Getting Hurt....At the Doctor's Office!

[Mahnarch]

You gotta watch those 'Physicals', folks.
They can be dangerous.

Recently, my Dispatch Office left me a note reminding me that it was time to renew my MDOT medical card so I could keep my CDL-A current (and continue driving semis for a living).

Also, my FAA Airmen card was about to expire and, without one, I was without either.

A lose/lose situation, from my perspective.

Our company does have an account with a local "Med 1" clinic that does the mandatory D.O.T. physicals but, unfortunately, I can't go to a 'Chain Store Medic' for a Third Class Airmen Certificate along with my DOT - so my company makes special arrangements for me.

So, I call my Doc and make an appointment (which was this morning) and go down to do the usual:

Hearing
Color-blindness
Vision
Breathing
"Check the Boys"...
Swap Airplane stories (Mark is a pilot, too)
etc..

And, then, (here's the 'hurtie' part), he asks me to bend down to try to touch my toes.

I bend down, reaching ever so closer (a position I haven't been in since 8th grade gym class) when I hear/feel a loud "POP!"

"AAAaaaaAAAAAaaaaAAAAHHHHHH!!!!"

I pulled a muscle in my lower 'spinal/rib contact area' - as best I remember that he said.

Now, whenever I raise my arms, twist my torso or breath.....ever....I feel a sharp pain in my lower back which - as pains tend to do - makes my entire left side of my ribcage hurt and sends pain/numbness tingles down my left arm.

What does Mark say?

"Oh, man! You should see a doctor about that!"

Thanks, Mark.
I don't need to be laughing at this point.

He 'prescribed' me some Advil (it's nothing serious and should go away in a couple of days).

For those not-in-the-know, here's what a Pilot's License looks like, along with my crisp new FAA Airmen's Certificate looks like.
(Now that I've scanned those, I realize I should'a put up my DOT one, too........bah! Maybe later)

[Note: The PPL didn't scan the color too well. It's actually a very light blue. The 'watermark' is actually from years of dirt on the lamination from being in my wallet forever. The Airmen Certificate is just plain white.]



Boo Hoo!!! I'm a 'Third Class citizen'......

HA! Naw, "Third Class" just means I'm not held up to the standards, health-wise as the guy who pilots your 747 on your trip to Europe - or wherever.

I only have to renew my certificate every 3 years.
Someone who has a "Second Class" can charge cash money as a living to fly but, only in smaller (6-10 passenger) planes and has to renew every 2 years.

A 'First Class' certificate is for the guys who fly for Delta, United, Japan Air, etc in the big Boeings and they have to renew EVERY 6 MONTHS!!!

That gets expensive but, at least you know "your Captain" isn't going to have a heart attack over the Pacific at 38,000ft - hopefully.

So, I'm laid up/left to lesser jobs for the time being but, at least I'm back on square one with both medical cards (and, since I piggybacked both physicals and the company reimburses me for my DOT - I get a $115 FAA cert. for $30!) ;D

[Jason O'Lewa]

i cant be reading your card right mahnarch becaue it says you are 7 foot 1 and waght is 140 pounds
oh is it 71 inches?

[Mahnarch]

HA! I wish I was that tall - no I don't.

That's 71 inches tall - or 5ft 11in.

I'm also '10 Stone' (a 'stone' is 14lbs)

[Blastgirl]

Just explaining it in stone makes the thought seem so heavy. Even if you say the Baby was half a stone. That's seven pounds but it sounds so heavy explained like that.

[Phil]

Maybe not so inaccurate though. Sometimes little kids are like a rock to wake up.

[Mahnarch]

I remember the commentary on 'Hitch Hikers' Guide' where Warwick Davis said he was '4 stone' and the Marvin suit he wore was like 6 and a half.

It's a fun way to measure but, I threw one of my guys for a loop.

My guy: "How much does that skid weigh?"
Me: "100 stone."
My guy: "Oh....."

He acted like he got it - until I busted him.

It's fun!

[Pumpkin]

Yeah, watch out for those Dr. visits. I had a neighbor who dropped dead of a heart attack on a visit to the Dr. No warning, nothing. Just went into the exam room and dropped to the floor. Geezzz, you're supposed to go there and get better, not dead.

Stones....I am carrying 18 of them. I gotta loose a few. Two around my middle in particular.

[Mahnarch]

I wish they would've made "stone" 10lbs.
I always have to grab a calculator.....

Dang, Pumkin. Sorry to hear about your neighbor (and your stone).
When it's your time, it's your time - I guess.

I had something similar happen to a customer of mine.

He went to the chiropractor who took his pulse. The doc told him that he should go see his MD right away because he had a very low pulse rate.

Al drove himself home and about an hour later his wife came home to find him slumped in his office chair with his cell phone in his hand and his address book opened to his doctor's phone number.

I had just spoken with him the day earlier and he seemed fine.