The Night Marten Transport Pimped Us Out

We were proud of our company Marten Transport. We believed they cared about their drivers which is why we chose them. We visited the Great American Truck show in Vegas to meet and speak with company representatives before we chose Marten Transport.

Due to my medical conditions I needed a well working APU heating and cooling system and Marten Transport has an APU in every truck. We thought this was evidence that they cared about their employees. This was our hope our dream to be together on the road, me helping as much as possible while I get the chance to live my life with lupus outside the walls of my home which nearly drove me crazy at times. When you’re too sick to do anything or go anywhere it tears at your spirit. I can sit in the truck and look out at America. I can keep the truck clean and make simple meals and coffee. I can contribute which means a lot.

It is a job, hard work but when tired I can securely rest in the sleeper. We have enjoyed every minute the good times and bad but never thought our safety would be deliberately compromised by this company. We accepted a load picking up carrots in New Jersey. That went well. The load was going to Campbell Soup Supply Co in Maxton, North Carolina.

Campbell Soup Supply Co made us wait 7 hours to be unloaded, not a terrible thing as hubby went to sleep, we could deal with that. It is the scene that happened next that put our lives in danger. After leaving Campbell Soup Supply we parked nearby at the only truck stop in Maxton. There were about 7 trucks, 3 prostitutes and bars on all the doors and windows. The prostitutes were hanging out with a guy in a white pick-up truck who we thought might have been their pimp.

Campbell Soup Supply left us with a dirty trailer that needed to be washed out before we could pick up our next load. At the end of the driveway outside Campbell there are truck washout signs. We called them all from the truck stop. The one that appeared most legitimate was closed. What happened next was the man in the pick-up from the parking lot came up to the truck wanting to do our washout. He actually answered our call from one of the signs. Then another guy drove up from the other number we called, blocking us in and they started arguing at our truck window, they were both obviously on drugs and or drunk. They got in a fight that nearly turned violent right there. One accused the other of stealing business. The first said $100 cash, the second said $40, then $20 to undercut the other. The situation was escalating.

We sent in a qualcomm message that we were in an unsafe situation. We had 45 minuted on the clock before we could legally leave. The safe thing would have been to pray, wait the 45 minutes and leave to a safer location. Our night dispatcher on the evening of November 21s 2009 was Joe. He called the drunk washout guys and negotiated a $40 deal and told Dave to make me go in the sleeper and close the curtain so I will not be scared.

Then we were told by one washout guy to follow him home. At this time I received a tweet from a twitter friend to “get out now!” that Maxton NC is notoriously unsafe and he was robbed there. Too late, we are following a drunk guy to his home. We verbally told dispatch we were not safe, we typed it into the qualcomm. WE WERE NOT SAFE!

While at the house being washed out we wondered if the other drunk guy would show up with a gun. Shady people walked by. There were several drunk men at this house. Several times he asked for cash after dispatch and my husband told him it would be a company check.

When finished he came to the window and tried to get my husband out of the truck. He told hubby he loved him don’t forget him and then asked for “weed”.

My husband did what he thought was right, but will never trust dispatch again. Joe put the value of the next load above our safety. We were pimped out for $40 bucks. Thanks Joe. America needs truck drivers. Everything you eat drink and wear was brought to you by a professional truck driver. Economic hard times are creating more brazen criminals and the American truck driver is not allowed to arm themselves. We are sitting ducks carrying millions of dollars of goods across the country. We need to pass Jason’s Law before any more drivers are murdered. Professional drivers: SPEAK OUT! You deserve to be treated with respect. You deserve to be safe. Act respectably, demand respect!

The Health Care Bill and I

Every time President Obama opens his mouth concerning health care he shoves his foot farther down it. From: the doctors love to remove children’s tonsils to make a buck, to: doctors withholding care to diabetics so they can cut off their feet to make money, it is more than obvious he is ignorant of today’s medical profession.

Good for him! He has never dealt with chronic illness, I’m happy for him. But folks you better hope his inexperience does not end up in your doctor’s office. He seems to be under the impression that most medical problems are self caused and can be cured with diet and excersize and he is right that some can. He is ignorant of genetics and how science is finding genetic links to many diseases.

Lets look at Obama’s statements;

President Obama said, “Part of what we want to do is to make sure that those decisions are being made by doctors and medical experts based on evidence, based on what works…. Right now, doctors a lot of times are forced to make decisions based on the fee payment schedule that’s out there. … the doctor may look at the reimbursement system and say to himself, ‘You know what? I make a lot more money if I take this kid’s tonsils out … I’d rather have that doctor making those decisions based on whether you really need your kid’s tonsils out, or whether … something else would make a difference…. So part of what we want to do is to free doctors, patients, hospitals to make decisions based on what’s best for patient care.”

