Jenny
Veteran Expediter
When you figure that one out please share with me. Being 4 10 makes it that much more difficult for me.
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Sleep apnea
- Thread starter moose
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When you figure that one out please share with me. Being 4 10 makes it that much more difficult for me.
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It is not required but is some type of recomendation they put out so doctors are running with it.
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zorry
Veteran Expediter
This is how I'm doing it !
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pearlpro
Expert Expediter
I was Pigeon Holed into a Sleep Apnea test thru a CHAIN medical center that I chose because I felt I could get a quick drug test and physical, both myself and my brother went together, Now Im a big guy 350 lbs and I went thru the physical and then they sprung this sleep questionairre on me, I dont have isses with sleep, and I never have, Yes I snore but its due to my younger days when I was a Bouncer and Kick boxer and my nose was broken.....
I went and took a Home Test for the sleep apnea and when I went back to the clinic she says OH YES YOU MOST CERTAINLY HAVE SLEEP APNEA...I said Hogwash, and I got a second Physical and opinions, The Nurse Practitioner says YOU SEEM TO HAVE A WAY TO OVERCOME THE ISSUE THAT MAKE A PERSON TIRED AND YOUR BRAIN ISNT AFFECTED, at that point I knew this was a scheme, a money making sell me machines, and keep me going to the SLEEP CLINIC FOR LIFE MONEY MAKING SCHEME....
Ill not ever take another sleep test, until there is definitive proof, and not some Schneider survey where the results were skewed horribly in favor of the Medical clinic who is making BILLIONS OF DOLLARS....iVE SEEN NUMEROUS STUDYS AND ALL ARE FAULTED AS THERE paid for by the same people selling the machinery...
Ive NEVER had an accident, a ticket, a freight claim, never wrecked a strap, chain or bumped a dumpster....Im as professional as it comes when a DRIVER is called Professional, BUT MY DRIVING RECORD ISNT EVEN CONSIDERED...if your troubled by sleep or attention deficit your going to have accidents, but they want to say YOUR FAT YOUR UNSAFE, and I want to say Let me see YOUR DRIVING RECORDS....how many people have accidents in cars, shouldnt they allk be wearing CPAP machines for life now.....
Dont be fooled this is about money, OUR MONEY because trucking is a good paying job and these Medical Zealots want America to believe were Unsafe, sleep deprived, Ive even seen LAWFIRKMS now advertising about accidents with sleepy and tired truckers,,,,HOG WASH....
Please add my name to your letter, because this is a witch hunt, Adn Im **** tired of all this, we need to stand and be counted and if they want to they can come deliver my freight....Im not gonna be tested or PAY for testing until I see DEFINITIVE outside the Industry, PROOF...
I went and took a Home Test for the sleep apnea and when I went back to the clinic she says OH YES YOU MOST CERTAINLY HAVE SLEEP APNEA...I said Hogwash, and I got a second Physical and opinions, The Nurse Practitioner says YOU SEEM TO HAVE A WAY TO OVERCOME THE ISSUE THAT MAKE A PERSON TIRED AND YOUR BRAIN ISNT AFFECTED, at that point I knew this was a scheme, a money making sell me machines, and keep me going to the SLEEP CLINIC FOR LIFE MONEY MAKING SCHEME....
Ill not ever take another sleep test, until there is definitive proof, and not some Schneider survey where the results were skewed horribly in favor of the Medical clinic who is making BILLIONS OF DOLLARS....iVE SEEN NUMEROUS STUDYS AND ALL ARE FAULTED AS THERE paid for by the same people selling the machinery...
Ive NEVER had an accident, a ticket, a freight claim, never wrecked a strap, chain or bumped a dumpster....Im as professional as it comes when a DRIVER is called Professional, BUT MY DRIVING RECORD ISNT EVEN CONSIDERED...if your troubled by sleep or attention deficit your going to have accidents, but they want to say YOUR FAT YOUR UNSAFE, and I want to say Let me see YOUR DRIVING RECORDS....how many people have accidents in cars, shouldnt they allk be wearing CPAP machines for life now.....
