For anyone who hs been behind the wheel for years and depends on driving for a living then everyone will understand how vital the issue of health is. Eating habits are not always the best and irregular meals on the hoof, so to speak do not help. This has resulted in a number of abdominal health problems affecting the âbowel and regions below the beltâ. IBS and IBD are acronyms bandied about by the medical community but what it means in lay terms is a pain in the a** or tum. These pains are often ignored as the journey and the truck contents are paramount. Only when you have the odd moment to relax do you allow these symptoms to come to the surface. Then its the rounds for a doctors appointment - a referral always taking up time out of a busy schedule and how many of us put off or delay these appointments? The point I am making is that suddenly, in a full working life, a trucker pal was rushed mid-journey to the hospital, a colonoscopy and an immediate trip to the theatre resulted in an ostomy - the bowel was whipped out and my pal had a new âbagâ to live with.
Had he been to the doctor earlier, there may have been other solutions but as it was he had to live with it. He came accross a book âUnwanted Baggageâ (on amazon) which was written by a fellow ex-trucker who had the same problems. It has helped him deal with the aftermath of wearing a bag and, although he had to quit his job, the book helped him with the benefit maze and his outlook on life took a turn for the better with the suble humour on the pages.
All I am trying to say is get these tests done, donât put off the warning signs. If you do end up with a bag, there is help out there.
this is a good thread to start because if you are under say 40 or 45 you never think of things going wrong , I am 59 and I had a heart attack this year and the hospital told me I was type 2 diabetes , I was very lucky within a week I had a stent fitted I had one blocked artery apparently but to control the diabetes straight away they put you on insulin injections which I got off of within 6 weeks , I was large round the middle and I have had a sedentery job for the last 8 years I took my eye off the ball luckily I have not driven for a living for a number of years so I will not bother trying to renew my hgv when it expires I think I could get it back but not sure if anyone knows please let me know as in the present economic climate you never know when you maybe out of work.
sorry to go on but any of you guys if you are over weight and smoke don`t think it will not happen to you as I did lose weight give up smoking and get checked by your doctor every year, when I had my heart attack it was 5 30 am on romford station and my only symptom was very bad cold sweats and my arms became very heavy there was no chest pains like you would expect I rang an ambulance which did not come so eventully got a cab to A&E at queens in romford the hospital which has all the bad press but they were great, I found out that if you call an ambulance if you think you are having a heart attack when they ask if you have chest pains and if you are struggling to breathe say yes and they have to be with you in 8 minutes it could just save your life so listen guys and any gals get checked see the doctor my old man died of heart trouble age 52 he drove wagons all his life ,I should have took notice of his problems and done the right thing, again very sorry to go on so but it was a big shock to me but I am still breathing I have lost loads of weight and walk everywhere hardly get in the car, thanks for reading live long . fredm
hi Fredm
my dad was a driver tramping all over the country and at the age od 44 had a triple bypass too many cooked breakfasts and fish and chips. he died at the age of 58 with heart failure in 1993. i was a HGV mechanic but have been out of the trade for 17 year. Still have my HGV licence and drive on a weekend. i have always made sure to watch what i eat and take regular exercise. I know its hard for drivers to do this because of long and irregular hours but look after your health and have regular check ups
regards
mick
fredm:
this is a good thread to start because if you are under say 40 or 45 you never think of things going wrong , I am 59 and I had a heart attack this year and the hospital told me I was type 2 diabetes , I was very lucky within a week I had a stent fitted I had one blocked artery apparently but to control the diabetes straight away they put you on insulin injections which I got off of within 6 weeks , I was large round the middle and I have had a sedentery job for the last 8 years I took my eye off the ball luckily I have not driven for a living for a number of years so I will not bother trying to renew my hgv when it expires I think I could get it back but not sure if anyone knows please let me know as in the present economic climate you never know when you maybe out of work.
