Life on the Road – Trucking News Blog

That’s just where I right now. This morning, having been cleared by my cardiologist to return to work and with an "official" note in hand from him to that effect, I headed to the nearest clinic that can do a DOT physical. It is the same place that did my last three DOT physicals.

There was nobody inside which was good because the longer I have to wait to get the physical done, the more nervous I get. I’ve tried to calm down through the process, but I just can’t. I was a little ticked that the cost for the physical has gone up $20 since last year to $80. In that year, the clinic has doubled the size and remodeled their offices.

So I sat down and had to fill out more paperwork than I’ve done in the last month spending time in and out of the hospital. Before I finished, a male tech – nurse took me inside and directed me to sit on an examining table – the usual one with the tissue paper over the top. He had me hooked up to the blood pressure monitor faster than you can say "what’s the rush?"

A few hours before I had taken my hand-full of meds – I also took my BP. It was 110 over 70 with a 55 pulse. No problem passing the physical with that reading. Everything cool – right? No. Not even close. The tech-nurse said "your" BP is 170 over 110. Huh? It can’t be. He said "you – me" really should be on BP meds right away. You – "me" might even want to go to the emergency room – now.

I calmly said to the nurse – tech that I’m probably on EVERY BP medication known to man. I also explained that I just spent $100,000 to correct blockages to/from my heart. He looked at me like I was crazy. He didn’t believe a word I said. "Have you had a problem like this before?" No, you idiot, I had nothing else to do today so I just dropped in off the highway to see how high my BP was." He said the "doctor" will see me "soon."

And I sat there, and sat there and sat there. I tried every conceivable method of trying to calm myself down short of taking another handful of BP meds. Finally, the "head" nurse shows up. She says there’s no way in God’s green acre that she can sign off for even the shortest term DOT medical card because my BP is so high. She said "they" needed "papers" from a "real" cardiologist certifying that I was in fact in the hospital and whatever "they" did is actually working.

I told her I have a note from a "real" cardiologist (the fake was on a cruise today) saying that I’m OK to return to work and my BP at the last reading was 107/72 with a 49 pulse rate. By the way my pulse rate today was only 66. It didn’t matter. This woman’s attitude was less than "patient-like." I sat there on the crumbly paper and said to myself "I am in health care – DOT physical hell."

Her last words to me were "come back when your BP is normal." OMG. Can you believe this? I felt bad, but had to call Chris to tell her the latest "good" news. No Greyhound bus trip to Birmingham for me this week. Time to "beg" for another week of SDT – short term disability. Have to call up Mr. Wonderful, Mr. Clean, Mr. Richie Rich doctor to explain to him what just happened. Like he gives a crap. My primary care physician says "oh, you’re in his care now, good luck!" Yeah right.

There is no end to this nonsense. With no sharing of my medical records this entire process of getting better and back to work is complicated by the DOT rules that scare the bee jee bees out of the doctors. And the DOT physical is all about the BP. I took a cheesy eye exam and peed in a cup and that was going to be it. Last year, at least the doctor let me try to calm down and took a reading three or four times and accepted the lowest reading. No way this year. It not only was unfair, it was unrealistic. Try a different cuff on a different arm or a larger cuff.

So I’m still out of the work. $100,000 of health care and I’m stuck on a lousy $80 DOT physical located right a next to a Ya-Ya’s grilled chicken fast food joint. I was so angry, I sped home and had a snickers, two ice cream sandwiches and a whole wheat Hot-pockets. I fought the desire to eat everything in the refrigerator. I almost stopped by McDonald’s and had a double quarter pounder with fries and a coke. Thank goodness my arms kept me driving straight.

Listen, now I have to wait until next Tuesday to see the cardiologist – a different one than the original – to explain to him what’s going on. I took my BP for the fifth time today. It is BELOW normal. I have been away from truck driving for over a month, taking care of myself. It turns out that was the easy part – getting a DOT med card for even a year is the bugaboo. My wife and I also dropped off a letter which I wrote to the clinic doctor that passed me the last three times. I asked for her intervention. I explained to her what happened and what I’m going to do seeing a new doctor and all. I hope she helps out.

I hate this, I hate this, I hate this. Next time, I just going to hold my breath until they pass me.