Dont be fooled this is about money, OUR MONEY because trucking is a good paying job and these Medical Zealots want America to believe were Unsafe, sleep deprived, Ive even seen LAWFIRKMS now advertising about accidents with sleepy and tired truckers,,,,HOG WASH....
Please add my name to your letter, because this is a witch hunt, Adn Im **** tired of all this, we need to stand and be counted and if they want to they can come deliver my freight....Im not gonna be tested or PAY for testing until I see DEFINITIVE outside the Industry, PROOF...
AMonger
Veteran Expediter
Well, then, you're not going to be driving long. At my last physical, they brought out a tape measure and measured my neck. It was above some certain number of inches, don't remember how many, so they brought out the sleep questionnaire. The doctor said that the sleep study, while recommended, isn't mandatory right now (this was last May, I think), but it will be by the time I renew. So at some point I'm the near future, if he's right, we fat guys will either be paying for sleep studies or retiring.
Is it BS? Yes. Another driver told me a doctor tried to force him into a sleep study a few years ago, with follow up appointments. He said, "I live hundreds of miles away! You think I'm coming back to you for follow up appointments?" That stopped that BS in its tracks. He was still driving, so when the doctor found out he lived hundreds of miles away and there was no more money to make from him, he must have certified him. So, yes, it appears to be all about money. But like so many other things, the guys that make the rules are owned by various lobbies, and they also have the guns and badges. Should have been voting for smaller government when you had the chance.
Is it BS? Yes. Another driver told me a doctor tried to force him into a sleep study a few years ago, with follow up appointments. He said, "I live hundreds of miles away! You think I'm coming back to you for follow up appointments?" That stopped that BS in its tracks. He was still driving, so when the doctor found out he lived hundreds of miles away and there was no more money to make from him, he must have certified him. So, yes, it appears to be all about money. But like so many other things, the guys that make the rules are owned by various lobbies, and they also have the guns and badges. Should have been voting for smaller government when you had the chance.
Exactly. The FMCSA Medical Advisory Board has to justify their existence the same as the FMCSA does, so they are constantly coming up with recommendations for this or that, usually without any real hard data to recommend it. There's quite a long list that the Advisory Board puts out, and some of the things on the list become actual DOT regulations. But a lot of them don't. Some doctors treat those recommendations as if they are regulations, and do not differentiate between them at all.
Case in point, if you've ever had a diagnosis of angina or have had a stent put in, the recommendation is that you have stress test performed every two years. It is also suggested, but is not a recommendation, that you have a consultation with a cardiologist. One would think it would be the other way around, that consulting with a cardiologist would be more important than the stress test, since the cardiologist who examines you will know better than anyone whether or not you need a stress test.
My DOT doctor was adamant that the stress test was a DOT regulation. He even printed me out a copy of the page of the recommendations, saying, "This is what the DOT recommends," even though that's not at all what the DOT recommends, it's what the Medical Advisory Board recommends. The DOT doesn't recommend, they regulate, and if it's not in the regs it's not required. We had words. We especially had words when I told him my cardiologist asked pointedly who ordered the stress test, and why did they order it, because a stress test is not called for if the patient is asymptomatic, which I was (and am). The DOT doctor said, "Well, that's his opinion." Which is ironic since my cardiologist also just so happened to be the guy they recommended that I see for my consultation and followup. But he was adamant about sticking to the DOT regulations and recommendations. I can't help but wonder if the doctor order such tests don't benefit somehow from them having being performed.
My current primary physician and my former physician (who closed his private practice and now only works in the ER on weekends and at the university a couple of days) were both befuddled as to why a stress test would be ordered for someone with no symptoms at all. My cardiologist was actually a little ticked off about it. He said I wasted a lot of money ($2700, actually) to find out nothing we didn't already know.
My DOT doctor is the one who spent 20 minutes waxing poetic about the virtues of a colonoscopy, despite that having nothing to do with a DOT physical. He tried to schedule me one, so I have to wonder if that's not a cost center for him, as well.
