Normal Wear and Tear on Body from Truck Driving

[Zombie Woof]

Hey,

I was just thinking about my future health care. I'm 57 now, and in good health except for some aches and pains that come and go. I have a sciatica down my left leg that kicks up about once a year and lasts for about a week at most. I also have a numbness / tingling thing going on in my upper left back next to the spine, which comes and goes. I have not reported these to my employer. Maybe I should.

I might want to quit working before I can get medicare ( age 66) and would be on my own for health insurance. I wonder if workmens comp would pay for any physical therapy, x-rays, etc for these problems, if they got worse, and I need treatment after I quit.

Maybe my new insurance company would refuse to pay, saying it was pre existing, and was a work-related injury that I should have reported to my employer.

Any words of wisdom would be appreiciated.

ZW

[Mystikal]

This might be an obvious question but have you thought about regular visits to a chiropractor and sports massage therapist? When I was in law enforcement I had severe hip problems from my duty belt and back numbness along the spine from the vest I wore. Regular visits kept it in check and the pain nearly gone.

[Roadhog]

At your age, just stay on top of any health concerns, and ask for a complete blood work on your next doctor visit.
Get a colonoscopy if you haven't yet. As far as your complaints, sounds like pinched nerves. Those can take weeks to heal, and the ones around your hip and legs take allot from sitting, even sleeping in certain positions. I also had problems like Mystikal from wearing a carpenter tool belt. Do allot of stretching, and you will pretty much self adjust your spine and joints, where the nerves get in trouble.
Watch your stress levels, as your body ages, it isn't as resilient.

Don't worry about the stuff you can't control, especially 9 years off. There will be insurance you can have, and I've never known anyone to be turned away from serious medical attention. I was planning to work until 66 as well. It all changed in a matter of a few months, two years ago for me... at age 58. I found out I have a terminal illness, and I was getting 1-2 complete physicals every year, one for trucking, and one for my fire&rescue job. I got laid off one month before I found all this out, and was standing in shock uninsured, out of work, and I'm now a ghost of my former self already. So...you really can't plan on your health getting you to age 66, because it can all change real quick. I felt strong and healthy when I got the news.

Best advice, take good care of yourself, and see your doctor at least every year for a physical. Last thing you want to consider is making decisions based upon documenting pre-existing conditions. If you have any health conditions that need attention, sooner the better in all cases.

[Orangetxguy]

Looks to me like the Hog-miester gave you the best advise your gonna ever need.

[Roadhog]

..remember the "ichy nuts" thread?
I felt I made a connection with Woof there.


scratch-scratch-dig-dig-dig..... ( snifs fingers )

[dle]

Sounds to me like it's pinched nerves as well. Go see a chiropractor and get it taken care of before you get on a truck. The chances of it getting worse is better than it getting better.

[Zombie Woof]

Sorry to be so late in replying. The usual excuse : no time.

Roadhog, sorry to hear about your health concerns. And no insurance! How did that work out??? I'm doing the stretching as you suggested and it helps the pinched nerves.

Mystikal, yes, I've heard about folks using and being happy with chiropractors. I may end up there, or at least at a physical therapy place, for the upper left back thing.

But what do I put on the form at the doctor's office when it asks if this is a work-related injury ???? It's a yes or no question. If I say it is work-related, from steering all day, then I could get treated for it in the future with workmens comp, even if I have retired and have no health insurance, right?

Any downside to saying it is work-related?

[classictruckman]

Your employer may not like you because you're increasing his worker comp rates.

[Roadhog]

Sorry to be so late in replying. The usual excuse : no time.

Roadhog, sorry to hear about your health concerns. And no insurance! How did that work out??? I'm doing the stretching as you suggested and it helps the pinched nerves.

Mystikal, yes, I've heard about folks using and being happy with chiropractors. I may end up there, or at least at a physical therapy place, for the upper left back thing.

But what do I put on the form at the doctor's office when it asks if this is a work-related injury ???? It's a yes or no question. If I say it is work-related, from steering all day, then I could get treated for it in the future with workmens comp, even if I have retired and have no health insurance, right?

Any downside to saying it is work-related?

In Michigan, Blue Cross/Blue Shield can't turn anyone down for pre-existing conditions. There is no way I'll ever return to work again, so I filed for Social Security Disability. That allows me to draw my social security early, and get Medicare.
I was thinking that would take a long time, but they go by your medical records, and I'm sick enough, I was approved 2 months after I filed the application... so that went well.

