Pappy
Expert Expediter
I have a doctors appointment today and it reminded me to share a not so good experience with my last DOT physical.
My appointment was at 4pm--I had been at work since 6am that day and had just spent 6 hours at a customers dock trying to get 3 skids unloaded. It was one of those places where drivers are'nt allowed to leave a small area with no facilities other than a rest room.
When I arrived back at my terminal, I was starved to death and had only a few minutes to make it for my physical appointment. I ran by the snack machines and grabbed 2 honey buns and a pepsi and downed these items on the way to the doctor---BIG--BIG---MISTAKE!
My physical went very well till I whizzed in the bottle. You know, some goes for drug screening and a small amount goes for sugar testing. The latter was the real problem. The doctor started asking me all kinds of crazy questions like "have you taken your insulin today"? and "why did'nt you list on the questionaire that you are diabetic or that you take medication and what type medication you take to control sugar"? After trying to convince him that I had never had any sugar problems and if I did that I was totally unaware of it, he grabbed another piece of litmus paper and dipped it in some urine.Then using his color chart showed me that the paper had turned 20 shades of the wrong color. According to this test I was typeII diabetic and had just failed my physical. WOW
Then, the doctor began reviewing the questionaire I had filled out again. I had listed that I had recently had a CORTIZONE shot for a frozen shoulder. He informed me that in many instances, CORTIZONE will seriously elevate blood sugar levels in some instances. Then came the big question. He asked me what I had eaten that day? When I told him what I ate and drank on the way to his office he kind of scratched his head and immediately re scheduled me another appointment at 7am the next day.
So, I was back at 7 the next morning having had nothing more than 1 cup of black coffee. Again I whizzed in a cup and was tested for sugar---Which was and is perfectly normal.
Beware of what you consume at least 8 hours before a DOT physical and ideally consume NOTHING within 4 hours before your test.Thats according to the doctor!
Good health to everyone!
Pappy
My appointment was at 4pm--I had been at work since 6am that day and had just spent 6 hours at a customers dock trying to get 3 skids unloaded. It was one of those places where drivers are'nt allowed to leave a small area with no facilities other than a rest room.
When I arrived back at my terminal, I was starved to death and had only a few minutes to make it for my physical appointment. I ran by the snack machines and grabbed 2 honey buns and a pepsi and downed these items on the way to the doctor---BIG--BIG---MISTAKE!
My physical went very well till I whizzed in the bottle. You know, some goes for drug screening and a small amount goes for sugar testing. The latter was the real problem. The doctor started asking me all kinds of crazy questions like "have you taken your insulin today"? and "why did'nt you list on the questionaire that you are diabetic or that you take medication and what type medication you take to control sugar"? After trying to convince him that I had never had any sugar problems and if I did that I was totally unaware of it, he grabbed another piece of litmus paper and dipped it in some urine.Then using his color chart showed me that the paper had turned 20 shades of the wrong color. According to this test I was typeII diabetic and had just failed my physical. WOW
Then, the doctor began reviewing the questionaire I had filled out again. I had listed that I had recently had a CORTIZONE shot for a frozen shoulder. He informed me that in many instances, CORTIZONE will seriously elevate blood sugar levels in some instances. Then came the big question. He asked me what I had eaten that day? When I told him what I ate and drank on the way to his office he kind of scratched his head and immediately re scheduled me another appointment at 7am the next day.
So, I was back at 7 the next morning having had nothing more than 1 cup of black coffee. Again I whizzed in a cup and was tested for sugar---Which was and is perfectly normal.
Beware of what you consume at least 8 hours before a DOT physical and ideally consume NOTHING within 4 hours before your test.Thats according to the doctor!
Good health to everyone!
Pappy
