SaladTosser
Kill me now
Sleep apnea can lead to an early death. Why work all these years and die before you can even retire?
Sleep apnea diagnosis/driving “on topic”
- Thread starter Cyclops
- Start date
Catatonic
Nine Lives
Or use an apnea solution and live an otherwise normal length of life.
I tried to get my DOT card renewed today, it expires Sunday. So I took the day off to go to my personal physician at 7:30 and the pulmonary doctor at 8:15 to get my C-PAP compliance letter. It took three months to get the appointment with the pulmonary doctor, I wasn't waiting until the last minute. I got my C-PAP machine memory card read and the compliance letter from the doctor with no problem, so off to the industrial clinic for the two hour wait for a DOT Physical I go.
New this year, the DOT Exam you print off UPSers.com is no good now where I am. They had to send my phone a link to log into a "FormFox" App to fill out the same info. The doctor does my physical and finds no problem, or so I thought. She refused to sign my DOT card because I didn't bring in a 90-day printout from the C-PAP memory card. Nobody from UPS HR or management has informed me about changes to DOT regulations, my Center Manager was completely clueless about any of this. I drove back to the pulmonary doctor after going back home to retrieve the memory card to get it read again. The therapist went home early so they couldn't fax the printout to the clinic. I drove back to the clinic and turned in the printout. The doctor still refused to sign the card despite me having two documents proving that I am in compliance. She said something about the DOT requires her to review this paperwork within 24-48 hours, now I have a 45-day extension to go back and get a signed DOT Card from that clinic. My Center Manager told me to get the two documents and he would authorize me going to a different clinic and starting a new exam. I wasn't allowed by the new DOT rules to do this, this is all online now.
Every year I go now the rules seem to change. HR is no help at the building I work in so I would suggest anybody diagnosed with sleep apnea to do a little research into what you exactly need to get a DOT Card these days. I wasted eight hours today for nothing, its ridiculous.
New this year, the DOT Exam you print off UPSers.com is no good now where I am. They had to send my phone a link to log into a "FormFox" App to fill out the same info. The doctor does my physical and finds no problem, or so I thought. She refused to sign my DOT card because I didn't bring in a 90-day printout from the C-PAP memory card. Nobody from UPS HR or management has informed me about changes to DOT regulations, my Center Manager was completely clueless about any of this. I drove back to the pulmonary doctor after going back home to retrieve the memory card to get it read again. The therapist went home early so they couldn't fax the printout to the clinic. I drove back to the clinic and turned in the printout. The doctor still refused to sign the card despite me having two documents proving that I am in compliance. She said something about the DOT requires her to review this paperwork within 24-48 hours, now I have a 45-day extension to go back and get a signed DOT Card from that clinic. My Center Manager told me to get the two documents and he would authorize me going to a different clinic and starting a new exam. I wasn't allowed by the new DOT rules to do this, this is all online now.
Every year I go now the rules seem to change. HR is no help at the building I work in so I would suggest anybody diagnosed with sleep apnea to do a little research into what you exactly need to get a DOT Card these days. I wasted eight hours today for nothing, its ridiculous.
TheMachine
Are you sure you want to punch out?
My last physical they were all over my neck size. Oh we must delve deeper into this...
Pretty annoying if you have a larger developed neck. Never had any complaints of snoring in my life and despite this she was adamant my neck size was an issue.
So if you like to workout, stop. Must have a skinny neck to drive...
Pretty annoying if you have a larger developed neck. Never had any complaints of snoring in my life and despite this she was adamant my neck size was an issue.
So if you like to workout, stop. Must have a skinny neck to drive...
TheMachine
Are you sure you want to punch out?
I'm 5'10" and I weigh 192 pounds with a 15 1/2" neck size. I could lose a few pounds, but I am in pretty good shape. I walk twelve miles a day at work. I snore like a good percentage of the population.
Old Man Jingles
Rat out of a cage
I’m not sure they liked it.
Old Man Jingles
Rat out of a cage
Hey Buddy!
That sounds like a lot of
.I’m glad they didn’t have all that crap way back when.
Old Man Jingles
Rat out of a cage
I have been using a CPAP machine for 24 years. It made a huge difference in the quality of my life.
BakerMayfield2018
Fight the power.
I weigh 50 more pounds than you
and only 2 inches taller. I pass every year. I suggest you get a new doctor....
542thruNthru
Well-Known Member
You pass the "guidelines" for the DOT physical. Have you taken a sleep study? They are 2 completely different things.
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
old levi's
blank space
It's even worse now, the newest machines transmit all data to the health provider wirelessly. You must have 4 continuous hours of use each night, for that night to count as a complete sleep cycle. There is also a threshold percentage of use over the year that must be maintained, but I could never get anyone to disclose that number.
Before you go for your yearly DOT exam you must obtain a printout of compliance from the CPAP provider to give to the doctor at the time of the physical. I can tell you from experience that you have apnea, along with hypertension, they are looking more to disqualify you, than to pass you.
Drink Craft Beer
Well-Known Member
So much wrong with this post:This!! Never answer "Yes" when asked if you snore. Unless you want to be forced to use a CPAP machine connected to a mask every night while trying to sleep. The masks leave marks on your
face for hours after waking up and the machines make you sound like a damn Sleestak from "Land Of The Lost". Bottom line, if you answer "yes", then you're just asking for trouble. My wife has to wear one of these damn things and I'd rather just die in my sleep than have to bother with some machine blowing air down my throat all night long!!
Screws with your sex life also. No more spontaneous "poking" in the middle of the night either.
When you wake up with a woodie and look over at your wife and she's wearing that ugly-ass mask like below, it suddenly turns to mush. Just say no to CPAP!!
No marks left on face for hours after use.
It's not that loud
Air is not blown down your throat.
Drink Craft Beer
Well-Known Member
I started using one in July. Was told that 5hrs was needed and that the insurance will check to make sure you're doing so. If not, then they won't pay for the machine. After about 10mos or so they quit monitoring it because that's around the time they pay it off and it's yours to keep.
I'm glad I'm using it. Haven't felt this good in years.
I have a 45-minute drive going to work, I used to have trouble staying awake. I had no problems at work, 17 stops an hour kept me awake. The amount of extra energy and alertness has been very noticeable since treatment. I get a good night's sleep and I am fully alert in the morning now.
Steps add up, this is an extreme day for me. Usually I have about 27,000 that works out to 10-12 miles a day. I count from when I climb out of bed in the morning until lights out at night. Most of these are walking off driveways. I get paid $1900 a week gross to exercise is the way I look at it. I don’t dislike the actual job itself. Presently I am wanting another house and I have new car fever. I still like earning twice what a pension will pay. To each his own, a lot of things are beyond you.
old levi's
blank space
Took me a long time to get accustomed to exhale against the incoming pressure.
I could never tell any difference in my energy, or alertness level that I could attribute to the machine.
I hated the mask on my face; if I woke up during the night and saw that the 4 hour window had passed, it was coming off right then.
I could never tell any difference in my energy, or alertness level that I could attribute to the machine.
I hated the mask on my face; if I woke up during the night and saw that the 4 hour window had passed, it was coming off right then.
Similar threads