If you suspect you have a work related injury, go deal with it, and get treatment. If the same injury is reoccurring, you will show this pattern on your medical record. If it continues, then it becomes a chronic condition. (long term & progressive)

I'm thinking you have some nerve damage, and it's really not that uncommon. It would be nice if you can identify whats causing you this. When I worn my tool belt, I got numb thighs and had horrible back aches all the time. Pain got so bad once in awhile, I had to take time off. You reach a point, you have to rest and let the body heal. I finally quit construction. My body got broke down from working like a bull, so I took up something easy, like trucking. I'm an idiot

[Zombie Woof]

Roadhog,

Thanks for the comeback. Good to hear you got medical coverage fairly quickly.
I may be "overthinking" the legal details of getting treatment for my aches and pains, but.... who knows.

ZW

[Roadhog]

It's good to ask questions, and plan your future. Not enough of us do that.
We can get caught up in hypothetical thought, but then... it's the future.

I can tell you, I felt fine one day and found out I was far from it the next day.
We always live one day at a time, and do our best, and God will do the rest.

[Mottlee]

IF it come to surgery on the West side of the State Dr. Mark Muler in Muskegon fixed mine I have no complants on his work Good Luck

[DaveP]

And you never know when something is going to happen. About the middle of last week I started noticing my right eye seemed to be irritated/dry. I just threw in some eyedrops and kept rolling. Thursday morning I got my usual sausage and egg biscuit and thought it tasted like plastic. By late Thursday night my mouth didn't seem to be cooperating when I talked....sounded like I had a mouthful of cotton in my cheek...Friday morning the whole right side of my face was sagging and I couldn't move a muscle on that side. I thought, "Oh crap, I've had a friggin stroke."

Made it home and went to ER where they diagnosed it as Bells Palsey. Pretty frustrating due to the fact they don't know exactly what brings it on...and worse....how long it's going to last. Could be anywhere from a couple weeks to several months! WTF? I don't have time for this crap...

But it is what it is...

[dle]

This might help Bell's palsy - MayoClinic.com

Have you gone to see your regular doctor? It's been my experience that the diagnosis by ER doctors and my own are routinely different.

[DaveP]

This might help Bell's palsy - MayoClinic.com

Have you gone to see your regular doctor? It's been my experience that the diagnosis by ER doctors and my own are routinely different.

Just went and saw my doctor...he agreed with the diagnosis, but thought the treatment from ER didn't quite go far enough. (They gave me a shot of steroids and sent me on my way...) He seemed to think a deep down sinus infection COULD bring on BP and after thinking back I told him I'd had a pretty bad cold about a month ago with a little sinus pain in my face. He gave me another steroid shot and a round of antibiotics...

He DID say, however, not expect it to go away in a couple days. In his experience the facial paralysis will probably not start to subside in less than two weeks to a month.

The WORSE part of the whole thing is that my right eye WILL NOT blink....so I'm having to keep putting in eyedrops while I'm awake then at night putting in eye ointment and taping my eyelid shut...

Till that eyelid starts doing it's job I guess I'm on involuntary vacation. Wonder if the fish are biting yet...?

[dle]

Dang, hearing this makes me not want to mess with sinus problems.

Most of the ER's i've been to have as part of the discharge papers a clause that says something to the effect of as soon as you can seek medical treatment from your normal doctor. I've only received enough medication to hold me over for at most 3 days.

At this point, it sounds like your heading in the right direction.

[mitchno1]

Sounds to me like it's pinched nerves as well. Go see a chiropractor and get it taken care of before you get on a truck. The chances of it getting worse is better than it getting better.

leave the chiropractor out of it, go see a osteopath they much more skilled and dont hurt

[Roadhog]

I'd like to add an opinion of mine in regards to our primary doctors. I think once you get past age 55, you should be seeing an Internist as your primary, if you have been with a general practitioner. The Internists are more in tune with internal health, and I think much better at diagnosis, and more willing to send you to a specialist, or order up tests you may need.

For years, it seemed I got lousy care from family doctors, and I finally got fed up with seeing doctors who seemed to know less about medicine, than I did. I switched over to an Internist, and started getting things figured out.

[firebird_1252]

what i found works is that, while being loaded/unloaded get out and walk around! hell pace infront of your truck for a while. that, chiropractor, water and eat as healthy as you can! also dont let the small stuff bother you. when i get stress i get aches.. and i'm only 28!

[mitchno1]

I'd like to add an opinion of mine in regards to our primary doctors. I think once you get past age 55, you should be seeing an Internist as your primary, if you have been with a general practitioner. The Internists are more in tune with internal health, and I think much better at diagnosis, and more willing to send you to a specialist, or order up tests you may need.

For years, it seemed I got lousy care from family doctors, and I finally got fed up with seeing doctors who seemed to know less about medicine, than I did. I switched over to an Internist, and started getting things figured out.

went to a doctor once with a broken arm when i was 28 ,that 32yrs ago so cant comment on them ,must be the smoking and drinking that keeps me healthy hahaha