Guest guest Posted April 2, 2001 Report Share Posted April 2, 2001 Jerry, Driving is such a sensitive issue! No one wants to give up driving because it is a key to independence. On the other hand, no one wants to get into an accident and cause injury, to one's self or to others. Many hospitals offer driving evaluations, if you choose to go that route. Rob still drives, but not much. Never if he's having a bad day. Never in heavy traffic (if we can tell in advance) and never in stressful conditions like heavy rain or snow. I feel confident that he's better than most drivers on the road. BUT, he's not as good as he used to be, and that worries him and me. Basically, your brother needs to listen to his body. Maybe he should leave you mother's house earlier to avoid driving at night, and let his wife drive one direction so he doesn't get fatigued. I wish there was an easier answer... Carol & Rob > > > > driving and msa > > > > The neurologists have not discouraged my brother from driving, although > > one did tell him that he should carry something in his wallet to explain > > that his balance and speech problems are caused by an illness so that he > > won't be mistaken as being drunk in case he's ever pulled over. He says > > he doesn't have any difficulties driving unless he turns his really fast > > and then he can get some momentary dizziness. > > > > I'm just wondering how long those of you who continued to drive after your > > diagnosis with MSA were able to continue driving. He drives to work and > > other places he and his wife go and he drives about 70 miles round-trip > > for an every-other-weekend visit to our mother's home. I'm beginning to > > worry a little about him driving home from our mother's because its > > usually late in the evening, and his wife can't drive them home because > > she can't see to drive at night. > > > > Jerry Cash > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2001 Report Share Posted April 2, 2001 Jerry, My mother Joyce stopped driving about 1.5 years after being diagnosed with a movement disorder. Her reactions were very slow. My mother only lived another 2.5 years -- the disease ran through her quickly. It all depends on your symptoms and whether they affect the things that are important to driving. I think the most revealing information would come from driving around with him as much as possible. It's a tough one to give up. Good luck, Debbie - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2001 Report Share Posted April 2, 2001 Jerry, My father drove until the head flex started (in November), but only during the day. I'm really not sure he should have been driving even before that, as his reflexes had slowed quite a bit and often commented that it was sometimes difficult to get to the brake. If the truth be told, my sisters and I aren't sure he should have been driving for the last 30 years, but that has nothing to do with MSA. He was never the best driver. :-) in OK --- Jerry Cash wrote: > > > > driving and msa > > > > The neurologists have not discouraged my brother > from driving, although > > one did tell him that he should carry something in > his wallet to explain > > that his balance and speech problems are caused by > an illness so that he > > won't be mistaken as being drunk in case he's ever > pulled over. He says > > he doesn't have any difficulties driving unless he > turns his really fast > > and then he can get some momentary dizziness. > > > > I'm just wondering how long those of you who > continued to drive after your > > diagnosis with MSA were able to continue driving. > He drives to work and > > other places he and his wife go and he drives > about 70 miles round-trip > > for an every-other-weekend visit to our mother's > home. I'm beginning to > > worry a little about him driving home from our > mother's because its > > usually late in the evening, and his wife can't > drive them home because > > she can't see to drive at night. > > > > Jerry Cash > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2001 Report Share Posted April 2, 2001 Greetings Carol! I agree giving up driving is a tough thing. I am in the process of doing that. I wish I could give it up completely right away. But just as it took some time to rearrange our lives so I didn't drive at night, the same is true for daytime. Of course my neurologist is pretty adamant about this. If I get confused when too many things happen around me, I will also get confused when things require immediate attention (such as in a crisis on the road). So, better to give up driving than possibly hurt someone else. Of course, that's much easier said than done. Regards, =jbf= B. Fisher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2001 Report Share Posted April 2, 2001 Greetings Carol! I agree giving up driving is a tough thing. I am in the process of doing that. I wish I could give it up completely right away. But just as it took some time to rearrange our lives so I didn't drive at night, the same is true for daytime. Of course my neurologist is pretty adamant about this. If I get confused when too many things happen around me, I will also get confused when things require immediate attention (such as in a crisis on the road). So, better to give up driving than possibly hurt someone else. Of course, that's much easier said than done. Regards, =jbf= B. Fisher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2001 Report Share Posted April 2, 2001 Greetings Carol! I agree giving up driving is a tough thing. I am in the process of doing that. I wish I could give it up completely right away. But just as it took some time to rearrange our lives so I didn't drive at night, the same is true for