My mom didn't have it...she died at 62, he died at 75 9 months after the funeral of his 2nd wife.

 

I had a DoT physical completed in Maryland and was given a one year card. They wanted me to have the test within the year and if it came back negative, they'd be happy to give me the 2 year.

Well I went to school in Iowa and they retested (company policy) and there I was refused a card. Not failed, but "pended", until I got a study done. I completed the home study last night. Will be a week or more (holidays boooo) before I get the results.

I understand the issues. I have a neck that is bigger than 17 inches. Has been that way since I was 16 years old. I was never in the obese category (according to the BMI scale, which is a friggin joke) til I was into my late 30's. Now at 44 I'm hitting 3 of the profiles for apnea, so I'm being forced to test if I want this kind of work.

The best part is, I quit my old job to go to the training on the confidence that I had already passed the physical here in Maryland, albeit on a 1 year card. Therefore, had no insurance for these expensive tests. The office I went to quoted me $1350 for the test, and charged me $265 for the required consultation.

When I planned this out, again, after making sure I could pass the physical, I planned for 3 weeks of training with no pay and 5 weeks with pay of $500 /week. In no way did I plan for an additional cost of $1615 for medical testing. For the first time in my life I've had to use social assistance. Medicaid to get the tests done and unemployment to make sure I still have a home while I go through the testing and all the extra time wasted that I could be out driving.

All because they haven't seen an issue, but I fit the profile of a possible issues......it's maddening.


Ed

 

Day time sleepiness could be Narcolepsy. Might want to check that out.

 

Could also be a 78 year old woman who gets tired easily. Generally from boredom.

I know that when I'm not working, like now, if I don't fill my time I get bored and boredom leads to feeling sleepy.


Ed

 

Of anyone gets CPAP try and get a good one with remove able SD card and Auto CPAP is better then one set at certain pressure, with Auto CPAP you can let the CPAP adjust pressure as you sleep in case the sleep study was not so good.

Another good thing to get one that https://sleepyhead.jedimark.net can read you SD card. You run this program on computer and you can see how your sleeping and you can turn up the pressure on you CPAP or lower it and basically fine tune you CPAP. Because lots of people get not so good sleep test.

Also if your getting a CPAP thru insurance make sure they give you a good machine like ResMed Aircurve 10 or Resperonics. Because insurance companies have one set price they pay. So the medical supplies people may try and give you a cheap CPAP because they make more money because they are getting paid a set price by the insurance company. So they can give you a cheap CPAP or an better one they are getting paid the same. So ask for a Redsmed or Resperonics CPAP. Then you can see you sleep DATA with that free program Sleepyhead.

 

There is nothing in the FMCSA about neck, bmi or sleep testing.

http://www.go-cdl.com/uncategorized/neck-size-bmi-and-your-cdl-drivers-beware-you-might-be-oos-soon/
BUT DIDN’T CONGRESS PASS A LAW ON SLEEP APNEA?

Yes they did, forbidding any new guidance on sleep disorders, and requiring FMCSA to use the rule making process only. But the net effect is not to stop this issue of BMI and neck size from interfering with your medical certification.

“Rulemaking will take at least two and possibly four years on a contentious topic like sleep apnea. In the meantime the “no rule – rule” of informal guidance to medical examiners will be in place. This informal guidance is that all drivers with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 35 be required to get tested for sleep apnea. If positive for OSA, treatment with a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine would be required for DOT medical certification.” – http://aaacompliance.com/sleep-apnea-knowing-can-cost-cdl/

and

Since there is no FMCSA regulation regarding sleep apnea evaluation and the basic parameters are subject to interpretation, then be aware of the Medical Examiner’s position.

• The medical examiner’s job is not to diagnose. It is to assess the driver’s medical fitness to determine if any safety risk issues exist.

• If there is a reasonable chance of risk then the examiner will request that a specialist in that field provide a proper diagnosis and treatment if necessary.

• If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, then another set of regulations apply.

By being proactive, you get to manage this before it becomes an issue. – http://dotphysicaldoctor.com/dot-ph...examiners-caught-between-rock-and-hard-place/

 

Well, there ya go....the kickback... honestly that what it's going to be about.

 

They try to force one of those blasted machines on me, I shred the CDL that freaking day! I sleep fine, have ZERO problems staying awake during the day, and do my job everyday SAFELY.

I hereby formally REFUSE to take any type of "sleep study" or use some idiotic machine to "study" my sleep patterns.