Also, for my money, he spent entirely too much time in the "turn your head and cough" phase of the examination. Entirely.
That may be so, but it may also be about CYA. Blame the lawyers. Doctors live in perpetual fear of malpractice suits, and if they don't, the clinics and hospitals they work for do. If something is recommended from on high, and a doctor does not recommend it, and something later develops that might come back to bite them, ... well, that's the fear. It's better for them to spend your money to cover their back sides than to place themselves in a position of increased liability risk.
Clearly, the colonoscopy is yet another way for your doctor to stick it to you. But all kidding aside, it's a good thing to have done. There is a debate going on now about how often they should be done for people above a certain age, but if you are in the recommended age group and have not had one done, it would be wise to consider it.
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AMonger
Veteran Expediter
Bill Sardi wrote an article about how the efficacy of colonoscopies is overstated. Apparently, far fewer lives are saved than is reported.
the other point to make in all of this....due to my experience...you are diagnosed...then prescribed a cpap machine....now...YOU HAVE TO POWER IT.. not a lot of expediters are set up with generators...because that's what it will require...so on top of the cost of testing ...cpap machine...now you have to power this thing...
Tough luck for that expeditor...buy a generator or find another profession that more suits their health problems...
Exactly why people object to forced testing . If drivers like you have a problem staying awake they know it and should be treated .
However , many people with a neck size or BMI some medical experts recommend forcing to be tested do not have sleep problems and have never had a problem with fatigue .
Humble2drive
Expert Expediter
This is completely false and should be removed.
Many truck drivers are overweight as a direct result of the choices they make.
moose
Veteran Expediter
Good Point H2D.
i simply do not agree.
the point i tried to make is while many obese PEOPLE comes into our industry, already making bad choices, heck that why they crushes, they care less about themselves, why will they care about safety? this is why the so called 'study' is misleading.
simply saying that 'beached Whales' are unsafe is simply untrue.
they did not study obese drivers, they study's obese peoples that choose to drive trucks, and they only followed them for the 'inexperienced period'
IF there's anything that can be learned from the UofM publications is that NEW drivers needs to be screened. nothing more.
unfortunately they will used their shortcoming against us.
there are also MANY peoples that are overweight almost regardless of what they eat and how often they are exercising.
it is much easier for me to have a low BMI, because im compact, then it is for someone that is 6.4 and have been athletic for the first 3 decades of his life.
i simply think that our lifestyle makes making those wise choices WAY harder then lets say a 9 to 5 job.
is it possible ? absolutely - but it is WAY harder at times.
they are simply going to flush the baby with the water .
(*where did this phrase came from?)
i simply do not agree.
the point i tried to make is while many obese PEOPLE comes into our industry, already making bad choices, heck that why they crushes, they care less about themselves, why will they care about safety? this is why the so called 'study' is misleading.
simply saying that 'beached Whales' are unsafe is simply untrue.
they did not study obese drivers, they study's obese peoples that choose to drive trucks, and they only followed them for the 'inexperienced period'
IF there's anything that can be learned from the UofM publications is that NEW drivers needs to be screened. nothing more.
unfortunately they will used their shortcoming against us.
there are also MANY peoples that are overweight almost regardless of what they eat and how often they are exercising.
it is much easier for me to have a low BMI, because im compact, then it is for someone that is 6.4 and have been athletic for the first 3 decades of his life.
i simply think that our lifestyle makes making those wise choices WAY harder then lets say a 9 to 5 job.
is it possible ? absolutely - but it is WAY harder at times.
they are simply going to flush the baby with the water .
(*where did this phrase came from?)
A CPAP machine doesn't require a generator. Truckers and boondockers (campers with no shore power or generator) use batteries every day to power their CPAP machines. Most CPAP machines have a DC options where you can connect directly to a battery. That's the most efficient way to do it, since no battery energy is lost having to go through an inverter. But for those that are AC-only, you can use a small (175 Watt) inverter and power your CPAP machine off a Walmart deep cycle marine battery for the entire night with no problems.
