Quote:
Originally Posted by Razorback one
I'm not here for one ounce of sympathy. I simply want my fellow aviators to take care of and protect themselves. Welcome to all the new guys and gals! We are glad you are here and can't wait to see you out on the line. I've missed the last 12 months but it's about time we had a little movement around here.
R1
PS
One thing I forgot to mention above. I don't think your LTD is indexed to inflation, years of service, or pay raises. What you get on day 1 is what you get in year 10 if you are out that long. Someone correct me if I am wrong. That may affect your disability insurance decisions.
R1
I was just looking at the 2014 Pilot Disability Handbook page 21, and it appears that half of the LTD is variable and can go up or down, but never less than the original amount.
I also wanted to say thanks for the good wishes from everyone - stress test is tomorrow. Although I'm probably in better shape than I've been for the last several years, and I'm down to my weight from 10 years ago, I don't know if I've allowed enough time to really get in condition for the test. If I don't pass I'll try again in six months or so.
Like Razorback One, I'm not here for sympathy. Along the lines of an ASAP, I just want to pass on what I've learned so it doesn't happen to you.
So in a nutshell - after the fact I found my cholesterol was 233, A1C was 7.0, i.e. diabetic. Cold morning, heavy exertion outside, a small plaque at the top of the left anterior descending artery (also called the widowmaker since it feeds the front half of the left ventricle) probably ruptured and the body does what it does with any wound - it clots. Massive chest pain that didn't go away. I took one baby aspirin - take 4! (The equivalent of one normal 325mg aspirin). Its effects are rapid and helps to prevent the clotting.
Call 911. I didn't and it probably worsened my outcome. We drove to a nearby hospital. Got some treatment but then went in the ambulance to the better hospital and within minutes got the clot sucked out and a stent put in. I could have been on the table and had that artery open in a half hour instead of two hours. Dumb mistake.
Hopefully this might save one of you in the future. BTW, my cholesterol is down to 137 (thanks to Lipitor), and my A1C has dropped to 6.3 with a fasting glucose of around 100 due to diet and exercise. No meds for diabetes which is great since that is another special issuance complication that I'd rather not deal with.
Stay healthy folks, believe me I'd rather be flying than collecting disability.
Now back to the regular topic - welcome to the new Delta pilots!