sorry to go on but any of you guys if you are over weight and smoke don`t think it will not happen to you as I did lose weight give up smoking and get checked by your doctor every year, when I had my heart attack it was 5 30 am on romford station and my only symptom was very bad cold sweats and my arms became very heavy there was no chest pains like you would expect I rang an ambulance which did not come so eventully got a cab to A&E at queens in romford the hospital which has all the bad press but they were great, I found out that if you call an ambulance if you think you are having a heart attack when they ask if you have chest pains and if you are struggling to breathe say yes and they have to be with you in 8 minutes it could just save your life so listen guys and any gals get checked see the doctor my old man died of heart trouble age 52 he drove wagons all his life ,I should have took notice of his problems and done the right thing, again very sorry to go on so but it was a big shock to me but I am still breathing I have lost loads of weight and walk everywhere hardly get in the car, thanks for reading live long . fredm
Yeah Fredm,I had a heart attack at 58 years and had a triple bypass, i got my HGV back after 8 months ,i developed diabetes later but did drive fuel tankers till i retired at 65,hope this helps.Vic
fredm:
this is a good thread to start because if you are under say 40 or 45 you never think of things going wrong , I am 59 and I had a heart attack this year and the hospital told me I was type 2 diabetes , I was very lucky within a week I had a stent fitted I had one blocked artery apparently but to control the diabetes straight away they put you on insulin injections which I got off of within 6 weeks , I was large round the middle and I have had a sedentery job for the last 8 years I took my eye off the ball luckily I have not driven for a living for a number of years so I will not bother trying to renew my hgv when it expires I think I could get it back but not sure if anyone knows please let me know as in the present economic climate you never know when you maybe out of work.
sorry to go on but any of you guys if you are over weight and smoke don`t think it will not happen to you as I did lose weight give up smoking and get checked by your doctor every year, when I had my heart attack it was 5 30 am on romford station and my only symptom was very bad cold sweats and my arms became very heavy there was no chest pains like you would expect I rang an ambulance which did not come so eventully got a cab to A&E at queens in romford the hospital which has all the bad press but they were great, I found out that if you call an ambulance if you think you are having a heart attack when they ask if you have chest pains and if you are struggling to breathe say yes and they have to be with you in 8 minutes it could just save your life so listen guys and any gals get checked see the doctor my old man died of heart trouble age 52 he drove wagons all his life ,I should have took notice of his problems and done the right thing, again very sorry to go on so but it was a big shock to me but I am still breathing I have lost loads of weight and walk everywhere hardly get in the car, thanks for reading live long . fredm
Yeah Fredm,I had a heart attack at 58 years and had a triple bypass, i got my HGV back after 8 months ,i developed diabetes later but did drive fuel tankers till i retired at 65,hope this helps.Vic
cheers mte might look into it thanks again, fredma
Hi just looked at first post gets my backing had my problems 8 years ago passing a little bit of blood from the bowel went to docs then hospital for camera,found polops in bowel cut them off then sent away for tests 2 weeks later back to hospital for results ,then he said them words no one wants to here cancer had the op to remove most of the bowel did not get the bag which was good but it puts a new meaning to life.all the stress of you must get there at so and so time means naff all to me now . if you have trouble get to doc quick know a few who did not it was not nice going to there funerals.thanks bob
Hi fredm,
I was diagnosed to have Diabetes type 2, not on medication for it but controlled
by my diet,so I wrote to the authorities concerned they replied I was ok to carry on driving, I
have renewed my HGV every year till last year, when at 68 I thought I dont need the hassle
and stress the job now entails, so now I am happily retired and enjoying it.Hope this helps.
Jakdaw:
Hi fredm,
I was diagnosed to have Diabetes type 2, not on medication for it but controlled
by my diet,so I wrote to the authorities concerned they replied I was ok to carry on driving, I
have renewed my HGV every year till last year, when at 68 I thought I dont need the hassle
and stress the job now entails, so now I am happily retired and enjoying it.Hope this helps.
many thanks for that jackdaw I will look into it, fredm
Look after your health, itâs MORE important than any job. I know, they caught my problem just in time. Iâm retired now, free bus travel, Jaguar in the garage, but I mostly walk, at least 3 miles a day. NO SMOKING.
Balanced diet and exercise, (and I still enjoy a pint or two.
grumpy old man:
Look after your health, itâs MORE important than any job. I know, they caught my problem just in time. Iâm retired now, free bus travel, Jaguar in the garage, but I mostly walk, at least 3 miles a day. NO SMOKING.
Balanced diet and exercise, (and I still enjoy a pint or two.
