Sleep Apnea ?'s

Last year, after one of our drivers died when he rear-ended another truck, and the LEO'S determined he had fallen asleep, the medical clinic we went to for our physicals, started checking us for sleep apnea. Specifically, any driver that is larger than normal. And, even if you were in the 'normal size' range, but the doctor suspected your neck was over 17", he would pull out a tape measure and measure your neck. They would not renew a medical card on anyone suspect of sleep apnea, until the driver went for a sleep test. One of our drivers had one episode of not breathing for 10 seconds, and he was ordered to get a cpap.
Throughout his ordeal, he was out of work for two months without pay. After another sleep study with his cpap, he was cleared for a one year medical card. Every year, he has to take his machine in, to get the information downloaded showing that he had used it every night.
I know I'll be suspect, and am dreading the whole ordeal.

 

Big,

My father's doctor, who is a specialist for sleep apnea, told him it is hereditary. My father has been on me to go and get checked. I'm set up to go next month. My father has been using the machine since 2000 and has no complaints. He said he feels more rested than before the CPAP. I'm sure I have it, there are nights I'm up 6 or 7 times. I'm sure it doesn't help that I work rotating shifts and change shifts every 7 days.

 

Curt, this should in no way be an "ordeal" for you. Unless your company is already aware of it, and has put you on leave, there is no reason for them to know about it until it is over with.

The sleep study is extremely simple for you. You just go to the clinic overnight, for one night, and they monitor your sleep. They pass the info on to your doctor, who then writes the scrip for the sleep machine, and the settings for it. The entire thing should be over in less than a week, and it should only interrupt your normal life style for the one night you take the study.

It will be the best investment of time, that you have ever made.

 

When I got tested, I went in, met with the technician, chatted a bit, then he patched me in with about 10 leads. That was the hardest part, falling asleep with all these wires taped to ya!

Anyway, he wakes me up about 4 1/2 hours later and tells me he has good news for me!

"No apnea?" I ask.

"You're not dead", he replies.


I don't recall how many times I actually quit breathing, but it was a substantial number.

I walked out of there that morning with a machine.

 

The part I was dreading was being off for two months without pay. I never did understand why our drivers had to be off for two months, they just kept saying it was D.O.T. regulations something or another. But, each of our drivers who went through the sleep study were off two months.
But, since the company folded, and I'm contemplating what to do next, it's kind of a moot point now anyway. I guess until I get hired on elsewhere.

 

Sorry to hear you are out of work, Curt. Now would be a perfect time to get going on this. Hopefully, you are on COBRA. Insurance will pick up their portion of the cost if you are.

This is the first I'd heard of the two months off bit. But when I think about it, I suppose it is understandable. Big Brother is W A T C H I N G out for you.....

 

a guy i know had a machine with no data reader and the doc disqualified him when he went to get his physical so he got a new machine the next day and they gave him a 90 day temp med card and he will have to show compliance after the 90 days are up