JB Was Pretty Good To Me...

I would work for them again... I worked there for a year and I was pretty happy on a DCS account... I would still be there had I not had a health incident... I was home everyday... I usually worked about 11 hours a day... I got what I wanted for runs because I basically told dispatch what I wanted... I had 20 years experience, and I used that to my benefit by not being afraid to tell them what I wanted... bending a little when they really needed me to change up at the last minute to cover something... and doing a couple of favors for my scheduling dispatcher... I had a number of postive writeups from safety for being observed folling the yard rules... lights, 4 ways, seatbelt, and doing a reasonable speed in the yard...I knew a number of drivers who would complain about the runs they would get constantly... the problem..? They would complain to everybody except the people who could do something about it... I would tell them to go let the right person know that they weren't happy... and that changing things up a couple of times a week... the drivers that followed my advice got positive results and their attitudes really changed. It's that and my 20 years with no tickets and no accidents, that I believe I would be good in safety or maybe training... because sadly I can never drive a commercial vehicle again...The last day I worked was 12/23/2013... had christmas eve off and christmas... at my sister's on christmas day out of the blue my right leg went crazy pain on me... I had developed a blockage in my right leg... and by the end of February I had 3 surgeries and ended up with my leg amputated above my knee... I couldn't talk about it without losing control of my emotions... I knew my days of driving... were over... something that I not only thoroughly enjoyed... but I worked hard at being good at it... I miss the money... I miss the freedom of being out on the road... I have come to accept it... but I am still saddened when I look down and see my leg gone and just wish it was a bad dream I would awaken from... but that is not going to happen... because it isn't a bad dream... it's a just a sad reality.My supervisor at JB said they're sure they can find something for me there... My medical insurance ended and now I'm working with the VA to get a bionic leg... I told my supervisor I would be back when I can walk in on 2 legs... I figure that I'll get the rehab out of the way so I wouldn't be taking a lot of time off... I have to learn how to walk all over again...My doctor's figured that my almost 2 million miles in the seat had something to do with it... But the big culprits.... Smoking....and the onset of diabetes... I just had a Dot physical in Sept. last year and there were no indication in the urine of any sugar issue... but in blood tests it made itself known... it's type2 so I don't need insulin... not yet any way... a pill and changing my diet away from carbs is all that's necessary....So in conclusion my road warrior brothers... Heed what I didn't... Smoking!!! really think about what's of value to you... and get yourself a blood test to check on your sugar... yes it could create some complications with your Medical card which would just mean having it once a year instead of every 2... but what's more important... ending up like I have... or being healthy and having alot more options... and most importantly... all the limbs that God gave you... 'Nuff said... Raven