My First Set Back..

Well i am down to my final week of school. I am proud to say I am getting the hang of it. i should pass my CDL exam with flying colors. I however received my first set back today. I have had my Class B CDL for almost 2 years now which means i had to go in for the DOT physical because mine expires in 2 weeks. Me being young and not in half bad shape i thought i would have no problems. However i tested high for my blood pressure. High blood pressure does run in my family so this isnt a huge surprise. They tested me twice for it. My first test came in at 143/88 which would have put me in the category to qualify for a 1 year card not a 2 year card. However they didnt tell me this and they just told me that i tested to high and that they were going to "let me settle down for 15 minutes to lower my blood pressure." however I thought that i wasnt qualified because my blood pressure was way to high so of course i didnt settle down and my blood pressure spiked up because i was so nervous i wouldent pass. it went up to like 153/94. So i was only able to get a 3 month extension to get my blood pressure down. Like i said before im young (23) and im at 6 foot 255. which is big put not like huge.. you all can see my picture and you be the judge. Anyways i would have really like to get my blood pressure down the natural way with healthy eating and more exercise. however since i only have 3 months im almost forced now to take medication to get it down. it Would have been nice if they went with my first set of numbers and given me a year long card to give me time to get it down in a natural way. anyone else have problems with this? because i know truck drivers.. if im having trouble with blood pressure i know that there are a ton of drivers out there who are also having problems with these new regulations. Anyways im seeing my normal doctor on thursday and ill talk to him about the best way to get my blood pressure down. Its just disappointing. I dont want to be on blood pressure medication but i almost have to now to get it down. I do know i need to lose weight. My football playing days are over so now time to lose that offensive lineman weight i have been carrying around hahaha. Its just a minor setback that im confident i can get over.

High blood pressure is easily controlled with meds and diet .

I think you will be fine . Just get it under control .

It is not a DOT disqualifying scenario . Get it under control before you get to a Trucking company, which is going to give you a dot physical anyway .

I was almost in the same boat as you. I'm 6'3@270 and had to renew as well, I tested at 138/90 doctor gave me the option of taking g the 1 yr or try and lower it in 5min.. I opted for the lowering. He left the office and I sat there closed my eyes and deep deep breathing exercise. When he came in I continued the exercise and got down to a 120/80.. lowest I've been in yrs... The key is to not stress and clear your mind.

It is possible to lower the BP without meds in 3 months.. diet and exercise. Remove soda, caffeine, high fructose syrup, cigarettes and junk food, go with salads, fruit veggies. You'll feel the difference in a week and should notice improvements..

Walk around more then normal as well, try a light jog for 100ft and work on making it longer. Do cardio work puts to get the blood flowing while also deep breathing.

You'll be alright, may be tough at first, but worth it in the end.

David

Also if you use any form of nicotine then quit using it at least 24 preferably 48 hours before your appointment. This tends to raise your blood pressure also.

Three months is a long time for a man your age. Not to worry. Pat and David are right-on. Just walking every day will make a huge difference.

Also, that meditation thing works. It's going to help you deal with job stress, anyway. Study-up and find a method that works for you.

*The night before your physical, be sure you get enough sleep. This will make a huge difference in your blood pressure.

*Also,...directly related to your blood pressure: be sure you are very well hydrated in the last day few days, leading up to that physical. If you are dehydrated, you have less fluid mixed in with your blood so your vessels have to narrow down, to get that blood pumped through your body every minute. The way those vessels do that is for them to squeeze a little tighter. That's an increase in blood pressure, just like when you have a hose with very little water going through, so you "kink" the hose a little, to make the water go spray faster. That's what your blood vessels are doing, to keep the same amount of Oxygen flowing through you, even with less fluid to do so. Anything and everything that decreases your fluid volume will contribute to that increased blood pressure: caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, stimulant medications, table salt, many things, etc. Be very well hydrated on the day of your physical.

*You're a big man, lean or not. Because of this, you must pay attention to your hydration level because all those blood vessels have to squeeze down, to get all that blood to return to your heart, each heart beat and they have to move the blood uphill on a tall body. You need way more water than the average bear out there, ok?

*Be sure you get to your physical, well on time. If you show up, having rushed through traffic with crazy drivers and traffic lights in your way, you're stressed because you're late, you will have a higher BP reading than if you arrive early, sign in, sit down and meditate for a few minutes, think about your favorite vacation spot.

*Do not show up to your physical on an empty stomach. If it's at 2:00pm then have a niiiice, relaxing, satisfying lunch, at around 11:30 to noon. Eat with a friend or two or more, have lots of laughter, tell great jokes. The more laughter, the better. Laughter, laughter, laughter.

*If you have a cat or a dog, spend as much time relaxing with your pet ...and petting it, actually ...as time allows, in the days leading to your physical. If you don't have your own pet, go hang out with a friend who does, and pet their dog or cat for a while ...no kidding.

*Be sure to get and give as many hugs as possible, touching your loved ones' arms as you speak to them ...whatever physical contact in your world is comfortable and appropriate, but get and give more of it!

*Pain: if you have chronic pain of some kind, (back, muscle, injuries from football) get that pain under control as recommended by your doctor. Mild discomfort increases blood pressure a little bit. Severe pain like that from an injury that happened 5 minutes ago, increases is a lot.

*Try making all these changes, this week, Monday through Thursday, show up for your regular doc and see what a difference you've made in just a few days, to improve your blood pressure. You might be pleasantly surprised and you'll be able to mentally gauge what you can accomplish in 90 days.

*Look up a guy named Dean Ornish, MD. All his research is leading edge and he believes one can make a huge difference in 30 days with drastic changes so think of what you can do in 90.

This is not a "set back." This is a new door that just opened for you, to way-better lifelong health that you didn't even know you were missing out on.

-mountain girl

This is not a "set back." This is a new door that just opened for you, to way-better lifelong health that you didn't even know you were missing out on.

-mountain girl

I'm seconding Mountain Girl on all of this, these are excellent words of wisdom. I particularly recommend meditation; I do it myself.

Thanks for the advise everyone i know i can do it.. We have a machine at home to test our blood pressure. its not a cheap unreliable machine my parents spent a pretty good amount on it so its pretty dang accurate since blood pressure runs in the family. i just tested my blood pressure after about a half hour or so of breathing exercises, relaxing, and just taking my mind off of everything. came in at 120/78. which is more then low enough for a 2 year card. So i plan on just shedding 10 or 15 pounds before i go back in. just to be on the safe side. But i can do it. just a set back.

120/78? That's well inside normal range. Aw Dude, you got this.

Keep practicing all the good stuff that keeps you healthy.

Best of luck. Keep everybody posted, here.

-mountain girl