[Roadhog]

I know from sprains the knees or ankles take a long time to heal. I hope you don't gain any extra weight, but you maybe already have for as long as you've been laid up.
Any time I put on an extra 10 pounds, I feel more pain in my joints, and off goes the feed bag again. When you are fairly inactive, it is so easy to add 10 pounds.

Right now, I added about 15 lbs....okay-okay 20... over the winter, but I hope that will go easy enough with my Spring yard & house cleaning.
Fortunately it's still snowing here, so I don't have to punish myself, just yet.

[Mr. Ford95]

I was actually concerned about that happening. Thing is, I'm actually eating less than I ever had at meal time. Mainly because my body doesn't need all the extra fuel like it used to now. I'm not burning thru it as quickly. I could easily knock out 6 waffles then be hungry halfway to lunch time. Dinner time, can barely eat a burger and a handful of chips for example.

Weather certainly hasn't helped feel good! Cold and rainy.........

[Mr. Ford95]

Well that changed........got a letter from DMV stating that was I was originally told was incorrect. So VA DMV workers don't have any idea what is correct......figures! The letter states I have 30 days before it's yanked completely, not 6 months.

[GMAN]

I am sorry the knee isn't healing as quickly as you need. You might check with whomever does your physicals and ask them if they think you could pass or just go through the process of getting your physical and see what happens. By going through the process you might be able to get a temporary reprieve until your knee heals completely. I think it would be worth the effort in order to maintain your CDL. By the way, there is a new medical form starting this year. I think the only think I had to do is bend to touch my knees. At one time I believe that I had to squat, too.

[Mr. Ford95]

I got the all clear from the doc today to resume most of my normal activity. Can do some light running and very small, minor jumping and slowly increase those. Still have some pain and swelling if I'm on it too long, but in his words, tough up! No problem Doc! That's what I'm used to doing! Now I have to wait for the company insurance to approve my return, so until that happens.........I will hold off as long as possible to do the renewal.

Just crazy that people who should have the answers, DMV, don't have them or having contradicting answers.

[GMAN]

Hang in there. It sounds like things are going to work out.

[Zombie Woof]

Since we're on the topic of medical cards... I'm 62, live in Pa and retired from trucking since 2012. In 2014 I went and got my DOT physical and passed. Cost $95. That's OK, I just wanted to keep my CDL alive in case I wanted to drive a truck again.

2016 rolls around and PennDot sends me the usual letter warning about my medical card expiring soon and that I need to pass the DOT physical and fax in my new medical card. Fine. I try to pass the physical but my white coat syndrome has my blood pressure sky high, 178 over 97. They retake it twice, and after trying to relax, I finally get it down to some level that allows me a one year card. But my vision has worsened, and I fail due to my right eye being 20/50. Has to be 20/40 or better.

On the way out of the medical office, they hand me a form that I can fill out and turn in to PennDot that will allow me to keep my cdl alive even though I do not have a valid medical card, then I can come back after I get glasses, and retake the vision test and hopefully pass.

OK, now the good part. This form they gave me is the self-certification form. PennDot mentioned it in their letter. I go back and reread the letter. The letter says I need to pass the DOT physical test in order to maintain my cdl. Then farther down in the letter, it says something about drivers who do not need the medical card (which obviously isn't me since they just told me I need a medical card to keep my cdl). This is where they talk about the self-certification form. OK, getting to the point, after making some calls, it turns out I could have just filled out the self-certification form for free and never bothered paying $95 and getting all traumatized by failing the physical, and now having a failed physical on my record. Why couldn't PennDot just say that in their letter??? Man, that's annoying!

OK, thanks for listening to my self-righteous rant.

The moral of the story is: in Pa, if you no longer drive a big truck, you can keep your CDL without passing the physical, simply by filling out this form (do not believe the PennDot letter). Later, if you want to drive a truck again, you would just go get your DOT physical, and submit a copy to PennDOT.

I filled out the self certification form and hand delivered it to a PennDot office, and immediately got a letter stating that my CDL will remain intact. So easy. So quick. So painless. No high blood pressure. No $95 wasted. Penn DOT really needs to learn how to use the english language to communicate. Or maybe I just need to learn how to translate government-speak into english, who knows.