My stupid Brother in law.

[Magnumcharger]

OK, maybe he's not "STUPID" in the classical sense, but the man needs to get his shit together.
He's a truck driver, hauling double-trailer of H2S, which is a particularly nasty gas by-product of the oil wells up here in Alberta.
He's a big man, probably 320lbs. In the last four years since starting this job, he's put on a pound of fat for every month he's been driving.
So now it's causing him to have problems sleeping, whenever he can find the time. Which isn't often.
He'll drive 45 hours at a time, which can't be good, catnapping whenever he can, which is basically EVERY time he sits down. And when he sleeps, this is what happens: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7-7KXKQxsQ
No breathing for 25-30 seconds, then a big roar, then back to no breathing. This can go on all night. So the quality of his sleeping sucks badly.
Despite trying to get him to see a doctor, he refuses to do anything about it. Which is why I call him stupid.

[41husk]

Man! someone needs to talk some since into him, I used to weight over 350 lbs.  I am now 200 lbs and I feel so much better, I diddn't even know how bad I felt before.

[280bb0]

Hey Thanks for posting the video I was on line trying to find video of this and could only find testimony. I have often wondered if I have the same problem just because my wife says i snor  Thanks again I hope he gets the help he needs he should be thankful to have a person like you to point this out!!!!
                                                               

[6pkrunner]

You can lead  horse to water........

Seriously, people have to look after themselves. Some will carry on the Superman concept past their teenage years. Those are the obits you read in the paper that are in their later 40s to early 50s. It will kill him and he is the only one who can do anything to change it.

[LeeBoy]

I have sleep apnea as well as restless leg syndrome. I had a sleep study done about three years ago. They hook you up to a bunch of wires and monitor you in the hospital overnight. They determined I was only getting twenty minutes of sleep out of an hour and I stopped breathing on an average of 26 seconds at a time with on instance where I stopped breathing for 66 seconds. Try to hold your breath that long! My uncle had a stroke from undiagnosed sleep apnea and it can cause heart attacks. Reggie White the NFL died of undiagnosed sleep apnea. Here is the article. http://www.sleepeducation.com/Article.aspx?id=33
I now use a breathing machine at night and I never leave home without it, I even take it camping and hook it up to a power inverter. Dude you need to convince your brother in law to get checked out before its to late!!! Here is a pic of the type I have to use. It's from the net. It takes awhile to get used to but considering the consequences it's worth it!

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

The sleeping problem is bad, the overweight problem is bad....but the driving 45 hrs at a time is WORSE.

The first 2 items are jeopardizing HIS life...the latter is jeopardizing OTHERS on the road

Tell him to WAKE UP (literally) and seek help for the sake of the innocent people he might KILL when falling asleep at the wheel...

[LeeBoy]

 . Great words of advice.

[Drache]

I have sleep apnea as well as restless leg syndrome. I had a sleep study done about three years ago. They hook you up to a bunch of wires and monitor you in the hospital overnight. They determined I was only getting twenty minutes of sleep out of an hour and I stopped breathing on an average of 26 seconds at a time with on instance where I stopped breathing for 66 seconds. Try to hold your breath that long! My uncle had a stroke from undiagnosed sleep apnea and it can cause heart attacks. Reggie White the NFL died of undiagnosed sleep apnea. Here is the article. http://www.sleepeducation.com/Article.aspx?id=33
I now use a breathing machine at night and I never leave home without it, I even take it camping and hook it up to a power inverter. Dude you need to convince your brother in law to get checked out before its to late!!! Here is a pic of the type I have to use. It's from the net. It takes awhile to get used to but considering the consequences it's worth it!

I have the same looking machine....

[Magnumcharger]

I hear ya guys.
My brother-in law is just like the younger brother I never had. I love him dearly.

Problem is, as Mike says, that "Superman syndrome".
However, I've harped on him for years, his wife has done the same, his sister (my wife) has ORDERED him to get checked out (she's an Army Nurse!), and STILL he won't do anything about it.
So I shot the video of him on Friday, posted it on Youtube, and left it in about thirty different folders, and on the desktop of his computer.

His wife is ready to leave him.
Unfortunately, his defiant attitude may just kill him, and others.
I don't know what else I can do.

[Charger_Fan]

The sleeping problem is bad, the overweight problem is bad....but the driving 45 hrs at a time is WORSE.

The first 2 items are jeopardizing HIS life...the latter is jeopardizing OTHERS on the road

Tell him to WAKE UP (literally) and seek help for the sake of the innocent people he might KILL when falling asleep at the wheel...

That's not a good thing!

I hope he will get past whatever stubborn ideas that are keeping him from getting help & get it fixed soon, for everyone's sake.

[Charger1973]

Send the video to his boss.  He will make sure he gets it taken care of or he wont have a job.  He might not like it but its better than letting him kill people when he gets in a wreck. 

[red72chrgr]

Been where he's at(295 and driving at least 36 hrs str8). I had a massive heart attack, luckily I was parked and got help within 25 minutes at a truck stop. Diagnosed with sleep apnea as well. I tried the machine with 2 12.5 mg of Ambien(sleeping pill), no go, I just can't stand anything on my face. Point I'm trying to make is he won't quit until he falls, hopefully he doesn't take anyone with him. Most likely he'll fight with anyone who tries to "push" him toward a healthier lifestyle. As far as sending his boss a vid, it may get him let go from there but other companies will snatch him up in a heartbeat. The trucking industry pretty much turns their heads the other way when they need someone to make $$. Sorry for the long winded post everyone, this kinda hit real close for me. Magnumcharger, just try to be there when he does fall, its gonna hurt bad in a lot of ways. Hope he gets help.

[Mike DC]

 
The ultimate health damage can (probably will at this rate) cost him a whole lot more than any amount of additional money this game is making him.  A coronary or the liability of a sleep-driving accident will make the extra hours on the job look like a pretty stupid trade. 


That's how I would reason with him. 

He's not a 17yo kid.  He might not have enough concern for himself right now, but deep down he must know this is basically unsustainable.  He can't justify this unless he's arguing that it's only temporary for the money. 

If that's his angle, then I would try to get him to face the financial issues demanding this and realize that this just won't work forever. 

[TruckDriver]

The sleeping problem is bad, the overweight problem is bad....but the driving 45 hrs at a time is WORSE.

The first 2 items are jeopardizing HIS life...the latter is jeopardizing OTHERS on the road

Tell him to WAKE UP (literally) and seek help for the sake of the innocent people he might KILL when falling asleep at the wheel...

Right on Chris!

I'm lucky I guess, I weigh around 425pds (My metabolizm is shot), and I don't have sleep apnea. But my back is toast because of my weight.