Question
I HAD HEART FAILURE IN JULY, WAS PLACED IN HOSP. FOR FOUR DAYS GIVEN MEDICATION TO SLOW HEART RATE DOWN AND TO REDUCE BLOOD PRESURE BLOOD PRESURE HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM.
HAD IREGULAR HEART BEAT, WAS TOLD TRANSPLANT WOULD BE A REAL POSSIBLITY. TRANSPLANT DR. SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF MED. HELPED BEFORE HE WOULD PUT ME ON TRANSPLANT LIST.
ALSO WANTED TO TRY AN IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER DEFIBRILLATOR {ICD} TO REGULATE HEART BEAT, AND ALSO PACE MY HEART IN CASE IT STARTED SLOWING DOWN OR SPEEDING UP. THIS WAS DONE ON SEPT. 9,1999 I WASN'T ALOWED TO DO ANYTHING FOR 6 WEEKS AFTER THE OPERATION AND WAS UNDER THE ASUMPTION HE WOULD LET ME GO BACK TO WORK AT THAT TIME, HE THEN TOLD HE IT WOULD BE AT LEAST 6 MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF THE OPERATION BEFORE I COULD DRIVE AGAIN. WELL I HAD TO GET RID OF MY TRUCK AND AM NOW UNEMPLOYED AS I WAS A OWNER OPERATOR FOR QUALITY CARRIERS {MONTGOMERY TANK LINES}
THE DR. GAVE ME A RELEASE TO GO TO WORK, WHICH READ NO PHYSICAL RESTRICTIONS BUT RESTRICTED FROM DRIVING. MY QUESTION IS DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE THE SAME CONDITION,AND CAN YOU STILL PASS A DOT PHYSICAL WITH A ICD IMPLANT? ANY RESPONSE
Answer
Unfortunately, section 391.41 (4) of the 49 CFR part 40 specifies that a driver is medically disqualified if there is a "current clinical diagnosis of maycardial infarction, angina pectoris, coronary insufficiency, thrombosis, or any other cardiovascular disease of a variety known to be associated with syncope(dizziness/fainting), dyspnea (shortness of breath) or congestive cardiac failure."
Wish I could give you better news.
We do a lot of physical exams for Quality Carriers and they are sticklers for the regs as well as having their own set of physical criteria a driver must meet in order to drive for them. I understand their line of thinking as they do haul HAZMAT loads, but I sympathize with your plight as well.
Any possibility of temporary disability for you until this condition is resolved?
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Keeping you safe, healthy, and on the road.
Nurse Red
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Answer
Not being an O/O, I wouldn't know about the pain of losing my truck but as a bypass patient I know about the lose of income.
I was out of work for 4 mos because of the surgery but was taken back by my employer after they were satisfied the my condition had improved.
Unfortunately your condition is still current by regs, so until you get a clean bill of health expect a light duty job.Extruckdweller
Answer
Just an update, even though I hadn to quit driving for now because of my heart condtion and pacemaker implant I found a new job.
I will be doing dispatching at night for a tank truck co. that is fairly new to the Houston area, it will be a pretty low key job for now mostly data entry and phones.
It could turn out to be a really good job but I will really miss the road, 30 years over the road and 20 of that pulling tankers it will be a real test of my will to not go back on the road of my Dr. ever gives me the ok to do so.
have a good day and GOD BLESS