Hi all I see there are a lot of new DVLA related topics but I can’t quite find the information I am looking for.
Low and behold when telling the DVLA you have to answer a million and one questions to which with MS is a grey area and I’m not sure how to answer
E.g
I’m Newly diagnosed - I was fortunate enough to be investigated and diagnosed within a week.
However the bit I am struggling on is the have you ever had relapses and when?
Now since I’m newly diagnosed with RRMS I’m sure that I have had relapses however since I wasn’t under investigation initially or it was even suggested I couldn’t possibly know if previous ailments were MS related and I’m Flabbergasted on how I’m meant to answer that question
Could anyone help please? Has anyone experienced the same?
If you were diagnosed RR you need two episodes. In my case I was actually diagnosed in a single day. Besides the relapse that led me to being hospitalised I was able to look back to an episode the year before. There was evidence to support this on the MRI.
DVLA questions tend to wind us up because they are difficult/impossible to answer. It is one of the first times we have to face up to our diagnosis.
Do you think it’s best for me to ask the neurologist for support answering that part? - as I could make an educated guess on when they were as I had some common symptoms previous as the time I was admitted though it wasn’t the main reason I was admitted and investigated
There have been problems with DVLA getting replies from neurologists so they may changed the process. I think some relapses are easy to identify in retrospect but others are not and splitting out pseudo relapses is an interesting debate. I would make a sensible best guess and expect them to check with your consultant.
I am assuming one of the questions is contact details for your consultant that can be interesting early in your journey.
Maybe just be honest, and answer pretty much as you have said here. ie, You’ve not had any relapses, as far as you are aware, but you were admitted to hospital for other reasons (whatever they were) and RMMS was diagnosed then.
I sent my paperwork to DVLA in October when I was told I have CIS. Not received anything back yet, but now they are saying I have MS. I Hope I don’t need to resend.
So are you still allowed to drive as you have sent them the paperwork or do you have to wait for their go ahead - they don’t provide a great amount of detail or make it easy do they?
I did not send them my old driving license so I have just continued to drive. My consultant said I will have no problem with my license. I have a slightly numb face so no effect driving.
That’s good to know thank you as I have a letter from the neurologist stating that he has advised I can resume driving but I need to notify DVLA but having trouble with the forms at the moment
Not yet but I haven’t been driving to be honest so haven’t got around to it yet but I thought it had to be disclosed to the insurance.
No I didn’t see a request on there to return license - I may also send a copy of the letter from the neurologist saying to resume driving just as evidence to try and move things along a bit quicker