Hi Amanda
I, like you was completely gutted when I was told about the 3 yr license; but i think we probably need to think its for our safety. We have no idea what the future holds do we.
I was very loathe to getting a blue badge.
When were you diagnosed? Do you have a Blue Badge?
Keep smiling! I was at Uni when I was dignosed and at 22 its not the best thing Life than throw whatever at us and we can throw it right back when we can manage and deal with whatever it is.
Sami xx
Snap! I threw a tantrum a toddler would have been proud of when I found out about the driving licence and was reduced to tears when I found out I couldn’t give blood any more. Everything else I’ve been able to deal with, but those two things hammered home that the bl00dy MS was with me for life and would affect my life even when I wasn’t feeling the symptoms. Ho hum!
Not being able to give blood was more of a blow to me then the driving licence. I can drive, it is academic that I need to re apply every three years, but to be told your blood is no longer good enough, after all the years of donating is a little hard to take.
hi i have just been diagnosed with ms do i have to inform DVLA x
hi
yes jean-and ur insurance company. should make no difference to premium but they should be informed.
ellie x
I was put on a 3 year licence about 3 and a half years ago and when the DVLA sent the renewal letter last August I cheerily filled it in not expecting any problems. But then they took my licence away, blaming my medication and said I won’t be safe as that lot will cause fatigue - they didn’t even write to my GP or Neurologist to check this out! My Neurologist is disgusted and in the process of appealing against it for me. He said the best and cheaper option left to us, was to wait 3 months and then download the application form from the DVLA website and then he would fill it in and word it in such a way that it should work and then I will get my licence back in the next few weeks. I hope he is right!!
The moral of this though, and it applies to application for DLA and ESA too, is get a professional person, such as a Neurologist or GP, to fill in the paperwork for you. My Neurologist filled in my application for ESA and I strolled through it. That’s because he had seen me at my worst a few weeks previously and based the application upon that. He totally disregarded my good days, which is what we all must do.
Yes, I was advised to inform the DVLA by my neuro but he omitted to tell me I would only get a 3 year licence so it was a bit of a shock and felt like it was something else that had been taken away. When I was newly diagnosed every little thing felt like another kick in the teeth as I was still struggling to come to terms with having a life changing condition. It’s silly really, I was still allowed to drive and very rarely drove vehicles in the categories I had now been prevented from driving but it still affected me.
The DVLA did contact me a few months before my licence expired and kept me informed during the renewal process. The delay was due to my GP taking his annual holiday but DVLA wrote to tell me I could continue driving while they completed their enquiries so I cannot fault them really.
Tracey
yes - totally gutted about it - really upset as this was the first external effect of the MS I think. And I had been wondering about giving blood as haven’t for a while so now I know I can’t I’ll away and have a wee cry about that now as well!
someone told me it’s important to grieve for the losses along the way, and though these ones may be small in some ways, it’s about it actually changing your life which is a big deal. I don’t need a blue badge yet I don’t think but that will be a hard one as well.
I’m on my 2nd 3 year licence at first I was a bit upset I was a long distance lorry driver I lost everything I can just drive a car now I’d a licence for a 44 tonne artic truck and hazardous goods licence but at least I still have a car licence. I did have to do a driving assessment the first year but the second the DVLNI sent me a reminder my licence was due for renewel and where any changes to my health and was it ok to contact my doctor I told them there where no changes for the worse and they could contact my doctor I got my licence renewed for another 3 years with no problems
Mark x
Me too that is the only thing as used to drive horsebox but can’t now. and as you say have to get a medical which would pay for myself Didn’t mind the medical it was the 80+ quid docs wanted to do it. and no guarentee I would get it back.GRRRRRRRRRR Now thought that was discrimination.lol
Remember to tell your insurance co. they can’t charge you more but funnily enough if you put it in those compare market type things some won’t even give you a quote.
Mustn’t griumble tho got over it now and at least I can still tow a trailer
Hi Amanda,
Only just seen your post so apologies for not sending this sooner. As many others have probably already said, this is quite normal and is the DVLA’s way of “covering it’s back” - in other words they can keep an eye on you and every 3rd year they have a right to make medical enquiries about you to see how your condition is affecting you. My totally unblemished licence of 32 years went onto a 3 year licence 4 years ago which was bad enough, but when they wrote to me last year one tiny little “slip of the pen” when filling in the application form meant they totally revoked my licence. It appears that I ticked a box saying that my medication WAS affecting my driving instead of WAS NOT. A good lesson for us all there. I am still waiting to hear from them as to when I can expect to get my licence back again, but hopefully in the next month after they have made all of the medical enquiries that they have to make I will be behind the wheel again, and watch out Southampton when I am!! (LOL)
Anyway, don’t take it personally, just carry on as if there had been no change and expect to get a new set of forms through from them in about 2 and a half years so they can see how you are doing. Just take care to fill them in accurately and don’t make the same mistake that this numpty made!
Take care.
Dave x
DX in November, My clean licence was revoked completely in January. I can walk & talk, I have cognitive problems (who doesn’t).
The decision hurt, I live alone and I cried for over an hour.
My fab black convertible was parked on the drive.
I shouted about old people in their 90’s who shouldn’t be on the road, I screamed that they’d taken my decision of when to drive and when to leave in the drive if I felt off side, My independence has been stolen without giving me a driving assessment.
My daughter was harsh but right by telling me no matter how much I rant and get angry and stressed, I can’t change the law. She told me to use buses (free bus pass based on traffic regulations of medically revoked driving licence), taxi, trains.
Of course its not easy but I do manage and I’ve found taxi & train fares still work out cheaper than a tank of petrol every fortnight.