They make Li-ion CPAP battery packs that will power your CPAP machine for 4-5 nights, depending on what type of machine you have and pressure setting. But I think those puppies are in the $800 range.
Most CPAP machines, depending on pressure settings, are between 30-60 Watts. That's like a light bulb. 30 Watts translates to 2.75 amps from the battery through an inverter. 60 Watts becomes a 5.5 amp draw. Using the upper end of 5.5 amps, for 8 hours of sleep that's 44 amps from the battery. 55 amps for 10 hours of sleep. In that scenario, a 110 amp hour battery is more than sufficient to run a CPAP machine all night between recharging the battery from the alternator the next day. The amp hour rating of batteries is calculated on a 5 amp draw, so a 100 amp hour battery that draws 5 amps per hour will last 20 hours (or 10 hours if you stay at 50% Depth of Discharge, which will make the battery lifetime last much longer).
An Everstart Maxx marine battery from Walmart is all that's necessary for that, whether you use it through an inverter or with direct connect DC power (if you machine is capable of that). If you want to have some extra peace of mind, or will be drawing other things from the battery, like lights or a laptop, then two Or even three or four) of those batteries is the way to go.
The manufacturer of your CPAP machine will be able to tell you the power draw (usually in Watts) of you machine at various pressure settings. Watts divided by 12 volts will give you the amp draw with a direct connection to the battery, and if going through an inverter you need to take that amp draw and then add 10% to it (if 30 Watts divided by 12 volts equals 2.5 amps, then 2.5 time 10 % is .25, and 2.5 + .25 = 2.75 amps).
If you use a heated humidifier then you will have to use a pure sine wave inverter, however. Humidifiers use a triac or thyristor to regulate the power by turning on partway through each mains cycle. The controller assumes the mains voltage is pure sine wave and 60 cycles per second, same as household current. Modified sine wave inverters do not provide a true sine wave output, thus the controllers make wrong decisions and cause the humidifier to deliver full power continuously and will inevitably burn out the heating element. If you do use a heated humidifier with a sine wave inverter, then the heating element amp draw must be taken into consideration when sizing the battery or battery bank.
Gotta question. Many of us got into this business because of some notion of "freedom of the open road" or some such nonsense. So, what happened? Seems to me this is the most heavily regulated segment I've ever seen, and you don't have any real freedom at all. Strange thing: Some here talk of spreading that heavy regulation to everybody. Just what you need: "Experts" telling you when to go to sleep, how long to sleep and requiring you to invest in medical tests and hardware to guarantee a medically approved sleep. Inmates in the federal prisons have more freedom than you do. Think about that.
purgoose10
Veteran Expediter
That is pure fact. I didn't believe it until I got tested and put on the machine 10 yrs ago. Wish I got it 20 yrs ago. Feel great every morning.
No. But I did sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night.
Actually my stepdad has one. We tested it out for practicality and measured the Wattage draw (using the very handy Kill-A-Watt Meter - at fine stores and Lowes & Walmarts nationwide), both to find out the electrical cost at the house and for feasibility of using off batteries when he took a long road trip and planned to sleep in the back of his van a few nights. And I know quite a few people who use them on batteries, in trucks, camping, and one guy in a houseboat.
I don't have sleep apnea, but in the unlikely event I might develop it I did some research. One thing I do know is batteries, and there are precious few appliances that might conceivably be in the truck that I haven't investigated for amp draws and usage time frames.
My point was i have delt real world and tried all way's of powering these things..having to have this to sleep... you DO NOT need batteries going dead in the middle of the nite because of this or that...than that means real crappy sleep the rest of the nite..so again after trying many avenue's of powering these things..a generator is the best way to go..the $$ you will have into batteries..inverters..etc..you throw a little more with it and you have a nice honda that will give you years of reliable non interrupted sleep which is the point of the cpap to begin with..i dont want to see you give someone bad advice because you dont know what your talking about when it comes to cpap machines.. i am just giving my advice of many years of experience with cpap machines...hope this helps someone..
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