Profile For Justin P.

I'm not a physician, but an EMT and my wife is a RN. Yes, you should consult a physician for your answer. Long term periods of staying in one position aren't good for your circulation, regardless of if you're on medication. I would recommend asking a physician if they feel that compression stockings/socks would be beneficial. Of course, every chance you could get you should make it a priority to walk around.

Anticoagulants, like warfarin/coumadin, thin your blood (in layman's terms) to keep the blood from coagulating or clotting. Even while on those medicines, you can develop a clot or DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis). Of course the threat is that the clot would travel and occlude blood flow in the heart, the brain, or at the lungs; which can be life threatening causing a stroke, cardiac arrest or respiratory arrest. Aspirin works different to help circulation. It's not actually a blood thinner, but it coats the blood cells to help prevent them from sticking together. Never start or stop a medication without consulting your physician.

As long as you pass the DOT physical and the employer has no issue with your medical history, I imagine that you could have a fulfilling career in driving, but you may just need to stay on top of your condition. Between your pre-trip inspection, stopping 25 miles into your trip to check your load, restroom and meal breaks, and getting to your destination you can probably get the exercise you need to keep your blood flowing.

An interesting bit of useless knowledge: warfarin is used in rat poison in high doses to cause them to bleed out. :)

I'm in a financial bind and I'm hoping to find a company that will train me and put me to work soon. I have some experience with tractor trailers as I drove them in the Army. While it was not my MOS, my unit had only 2 truck drivers (88M) assigned to us that we ended up losing. We had a fleet of vans and flatbeds with 5 ton, automatic transmission tractors. I was quite proficient driving (back in the early 90's). So I welcome some actual big rig training. However, I don't have the funds to shell out for a school so I'm hoping to find a company that will train or pay for my schooling. I could probably handle a hundred or so dollars for fees/permits, etc.

Does any company actually pay you while you train? I'm not in the position to go without a paycheck for long.

I'm hoping to get with a company that will keep me busy OTR, but want to see home at least every 3 weeks or so.

Am I hoping for too much or does such a company exist?