🚀 go-pugleaf

Sorry if I rant and crosspost, but I am really ticked.

I have a heads-up for those considering seeing a doctor for
obstructive sleep apnea in California (not sure about other states). I
found out too late, so thought I would post a little heads-up.

(For the uninformed: Obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder
characterized by excessive snoring and pauses in breathing during
sleep, caused by soft tissues in the throat obstructing the airway.
Usually treated by a CPAP [continuous positive airway pressure]
machine, resembling one of those low-velocity hair dryers that
attaches to a plastic cap on the head, except that it is instead
attached to a mask on your nose!)

Last December I underwent a sleep study which revealed that I had
severe obstructive sleep apnea. I have been somewhat tired most of my
life, so I wanted to know what is going on. The dr. prescribed me a
CPAP machine set to 9 cm H2O.

At the followup visit, the doctor informed me that a diagnosis of
sleep apnea IS NOW REPORTABLE TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITIES!! At
the time I didn't think much of it, until I got a letter from the
Department of Motor Vehicles "Driver Safety Division" (a bureaucratic
wing which I didn't even know existed). The letter said if I
didn't go back to the doctor and get a bunch of paperwork filled out
by him within 15 days I would LOSE MY DRIVING PRIVILEGE.

I did this pointless task and got the paperwork in on time. Case
closed, right? WRONG! A few days ago I got another one of those
menacing letters and had to call for an appointment which was made in
the normal rude DMV-clerk way. Now I have to talk to some hearing
official on March 9 (by phone). Who knows what will come of that! And
when I get things resolved, who knows how often in the future I will
be hounded by these weasels about this! And if, heaven forbid, I get
in an accident, will my chances of being found at fault increase
dramatically now that I have a black mark of sorts in my formerly
impeccable DMV record?

I have never had lapses of consciousness due to this, or anything that
would affect my driving (unless I'm REALLY tired from driving all
night or something like that) so this is a bunch of overkill BS as far
as I am concerned. 

So... if you live in California, and think you might have sleep apnea,
and want to avoid getting snared in a possibly lifelong bureaucratic
mess, I suggest you think twice about getting diagnosed!!

I am writing to my reps, Senator Brulte and Assemblyman Leonard, to
tell them how I feel about this law. I realize it's designed to
increase public safety, but, as usual, the gov. goes too far, and if
too many people avoid getting diagnosed for fear of bureaucratic
repercussions, those people's health could be affected in the long
run.

For those interested, here is the text of this strange new law (makes
me feel great, being lumped into a category with Alzheimer's Disease
patients):

http://www.dhs.cahwnet.gov/Alzheimers/html/locregulations2000.htm  

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Doug the Desert Tripper - Exploring Southern Cal deserts and the Net since '94
                       www.geocities.com/destrip 
    *Replace 'see-below.no-SPAM.net' with 'netzero.net' to email me.*
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