daytime. Of course my neurologist is pretty adamant about this. If I get confused when too many things happen around me, I will also get confused when things require immediate attention (such as in a crisis on the road). So, better to give up driving than possibly hurt someone else. Of course, that's much easier said than done. Regards, =jbf= B. Fisher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2001 Report Share Posted April 2, 2001 Jerry, Unfortunately, as balance goes, so does reaction time. Slow reaction time and driving do not mix. Sight is often affected also. Take care, Bill and Charlotte ================================= Jerry Cash wrote: > > driving and msa > > > > The neurologists have not discouraged my brother from driving, although > > one did tell him that he should carry something in his wallet to explain > > that his balance and speech problems are caused by an illness so that he > > won't be mistaken as being drunk in case he's ever pulled over. He says > > he doesn't have any difficulties driving unless he turns his really fast > > and then he can get some momentary dizziness. > > > > I'm just wondering how long those of you who continued to drive after your > > diagnosis with MSA were able to continue driving. He drives to work and > > other places he and his wife go and he drives about 70 miles round-trip > > for an every-other-weekend visit to our mother's home. I'm beginning to > > worry a little about him driving home from our mother's because its > > usually late in the evening, and his wife can't drive them home because > > she can't see to drive at night. > > > > Jerry Cash > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2001 Report Share Posted April 2, 2001 Jerry, Unfortunately, as balance goes, so does reaction time. Slow reaction time and driving do not mix. Sight is often affected also. Take care, Bill and Charlotte ================================= Jerry Cash wrote: > > driving and msa > > > > The neurologists have not discouraged my brother from driving, although > > one did tell him that he should carry something in his wallet to explain > > that his balance and speech problems are caused by an illness so that he > > won't be mistaken as being drunk in case he's ever pulled over. He says > > he doesn't have any difficulties driving unless he turns his really fast > > and then he can get some momentary dizziness. > > > > I'm just wondering how long those of you who continued to drive after your > > diagnosis with MSA were able to continue driving. He drives to work and > > other places he and his wife go and he drives about 70 miles round-trip > > for an every-other-weekend visit to our mother's home. I'm beginning to > > worry a little about him driving home from our mother's because its > > usually late in the evening, and his wife can't drive them home because > > she can't see to drive at night. > > > > Jerry Cash > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 2, 2001 Report Share Posted April 2, 2001 Jerry, Unfortunately, as balance goes, so does reaction time. Slow reaction time and driving do not mix. Sight is often affected also. Take care, Bill and Charlotte ================================= Jerry Cash wrote: > > driving and msa > > > > The neurologists have not discouraged my brother from driving, although > > one did tell him that he should carry something in his wallet to explain > > that his balance and speech problems are caused by an illness so that he > > won't be mistaken as being drunk in case he's ever pulled over. He says > > he doesn't have any difficulties driving unless he turns his really fast > > and then he can get some momentary dizziness. > > > > I'm just wondering how long those of you who continued to drive after your > > diagnosis with MSA were able to continue driving. He drives to work and > > other places he and his wife go and he drives about 70 miles round-trip > > for an every-other-weekend visit to our mother's home. I'm beginning to > > worry a little about him driving home from our mother's because its > > usually late in the evening, and his wife can't drive them home because > > she can't see to drive at night. > > > > Jerry Cash > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 3, 2001 Report Share Posted April 3, 2001 Ken drove until he fell and hit his head. He then promised his Neurologist not to drive for a year. At the end of that time, he said he was going to drive, so the doctor referred him for evaluation at a Hospital program. They tested him in the lab and on the road with a dual controlled auto. it was obvious that his reflexes were shot and that his vision had lost the ability to differentiate contrasts. They said he would have had seven accidents if the car had not been dual controlled. BUT, ken, who had spent his career as a Defense attorney for Insurance Companies and as a Judge, insisted that he could drive as well as ever and that the tests were wrong. he thought he had done well on the tests! His doctor, being unable to win an argument with a lawyer, sent her report to the DMV. When they called to make an appointment to test him, he was prepared to take a test with them in our car. I then had to refuse to let him use "my" car, and since his car hadn't been running for over a year, he lost his license. he was very angry at the time, but I hired someone to drive him around several times a week, and he eventually settled in to just back-seat driving me. The point of this is that the patient himself is no judge of his own driving abilities even if he is some kind of expert on the subject. Barbara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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