What If You Get Sick On The Road?

So what happens when your like half way through hauling a load and you wake that morning ready to drive and throw up and your just dog sick? you just cant drive you feel to sick? so what happens?

hummm, don't know, like my momma always told me "Suck It Up Buttercup" I guess is what the company would say lol. JK, Not trying to be mean, but that is what my mamma said to me! Just hope and pray that never happens!

I can give you a true life situation, and how it played out. We had stopped at the 617(I think) milemarker in 20 in TX, Theres a Texaco truck stop there. We went in and ate a meal, and I just had a bowl of potato soup, since it was my turn to drive. We got back to the truck, TSB hit the bunk, I hit the drivers seat, and away I went,Westbound under a JIT load goin' to CA. I'd gotten about 20 miles down the road, and I started getting sick to my stomach. I took every exit, tryin to find a place to park. Finally I took an exit, and anchored it right in the middle of the exit ramp. I told TSB that I was sick, and could he drive for a bit til I get over it. HE took over, and I hit the bunk....and got sicker...really sicker...I made a real mess of the bunk...and finally , thankfully, I passed out. Scared TSB to death, he put the pedal to the medal, that old Pete could fly !! He was on the CB, tryin to get someone to call the police, so they could find a hospital, and give him an escort to it. I heard all this from another trucker who was following us. I woke up, and crawled out of the sleeper, the passenger door was open. I looked out, to see TSB ( who is about 6'4") and this little short cop hurrying to the truck, with a wheelchair. I thought...THose boys ain't never gonna get this fluffy lady trucker outta this truck. Then I passed out. They musta got me out, then into the hospital. I woke up in ICU. The diagnosis?? BOTULISM "Botulism is caused by botulinum toxin, a natural poison produced by certain bacteria in the Clostridium genus. Exposure to the botulinum toxin occurs mostly from eating contaminated food, or in infants, from certain clostridia growing in the intestine. Botulinum toxin blocks motor nerves' ability to release acetylcho-line, the neurotransmitter that relays nerve signals to muscles, and flaccid paralysis occurs. As botulism progresses, the muscles that control the airway and breathing fail." Thats so you will know how serious it is. And how did I get it ?? The Potatoe soup from the BUFFET...NEVER EAT CREAM SOUPS OFF THE BUFFET. Our hot load ended up coolin' off in the parkin' lot of the hospital. TSB told em that if they wanted their stuff, they could come get it, or we'd deliver it when I got out of the hospital. I signed myself out after 3 days of IV's in every vein they could find. And it took me 2 months to get back to health. You REALLY have to watch what you eat...and have a backup plan, for when, not if, you get sick. Cuz there will come a time when you get the flu, food poisoning, etc on the road. If you team, you have someone who will see your cared for. But if you solo, you need a plan. When TSB is out alone, I call him in the morning, ask where he is, so I'll know. He calls me in the evening, I ask where he is, so I'll know. I have a list of every VA facility in the lower 48 states. And I've had to use that list. So make a plan.....

Food poisoning is not something that's fun. Especially when it is while on the road, but I had never heard of

BOTULISM

.

Thankfully you were with somebody and not by yourself. I used to get poisoned all the time. I used to eat animal derived products, meat especially. Like chicken and steaks every now and then. I tried a vegetarian diet and haven't changed the diet ever since. I just stoped eating meat altogether.

Bottom line is, getting sick while on the road is no fun.

Not to mention I had to drive for hours with a 102 degree fever last november. Definitely not fun.

Botulism is bad stuff. You are lucky you got quick treatment.

Botox treatment for forehead wrinkles that politicians and Hollywood people get, comes from BOtulisim TOXin. It paralyses the muscles so they don't cause wrinkles when frowning and lasts for months. As Starcar found out, it can also paralyse the muscles of the intestinal tract so it can't move digestion along well.

Hockey Dreamer, as you read, Starcar got it from potato soup, so she can't blame meat. You can get E.Coli from improperly cooked meat, but that will only give you the runs.

An recent analysis of food based outbreaks has shown that many have come from vegetables in recent years (I can't find the articles, but I believe the CDC did the analysis). Major Salmonella outbreaks have occurred in spinach, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and peanut butter in the last ten years. The best things you can do to help prevent infection are to wash your vegetables, properly cook your meat and drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids. The digestive system is incredibly efficient when it comes to removing contaminates, but proper hydration is essential.

Botulism generally comes from canned products that aren't canned properly, honey and corn syrup (never give honey or corn syrup to a baby for that reason). Underheated foods, especially when left out, can quickly become a breeding ground. Glad you survived the ordeal :)

It is no fun being sick in a moving truck. I got sick twice, once when I was with my trainer, and the second time when I was out on my own. The first time I had my trainer to cover some driving for me, so I was able to rest and get a little better, but the second time it was just me. Went to bed one night after driving all day, was starting to get a cough and sniffles, woke up the next morning feeling like garbage. Everything hurt, (even my hair if that's possible), eyes burning, not fun at all. Checked my forehead, it was burning up. Unfortunately I had another 700 miles to get to my delivery, and after talking with dispatch, I was the only truck in the area (or so they said)and I had to suck it up. So I called upon my army of orange juice and chicken soup and powered through it. But I felt it when I stopped for a break, and I looked like a zombie that day. Weird thing is I actually felt better driving, maybe because I was concentrating on something else. Got through the driving that day and I remember emailing my final macro to let them know where I was and nothing else. I slept like a rock that night and got up the next morning feeling way better. Finished out my driving to the delivery point and it turned out they were backed up due to workers calling in sick, and they didn't know when they were going to unload me. Didn't matter to me, I went in the back and got some much needed sleep. Next morning I was back to my usual self.

Obviously you shouldn't drive when you're really sick, but if you can power through it I say go for it. But you know you're limits and you don't want to put others in danger if you're too sick to react to certain situations. Just try and eat as healthy as you can out there so you don't get sick cause being sick in a truck is no fun.

The guy that I WAS dating and WAS going to team with had a serious health issue on the road, he almost died. He was in New Mexico, I think, and got sick he was telling me that he got pulled into a truck stop and opened the door and the next thing he remembers he woke up 2 weeks later in ICU! His bowels ruptured and cause gangrene. He was one sick boy, just thankful that some of the other truckers got to him and called 911. Scary....

Yeah...truckers seem to ignore their own bodies alarm system.....what the hecks that all about ??? I'm on TSB all the time about that....

Just so ever one knows if you feel like crap and are sick its best to park it. If you pass out while driving then what? And yes dot can and will shut you down and place you out of service if you are to sick to be driving.