“I didn’t realize how bad I really felt until I got my CPAP machine. I am truly amazed at the difference it has made in the quality of my life! I no longer spend my ten-hour DOT rest break tossing, turning, and watching the hours slip away. Now I fall asleep quickly, I wake up much less frequently, and I am usually
up before my alarm clock goes off- a first for me since, well, NEVER! It is nice to know that I am properly rested and able to safely perform my job duties. I feel much more energetic. I no longer have to use energy shots or drink coffee throughout my workday- which is saving me time and money. I have lost over twenty pounds in eighty days without really trying- probably due to the fact that I am no longer eating a bunch of carbs and sugars in an effort to fight off the urge to nap in the afternoon. I love my CPAP machine!
I could go on and on about how I felt before versus how I feel now with my machine. I didn’t even know I had a sleep apnea problem. Thank you for your interest in my story. If it helps even one person improve the quality of their life, it will be worth the small amount of time it took for me to write this. It is nice to meet you, Wendy. Please let PSS know that Kristen is absolutely wonderful, and that she is a joy to work with. Please feel free to contact me any time I might be of service to you or PSS.”
Angela D. Pauley, Schneider National Carriers
“Sleep apnea cannot be handled like a bad haircut, according to commercial driver Ken Armstrong. “Time will not solve it.”
Instead of letting one more day of shortened driving time and tiredness go by, the 57-year- old Swift driver became the first in his company to undergo the “Precision Sleep Solutions treatment experience.”
“I was originally diagnosed with sleep apnea in 1998 while living in Chicago,” Armstrong said. “I had surgery to repair a deviated septum which partially corrected the condition. However, as I got older and gained weight, my sleep apnea gradually worsened to the point that further treatment was necessary.”
Armstrong, with the help of PSS, went in for a sleep study.
“You show up. You talk to the technician,” he said during a video interview with PSS. “The technician explains what’s going to take place during the next 10 or 12 hours. You do it in a comfortable bedroom environment. There’s nothing clinical about it. So it takes about 20 minutes to get all wired up. Then they shut the lights off and say ‘here, you want to watch TV for a bit’ until you get tired and go to sleep.”
Once Armstrong was diagnosed with sleep apnea, PSS reached out to him on a regular basis to support and troubleshoot and was also available via phone to discuss any issues at any time.
PSS also pays critical attention to newly diagnosed drivers to help him/her adhere to therapy. PSS helps with pressure settings, mask fits, what to do in unique situations a driver may struggle with, and more.
“I have been extremely pleased with the driver support that I’ve received from PSS staff,” he said. “PSS’s level of support is a quality of professionalism that has helped keep me rolling, no matter where I am or where I’m headed. Drivers need that. PSS delivers.”
From start to finish, from his sleep-study through to regular follow-up, PSS has been extremely positive and helpful, Armstrong said; especially when it came to his CPAP machine.
“That’s breathing machine, that mask, it’s no different than a pair of eyeglasses, orthopedic footwear, a knee brace,” Armstrong said in his video interview. “These are all things people use … to make their lives easier and better. The breathing mask, for me to have it on at night, it’s no different. I have to accept that because that’s my ticket to a good night sleep.”
And how did his family react?
“At first, my family was a little leery of my CPAP machine,” he said, “especially our cats who sat in studied silence while they listened intently to my breathings and the machine.”
However, as his family witnessed how quickly Armstrong responded to the treatment, “they quickly became believers.”
Today, Armstrong’s treatment has turned his life around.
“Today, I am a better, safer driver who is more alert and focused,” he said. “I have a lot more stamina and am able to now drive a full 11 hours without losing energy or alertness.”
This is important for the 8-year Swift veteran who now mentors new drivers as well as delivers loads in
the continental United States and Canada.
“Before I began my treatments, that would have been absolutely impossible,” he said. “I’d have been stopping for rest after only three or four hours of driving.”
And now he has something to say to other drivers debating testing and treatment for sleep apnea.
“Improve your health, your quality of life,” he said. “Here’s your chance to make a life-changing experience you will not regret.”
Ken Armstrong; Swift Transportation, Inc.