D.O.T. Medical, Sleep Apnea

You are correct, however, on my medical card renewal it was a one sentence question on the long form. Included with the rest of your health history. It wasn't a form, and if you filled out a separate form, you weren't required, except by that doctor, not the federal government.

 

Truckerdad57, I appreciate your response. While you think you corrected some things in my posting, what you really did was prove my point even more. If you revisit my posting you should notice I didn't dismiss the importance of being treated for sleep apnea, nor the diagnosis.

Purely using someone's BMI is discrimination! When I visited a pulmonary doctor, after discussing the possibility of sleep apnea with my primary doctor mind you, he agreed that its discriminatory.

The point of my post was these doctors are selectively enforcing a non existent regulation. It is not equal treatment which is, ta da, discrimination!
Also, the point of my post was to inform drivers this is NOT regulation. You are well informed because you have been treating sleep apnea since 2002. Most drivers are not informed!
The facts you provided are the same facts I heard from the pulmonary doctor I visited. That's the point, these doctors are NOT presenting all treatment options, nor explaining them as you have in your posting.
Take care

 

Well, yeah. It is discriminatory, however they are selecting the characteristic that 80% of folks with sleep apnea have. They're very overweight... which is one of the consequences of getting poor quality sleep. That doesn't mean skinny folks can't have it... it's just more likely that you will if you're overweight.

 

I couldn't agree more!!!

But the real problem is that most companies pay so poorly that a driver feels the pressure to work that #### long to begin with!!! \

If we have to break the law, or run our peckers in the dirt trying to make a living, I think we should rob a bank or sell dope and have more time off!!!

When I was diagnosed in 1998, my MD told me that untreated I would have been dead in FIVE YEARS.
Also sleep apnea can cause all sorts of digestive problems esp. ulcers, a lowered immune system (setting you up for all kinds of opportunistic infections), a heightened level of stress hormones in the blood system making weight control very difficult.

There are so many conditions caused or worsened by sleep apnea. I suffered for most of life. I don't take a nap without my CPAP today.

 

Like "forcing" you to write on the internet in GIANT RED LETTERS!!!