Re-Introduction Of An Old Member...

sixsix said:

...and as far as Breathing - I am the "Emphysema Poster Adult".

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Big_kid said:

Are you still allergic to air? I'm still at the end of 64.

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Interesting you mention that. Yes, and if anything, it's gotten worse. Jan 2023, I was formally diagnosed with Irritable Larynx Syndrome / Paradoxical Vocal Fold Motion / Inducible Laryngeal Obstruction / Vocal Cord Dysfunction (of the several names for it), and strong indications of eosinophilic asthma, which does not respond to bronchiodilators.

Basically the larynx closes up in response to exertion and certain irritants, and caffeine tends to aggravate it (hence I've had to give up my sweet tea, which has greatly alleviated the persistent cough I had). Specialist told me all they can do is make me more comfortable at home. No cure, no meds, no surgery.

I collapsed two minutes into a stress test a couple weeks ago. Really put into perspective just how close to the edge I was driving trucks, because I should never have been out there. Diesel exhaust and cigarette smoke exposure around truck stops, shippers, receivers, and then jump-starting myself with a couple Java Monsters every morning was combining to keep me hacking up a lung 8-12 hours a day.

In 2017, I had a coughing fit so bad I nearly passed out with the cruise set for 65 at 3 am in the middle of nowhere. Took leave, got checked out, doctors didn't have a name for it then, but said I should avoid outdoors, exertion and that I should give up trucking. They didn't, however, mention my high eosinophil count, which explains my allergies and lack of response to asthma medications.

All this and autism too...

chevymaher said:

Damn it Van you been through it.

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And I'm STILL here, dammit...

Big_kid said:

I'm sorry to read it, losing our health is horrible. I was out for 6 months a while back, Crohn's disease gave me a really hard time for a while. I'm just glad to see you're still here, and nothing lethal happened while behind the wheel.

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Crohn's is some evil stuff. I have severe GERD, so I feel your pain.

Even though nothing terrible happened, probably came close a couple times... Just glad it didn't incapacitate me and make me take out a vanful of kids or something. It's definitely been an interesting ride, and I did save a few lives while I was out there, though I saw some things I wish I hadn't also, like a burned-up rig buried in a bridge abutment with the steer axle under the sleeper.

Ratted out a couple of very drunk four-wheelers who would have killed someone otherwise...

Came across a lady with three kids in a disabled SUV that was stuck in a blind curve in nighttime interstate traffic, got them to get out so I could try to get it onto the shoulder. Two other rigs almost clipped it an 1/8-mile ahead of me, and another one damned near hit me when I was trying to get the disabled vehicle off the road.

Ran across another lady who'd run out of gas in the hammer lane in a 75 mph zone, used my rig's lights and my warning triangles to warn people. Trooper that showed up chewed my *** until he realized I wasn't the one broken down. No good deed, as they say...

Finished round two of a psychological exam for disability today, and it wasn't pretty. I've come to accept that I have issues, but it's quite disheartening to see just how little it takes to make me struggle in terms of memory and focus. I felt like it had worsened since having COVID last year, but it was so frustrating, and to tell the truth, I was guessing at half of it, because I was struggling to remember what had been told me on some portions.

Nothing quite like being unable to remember a few words that were said to you or a string of numbers to make you feel useless.