What made you get treatment ?

[Berneta]

Angels Fly

Hi Angel, Glad you are doing well, stick with it even if problems should come up. Its really worth it. Berneta

[red angel]

thanks

thank you Berneta....
I have found great solice in coming here. I really felt lonely and different..lol
thank you for your support

[USSLRM]

For Those Who Need It, I'm Glad It's Helping.

For me, I had just come off 3 months of short term disability for a broken arm. Had to get recertified for a Commercial Drivers License. That's when all the stupidity started.

I had just healed a broken arm and my BMI was higher than their limit, so I was able to fulfill two of their statistics. Injured and BMI,,,so of course I was at risk for sleep apnea.

The large trucking firm based in Wisconsin that I drive for was all gaga about the CPAP program. Of course they were, there's grant money available for such things.

They claim that they are consistent with their guidelines, but that is not the case. I know plenty of drivers with my company that have a BMI higher than mine that have not had to be subjected to this program. Also, there are drivers who have been assigned a CPAP machine with their program, left the company, returned after a while, never mentioned that they were on the CPAP program, and haven't been reevaluated nor required to use the machines any more.

But hey, remember, I was able to fill two slots in their statistics, BMI and injured. So they had a another body to help with the DOT 30% statistic. And, lets not forget about that grant money.

I didn't have any problems with sleeping or sleep deprivation but the doctor claimed that his hands were tied by the company guidelines for the recertification. So I went for the sleep study where I was told that my AHI and other numbers were just on the boarder for the companies standard and that he "had" to recommend the CPAP to pacify them.

I really am glad that people are getting help with medical issues with the CPAP program. But to require others to participate just to be part of a statistic is stupid.

[Berneta]

Bend the Laws or Break Them

Hi USSLRM,
I am so sorry to hear about the broken arm, and the borderline sleep problem. You have been caught up like a fish in a net--not small and perfect. More and more companies are making new regulations requiring Sleep Apnea testing for larger people. It doesn't matter that someone else is not having the test even though they are bigger than you. You just happened to get caught in the net, Eventually all the others will be required to take the test too, as the various companies get the idea that a Sleep Apnea test and CPAP user is less likely to get them sued after an accident. The testing saves them money. Its either that or fire all the bigger people. That wouldn't go over very good either, So now you have an arm that is getting well, and the security of knowing that your job is safe because you complied with their regulations.
Here in the US they are about to pass a LAW that ALL drivers of public convveyances.(taxies, planes, police cars, firetrucks, ambulances, helicopters, buses,etc)--will be required to take a sleep apnea test regardless of their weight or background-- before getting a license to drive. This will also apply to truck drivers and drivers of heavy machinery that will use public roads. IT is believed that this will cut down on the number of fatalities in accidents. Here in the US there are thousands of deaths a year that may be caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel. How many people would have to be saved to make the law worthwhile? I think just one. And it would save on countless law suits that would never happen because someone lived, who could have died. Maybe it doesn't seem fair to you because you are actually only "borderline " at this time. But maybe this will save you from crossing that line. Look on the bright side of it. You can still have a job (Many don't)--and you may be saving a life--maybe even your own. Best Wishes, Berneta

[USSLRM]

Don't want to go too far off topic here,,,

Thank you for your insights Berneta. I do agree that if there is a legitimate concern that can be addressed to save lives,,,great. There are so many tools available to ensure that motor carriers are compliant with the laws that would help maintain safe highways, but that costs money, so instead they put up a smoke screen with sleep apnea. It's easy, extort drivers into compliance or loose the job. And everybody pays the bill for it with higher health insurance premiums.

I don't know how to transfer the link to this study, but here is a good web-page to take a peek at. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-rese...leepApneaCrash

Here's a bit of the conclusion: With the exception of a significant positive relationship between severe sleep apnea and severe crashes, results from this study showed that the presence and severity of sleep apnea in commercial truck drivers are not good predictors of motor vehicle crash involvement. In other words, no compelling statistical evidence was found
that supports the hypothesis that sleep apnea increases crash risk among commercial drivers. Furthermore, there was no evidence from the data used in this study to suggest that crash risk is impacted before and after drivers are diagnosed with sleep apnea.

Instead of enforcing the laws that are in place now to maintain safety, the DOT is making suggestions about Apnea even though their own study shows that the numbers just aren't there to justify those suggestions or the rumored laws about it.

And guess what,,,no matter what is done, crashes are going to occur and people are going to die. Harsh but true. The only safe solution is to demolish all roads and stop making the vehicles that travel on them.

This shift of blame to sleep apnea reminds me of the movie Blazing Saddles,,,Gentlemen, we must protect our phony baloney jobs,,hey I didn't hear a harrumph from over there,,,

[Splash]

I was waking up all exahusted like I had'nt even been to bed. I would remain give out all day long. I would fall asleep every time I got still. I fell asleep while driving and almost hit a cop car. NOT good that is what got my attention. I thought it was my heart. I went to a heart doctor and he said Ill bet my next pay chcek you have sleep apnea and refered me to be tested and sure enough I did. I could tell the difference imediately!. I woke up feeling better the first night. Now my problem is I am swelling in my feet and legs .Does anyone else have this problem? If so let me know
Thanks

[Sparticus]

Cross Country

My wife told me I had it

...but I knew I had a problem when I woke to find people honking at me doing 70 up the grass verge on the motorway and that was one of the lighter moments, ploughing in to road works aint no fun, it really makes a mess of your trousers

Seriously though, I knew something was wrong and after being refer to the sleep clinic in Edinburgh all was sorted

[Poppy56]

I'm in my late 50s and knew I snored very loudly but thought nothing of it - I am divorced and had no partner so it wasn't disturbing anyone. I put constant tiredness and falling asleep all over the place down to my age, commuting long distances to work and an exhausting job. Then my life changed - met my current partner and he noticed that not only did I snore but I also held my breath and that this happened all through the night. He insisted that I see my doctor who referred me to a sleep clinic - within a couple of months I was fixed up with a CPAP and have never looked back. I was initially very embarrassed at him seeing me with Darth on but it's better than him hearing me snoring - and I don't fall asleep all over the place anymore, wake up with bags of energy and things have improved enormously.