I Am a Truck Driver
I am 66 years old. I drove for about 40 years - split roughly evenly between Allied Van Lines and United Van Lines - running coast to coast for most of that time. When I turned 60, I started doing more short hauls to be home with my wife more.
On Friday, September 16, 2016, I did a ten hour local move and felt great. On Saturday and Sunday, I was so tired that I could barely turn over in bed. On Monday, my wife drove me to the hospital. I remember walking out of the house, and then everything is black until I woke up in the hospital four weeks later.
I was informed that I had almost died from viral meningitis. They told me they had no clue where I would have contacted it. After working to get my strength back for a couple of months, I returned to work at an Allied agency.
My wife was off that day - my first day back. Again I felt great. My wife is a nurse and was off that day, and was running errands. We were in touch a couple of times throughout the day. I got home and we had a great meal.
I then took a shower for work the next day, and came out to the dining room to find my wife slumped over and nonresponsive. She was thrashing and incoherent. I called 911 and they arrived about half an hour later - we live over 30 miles away from the nearest city.
When they left with my wife, I asked one of the EMT's what he thought and he said it was "very, very bad!" I thought she had died, or would die. I followed to the hospital in my car.
My wife had a 35 minute seizure, had a stroke, and was unconscious for two days. However, on the fourth day, she was able to come home. She has had two more seizures since then - after about two months each time.
So, my plans to return to trucking have been put on hold temporarily. A person can not drive - legally or safely - until they have been stroke free for at least six months. So, I have been driving my wife to doctor's offices, to the grocery, or anyplace else she needs to go.
I want to help my wife and be near her. At present, she can not work as a nurse because of deficits due to the stroke and seizures. Thus, I am hoping to get back on the road in a few months with her as my permanent passenger. I can show here the country, and the truck stops.
They used to say that if the truckers ate there, it meant the food was good. I just thought it meant there was room to park a semi!
Keep it between the lines.
Quakertrucker
On Friday, September 16, 2016, I did a ten hour local move and felt great. On Saturday and Sunday, I was so tired that I could barely turn over in bed. On Monday, my wife drove me to the hospital. I remember walking out of the house, and then everything is black until I woke up in the hospital four weeks later.
I was informed that I had almost died from viral meningitis. They told me they had no clue where I would have contacted it. After working to get my strength back for a couple of months, I returned to work at an Allied agency.
My wife was off that day - my first day back. Again I felt great. My wife is a nurse and was off that day, and was running errands. We were in touch a couple of times throughout the day. I got home and we had a great meal.
I then took a shower for work the next day, and came out to the dining room to find my wife slumped over and nonresponsive. She was thrashing and incoherent. I called 911 and they arrived about half an hour later - we live over 30 miles away from the nearest city.
When they left with my wife, I asked one of the EMT's what he thought and he said it was "very, very bad!" I thought she had died, or would die. I followed to the hospital in my car.
My wife had a 35 minute seizure, had a stroke, and was unconscious for two days. However, on the fourth day, she was able to come home. She has had two more seizures since then - after about two months each time.
So, my plans to return to trucking have been put on hold temporarily. A person can not drive - legally or safely - until they have been stroke free for at least six months. So, I have been driving my wife to doctor's offices, to the grocery, or anyplace else she needs to go.
I want to help my wife and be near her. At present, she can not work as a nurse because of deficits due to the stroke and seizures. Thus, I am hoping to get back on the road in a few months with her as my permanent passenger. I can show here the country, and the truck stops.
They used to say that if the truckers ate there, it meant the food was good. I just thought it meant there was room to park a semi!
Keep it between the lines.
Quakertrucker
70-79, M