thats exactly my outlook on life now I want to see me grandkids get old, fredm
i agree with you both fred and brian , i went to the doc on my 62nd birthday , always tired , niggling chest pains . he said you are finished driving , and i ended up with 7 stents and a shed full of pills every day . i canât get enough exercise due to problems with my legs , but i eat healthy and keep as fit as i can . one good thing , my son is a driver and he has changed his diet and takes plenty of exercise , he wonât finish up like his dad . , cheers , dave
I try to eat healthily but it doesnât always work out like that, and I try for exercise but lack of enthusiasm doesnât help either, and that can always end up dropping things into a mild depression which doesnât help anything. Exercise is the key though and that does usually help other things as well. Parking up for a 45 and having a brisk walk for half of it is a good plan except when the management insist the vehicle is required to be âsecuredâ and âmonitoredâ at all times and I have to stay near it is a bit naff. Even more when you find they park the trucks in the yard with the keys in the ignition overnightâŚ
In the new year when work slackens off I should really get out on the bike more, have some exercise and stuffâŚ
I have had my own share of stomach problems but have been careful of what I eat and always carrying my small first aid kit with such things in it as plasters, ibuprofen, paracetamol and immodium, but I try to be sparse with those drugs and trying to rely on plenty of water, but of course the more water you drink the more often you have to stop for a pee
Time to bring this one out again just hope it brings home the need for health checksâŚ
A few months ago I was at the Docâs bad cough turned out was a chest infection but then I said about passing a bit of Blood in the stool department
So a finger poke and prod later she says " Iâll arrange for you to have a scan .
Just over a month ago I went had the scan not too bad in short a few days of lax liquid to flush the bowel etc out the a pipe inserted to inflate the bowel ( just a tad uncomfortable )
Well a month later _ 31st July I have to attend an appointment for the results and the 1st bit is good.
Bowel polyps are small growths on the inner lining of the colon (large bowel) or â â â â â â . They are common, affecting 15-20% of the UK population, and do not usually cause symptoms
so Iâm not alone in this condition.
They say 1 part of the scan was really good but the other side a bit hazy but all in all the donât think thereâs much of a real problem BUT and I always hate the BUT bit she wants to have a proper look just to make 100% sure Iâm in the clear
So now I have to wait for another appointment so they can do a Colonoscopy , yep having a Camera placed up the dark passage I can tell you Iâm not looking forward to it one bitâŚ
Just hope I still get the all clear after all this âŚ
So the point of my post in this Thread is âŚ
If your passing any blood from your back passage please do get it checked out. donât be embarrassed get it done ,
My wife and I have both had through the post, the bowel cancer screening kit, which is basically a compartmented envelope to send a sample of your â â â â off for a laboratory exam.
My wife was called in for a colonoscopy and a cancer was found, itâs only because of this test that it was found.
However, when she was waiting the few days for surgery it was found she was very anaemic, so much so that she had to have a blood transfusion before they would operate.
It appears that anaemia CAN be a symptom of cancer because cancer destroys your red blood cells.
My wife thought sheâd just been working too hard.
So if you get one of these screening kits through the letterbox, donât be too shy to use it, it could save your life!
My wife had surgery to remove part of her bowel, by keyhole surgery, luckily no bag, followed by 6 months of chemo and now 4 years later is still getting the all clear on her 6 monthly CT scans.
My brother in law had one of these kits before my wife was diagnosed, and he put it in a drawer out of the way. As soon as my wife was diagnosed, he was quick enough to dig it out and use it!
I am now 71, type 2 diabetic, diet controlled and in good health for my age, although I donât know what state I am supposed to be in as Iâve never been here before!
Iâve just flown through my medical to renew my licence for another year, two night trunks a week is enough, see how it goes until next year.
Yes,Yes,Yes
I know im too Fat and Health goes down the Drain with every Year older since my 50st Birthday.
Planing now a few Weeks in California/Nevada/Arizone between January and March,with Backbag and Tent. Lose every Time between 10 and 20 Kilo and extremly fit when back. But dont ask how i do the first 20 Miles. But its warm,in Winter,mostly Dry and lots to take Pictures from.
Anyone joining in?
Fly between ÂŁ400.- and ÂŁ600.-
Backbag,Tent,Sleepingbag and Cooking Utilities around $200.- at LA
Campsite between $12.- and $25.- per Night if not camped wild.
For anyone who hs been behind the wheel for years and depends on driving for a living then everyone will understand how vital the issue of health is. Eating habits are not always the best and irregular meals on the hoof, so to speak do not help. This has resulted in a number of abdominal health problems affecting the âbowel and regions below the beltâ. IBS and IBD are acronyms bandied about by the medical community but what it means in lay terms is a pain in the a** or tum. These pains are often ignored as the journey and the truck contents are paramount. Only when you have the odd moment to relax do you allow these symptoms to come to the surface. Then its the rounds for a doctors appointment - a referral always taking up time out of a busy schedule and how many of us put off or delay these appointments? 
The point I am making is that suddenly, in a full working life, a trucker pal was rushed mid-journey to the hospital, a colonoscopy and an immediate trip to the theatre resulted in an ostomy - the bowel was whipped out and my pal had a new âbagâ to live with.
.
)
I can tell you Iâm not looking forward to it one bitâŚ