This shows a grossly ignorant perception of The American Academy of Otolaryngology, the tonsil doctors. Anyone who has dealt with a child suffering with infected tonsils knows the first thing the doctor does NOT do is take them out. My mother tells a story of a cousin who was sick. He had swollen tonsils and an upset stomach. He died from tonsillitus because he vomited but it went into his lungs, his tonsils were so enlarged the vomit could not pass them.

My tonsils were so diseased they were full of puss pockets. Could my tonsillectomy have been prevented? Possibly but I doubt it. I have genetic diseases. I was born with mutated DNA. One mutation is called C282Y homozygous for hereditary hemochromatosis. Could this have had something to do with my tonsil problems? Possibly so. By the time mine were removed they were pocked with large puss filled holes. I had spent years previous to them being removed with recurrent painfully infected tonsils.

What do the doctors have to say about Barak’s comment?

“We, too, are in favor of evidence-based medicine that supports quality patient care. President Obama’s statement highlights the complexity of medical decisions like this. However, the AAO-HNS is disappointed by the President’s portrayal of the decision making processes by the physicians who perform these surgeries. In many cases, tonsillectomy may be a more effective treatment, and less costly, than prolonged or repeated treatments for an infected throat.”

My point is this: President Barak Obama has admitted he has not read the bill. He does not understand what modern medicine is all about. He has never dealt with health problem except for his poor mother’s cancer. He may have many talents and knowledge, but of medical treatment, procedures, diagnoses and prognosis he has zero understanding.

Is this the person you want to lead an enormous administration of politicians that will make decisions on whether your child needs a tonsillectomy or not? Think about the DMV and the USPS. These people will control your Doctor even though they say they will not

What my Vegan diet has done for me

August 10th 2009 I visited an Opthomologist. I was diagnosed with diabetes around 20 years ago, precluded by the diagnoses of hypoglycemia in 1976. As you may have already read I also have lupus, Hashimoto’s thyroiditus and hereditary hemochromatosis. All of these maladies can damage the eye.

For most of my life I have focused on natural health. I have researched, experimented, read books and watched health gurus. After many years I settled into a vegetarian diet. It hasn’t always been easy but it was my centered goal. My favorite chef was Kathy Hoshijo of “Kathy’s Kitchen”. She has written books on natural diet filled with tasty Hawaiian Asian cuisine.

Herbs are my preferred treatment and I can honestly say I am much the healthier for it. I have tried the doctors medicines and am thankful for modern medicine when my body refuses to heal naturally. However, I have been over-medicated way more than under. With all of my problems, genetic in nature that they are (mutated DNA), I am only taking thyroid medicine and naprosen (Aleve).

My visit to the Opthomologist was way overdue. Anyone with these medical conditions needs to be checked in order to make certain you are not undergoing damage that is irreparable. The eye tells a lot. It is sensitive nerve tissue. I have been having some problems with spots and a glaze over my eye.

Upon my exam she told me my eyes were dry but showed no damage, nothing that someone with my medical history should have! The spots are naturally occurring floaters. She went over my abnormal blood test results with me (best doctor I have EVER been to). She also told me I needed more aggressive thyroid treatment therapy and told me to go see a particular female Doctor in town.

The most fulfilling thing she told me was that even though I am overweight due to bulimia and my thyroid being too low, my diet IS THE REASON I am doing so well and my eyes are so healthy! I have recently fallen off the raw vegan wagon and my glucose levels started to go up, even more the reason to “GO VEGAN.”

There are many reasons both humane and health why eating animal products is not a good choice. You don’t have to be a wacko or get naked for a Peta campaign to care about factory farmed suffering animals.

Now my disclaimer: I have been critized because on rare occasion I will eat when I feel the need to, sustainably caught wild sockeye salmon. There is only one company I buy from, “Vital Choice” that I have been told is salmon from Native Americans on Native American lands.

Eating a vegan diet does not mean you check your brains at the fridge and become a card carrying member of Peta. It also does not mean you  just joined a religious cult. It means different things to different people.

Letter From My Congressman on Jason’s Law

June 15, 2009

xxxx

Dear Mrs. xxxx:

Thank you for contacting me. It is good to hear from you and I am pleased to respond.

I share your concern about providing safe conditions for truck drivers. H.R. 2156, Jason’s Law, would provide $20 million in grants to build safety rest areas that include parking for commercial motor vehicles and to build commercial motor vehicle parking facilities adjacent to commercial truck stops and travel plazas. The legislation also would open existing facilities (including inspection stations, weigh stations, and park-and-ride lots) to commercial motor vehicle parking.

H.R. 2156 has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. This issue will require extensive hearings and debate before any legislation moves forward. I will await the results of those hearings, and a recommendation from the Committee, before I determine how I will vote on this measure if it comes to the House floor. In the meantime, you can be sure I will keep your thoughts in mind.

Thanks again for getting in touch. Please feel free to contact me in the future about this or any issue of concern.

Sincerely,

Jerry Lewis
Member of Congress

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