I had follow up visit today for lower back pain! My dr decides it was time to go back to work at full capacity. He said that my back isn’t anything that will harm, just be painful. I have to use alternating of tramadol and Vicodin to stay at a safe tolerable level. Well I am a CDL driver in a tourist town! I load and unload handi capped people. It really puts stress oy back All of it boils down to the fact that I can’t drive and take the meds l! I can’t go the entire day without meds! I have tried to not take the meds, however my kids all say that they want their exciting mom back!
Does anyone know if we can check on the rules of driving CDL tour buses ?
I would think you could check on the rules and I would start by contacting the agency that licensed you in the first place. I'm willing to bet they could direct you to the proper phone number. Also, do you have a union? If so, contact your union rep. for help in this area.
Also, did you spell out all of these concerns to your doctor, just as you have here? I think I would have thrown in a gem like, "Gee, I hope none of those tourists would come back and sue you (the doctor) if I crash the bus from being in too much pain, that would be just awful." I'm willing to bet that your doctor has no idea of how hard your job is on your back. I do because I worked for a nursing home and used to watch the drivers load and unload our residents, plus chaining their chairs in. But I'll bet he doesn't have the slightest clue.
If I were you, I'd be doctor shopping if this is the best your doctor can do for you when he knows you have fibro. I also have it in the back and know how excruciating it is, and that's something that he should know by now. Not many people with fibro can manage to keep working, and he should know that too instead of half arsedly trying to shove you back into working at full capacity when you can't.
It might be time for you to file for disability, if you haven't yet. I would not wait until it gets so bad that you can do little to nothing, as it often does to people. And also, if you can find another job with less physical stress, it might help.
Hope this works out for you, as what you've described is a bad situation.
Gentle hugs,
Petunia
I don't want to sound fatalistic... but perhaps a different doctor and a disability lawyer? This one thinks you should just grin and bare it by the sounds of it. He isn't the one living with the pain. There are plenty of doctors out there.
You poor thing! Oh my gosh. It is hard to drive and transport with such back pain and on drugs! I'm shocked at your doctors response. I have had such bad luck with doctors lately that I am becoming more and more disillusioned by the AMA. Oh well, enough said on that.
I looked up regulations under Pennsylvania law for CDL. There are a lot of sites to look at, but too many for me to list here as I'm not sure what exactly applies to you. It looks like you are subject to drug testing. You could possibly lose your job as a result of drug testing. You don't want that on your record. Your doctor needs to take the brunt of the load here, not you. I agree with Petunia and Ciarawyn. You need to take some further steps here.
There was an accident recently in the large city I live close to. A child was in a bus that was chartered for a party tour of the city. The child was somehow thrown from the bus (went out the window on a sharp turn or something bazaar). There was a huge investigation into the bus company and the driver. It was all over the news for weeks. I'm not trying to frighten you, but want to agree with you that you are thinking along the right lines. You should not be driving people around on those meds. Especially since you know how they effect you.
I hope you can find resolution. Disabilities attorney sounds good to me. Another doctor, quickly, and take copies of your previous records.
Thank you for your concern, and ideas, I’m going to get a second opinion! My husband was furious when I told him what the Dr said! The nurse called this morning and said the dr. Wants me to not take tramadol, or Vicodin for the pain. He wants me to take ibuprofen or Tylenol. I had to tell her that I can’t take ibuprofen because I had stomached surgery, and Tylenol doesn’t touch the pain! What a stupid medical Dr. Apparently he doesn’t look at the whole picture! Grrrrr
I wonder if you can "self refer" to a pain clinic, Jackie. I know that doesn't answer your legal questions, but you need to keep that pain under control.
My RA dr did send me to the pain clinic! They gave me an epidural, which didn’t do anything! I guess, I could go again and see what they say!
Yae!!! Yes, call them!
Dear Jackie,
I am so sorry to read this, I don't have an answer for you as far as CDL, but I am very concerned that you are being sent back to such a demanding job, feeling the way you do. It sounds like you need to talk to someone else about this, and I just don't know who it would be.
Perhaps you need to ask yourself if this Doctor has your best interest in mind.
Wishing you well,
SK