Waiting to go orientation, then had a heart attack

My goodness good thing you went back.My heart attack was a light one last year but they did a lot of tests on me and said my main artery going back to my heart had 3 blockages in it so they put the stents in.

By the end of the week I was feeling great. They gave me a huge bottle of Plavix and said to make sure I took them as prescribed so I did but I didnt notice on the bottle that there were supposed to be refills and I was feeling great so I just put the bottle in the kitchen and forgot it.

Did great for about 4 months then my left leg started hurting. I thought Id twisted or sprained it or something? It started hurting on a friday so I put up with it til the next Friday and it was getting worse. I decided then if it was still hurting Sunday that I would go to my doctor on Monday and get it checked.

I woke up Sunday morning and felt like I was smothering to death. Leg was hurting chest was hurting couldnt breathe. Got up out of bed to go next door to my cousins to get help and fell flat on my face. Next thing I knew, I woke up in the hospital. They said I had 2 blood clots in my left lung, 1 in my right and my left leg was completely clotted- no blood at all circulating in it. Took 2 weeks in the hospital to get me back stabilized but they said Id have to be on Oxygen for a while because my left lung was damaged.

Im doing better but still cant take a shower without being out of breath. They put me on some stronger blood thinners (Rivaroxaban) so I guess we'll see what happens? My right leg seems to go to sleep on me a lot now. It dont hurt but just gets the pin cushion feel in it.

They told me there was nothing they could do about the blood clots, theyd just have to dissolve themselves, maybe they have moved to the right leg? I dont know?

 

That's pretty scary! Go get it checked out, you can't be too careful!!

 

Why on Earth would you tell your recruiter you had a heart attack?

 

Because I wasn't going to make it to orientation on time. Kinda hard to get out of the hospital on Saturday and be in Houston on Monday when you can barely walk, much less throw tank hoses around. Not to mention the world of trouble you can get in to for not informing them on the dot physical.

 

Because I wasn't going to make it to orientation on time. Kinda hard to get out of the hospital on Saturday and be in Houston on Monday when you can barely walk, much less throw tank hoses around. Not to mention the world of trouble you can get in to for not informing them on the dot physical.

 

It is not a good idea to disclose medical problems to a recruiter. It is also not wise to snitch on yourself on a DOT physical form. The answer to every question during a DOT physical is "No."

 

Well I'll worry about that. It's also illegal to lie on the form, they have serious penalties for that and if something happened on the road I'd face bigger liability. I'm working with they're medical people to make sure I have everything I need when I do go back to orientation.

 

There is also serious penalties for NOT lying on that crap DOT medical form. Like not getting employed, getting stuck slinging hash in some minimum wage slave slop factory, and watching wverything you worked for disappear.

As has been stated before, carriers and their insurance companies get spooked over ANY medical issue. And why should they take a chance on a maybe/maybe not with medical issues documented when there are thousands of drivers looking for work every day without (or covering up) medical issues?

 

That's true and that's a risk you take but I guarantee you'll be slinging hash if something happens and the company finds out. Your family will lose everything if you get in to an accident and it comes out. Then your career will be over. I've kept in touch with company and I'm providing them with what they ask for, thanks.

 

Got no family to worry about (no woman will have me; they ALL apparently have standards, darn the luck) and own nothing I cannot walk away from.

In fairness, I only leave off injuries. They happened, I've healed as far as I can, and I can still do my job.

Personally, I would be very careful about taking a career as stressful as driving after a major heart event. HOWEVER! I am also aware that one heart event does not necessarily mean there will be another. That is a determination between only you and you preferred medical provider. If the doc says you're good to go, and you feel confident in your health, then welcome aboard! But in the future, I wouldn't list it on your med form. Alot if good tanker/dry bulk jobs (as in better than Schnieder) will not be possible for you with a heart attack in the old background just because insurance. Sucks, but truth.