Have been feeling a little better in myself although numbness hasnt gone from my feet right up to chest… balance still bad and muscles still mostly stiff, but leg weakness has improved.
Problem is, because my leg weakness has improved and I can lift my foot high enough to work my car much better… Ive been driving. I cant feel the pedals too well but have been doing fine none the less…
…until today When I drove into a parking bay at tescos and instead of slowing to a stop in the parking spot i accelerated into the car parked infront because I couldnt tell my foot was on the accelerator and not the brake! So, needless to say I feel I shouldnt drive now! Just when i felt like i was getting back on track. Ive got so many plans over the next few weeks that mean i need to drive and i cant afford to get taxis everywhere, and I cant walk far enough to be able to get to the bus or train… and get the baby with me with everything i need for him.
What do i do…??
Im applying for DLA, but Im scared they wont give me high rate mobility and then Im just gonna be stuck indoors forever!
OK, first of all, internet shopping, esp Tesco, stay away from the shops if you can. At least until you can drive safely again. Can you look at getting a mobility scooter? I bought one so I can walk my dog, I don’t live in an area near stuff or I’d use it much more often. Can friends/family help out? It’s a major mind-shift sometimes, but people generally want to help, you just need to ask.
Please stay out of the driving seat until you can feel the pedals, it’s a pain, but you don’t want to be causing any more accidents - the police and your insurance will not look favourably on you.
Mrsp I can totally sympathise with you!!! I live alone and I’ve discovered since my dx 2 weeks ago I am pig heade, stubborn Madame who is determined to stay independent…alas I’m figuring very quickly I need help. I can drive for about 5 or 10 minutes now, it used to be 2 hours, then an hour, and rapidly reduced down to short essential trips! My car is my baby and I’m really sad I can’t drive at the moment but I’m hoping it will be temporary, as I’m sure your little blip will be too!!! We’ll be tearing up the roads again before long…in a responsible legal kinda way In the mean time my friends and family are being incredible and ferrying me around, getting me out the house and helping stave off the cabin fever!!! Chin up, Ophelia xxx
Dont really have too many friends that are able to take me places really, they all work full time. Family wise its just my Mom and step dad and they live 150 miles away. Mobility scooter wont work, as wouldnt be able to transport baby on it too well, and it wouldnt get me far.
I do my shopping online already… which is actually fun… except for starting to like eBay a little too much!
I guess things will work out as they need to… in a few months time hubby should be able to do his driving lessons… and he can cheauffer me around on L plates!! lol
First off, have you informed the DVLA and your insurance company that you have MS? You’re legally required to tell the DVLA, and if you’ve not told your insurance company then it may invalidate your insurance policy.
As for the actual driving, you can get hand controls that mean you don’t need to use your feet. The most common type is a simple push/pull lever, which you pull to accelerate and push to brake with one hand. You then steer with the other hand using a steering ball that attaches to the steering wheel. They can be fitted to any car and won’t prevent anyone else from driving it, however you’d need to get an automatic.
Have you filled out the form from the DVLA?!! It’s so long winded and complicated!! I’m newly diagnosed and still don’t have “next appointments” and subsequently no long term meds and not even enough time in my steroids to know how they effect me let alone being able to tell them how my MS is gonna affect me! It’s ridiculous!! They’re gonna be getting bare minimum facts at absolute best!! Another frustration I’m having to work through!!! breath Sorry rant over!!
I reckon it is time for you to stop driving for the time being.Don’t tell DVLA or ANY medical peeps about what happened,but have a good think about life without driving. If you are fit to drive when your licence is up for renewal go for it…Hand controls are a consideration, DVLA and insurance are relatively easily solved. There are companies which give lessons in converted cars and maybe a session would be appropriate. Obviously taking the baby with you is a huge issue and taking any passenger on a buggy is a no no no no,legally and practically
I still have my three year licence but the car was part-exed last year in the deal to get new wheels for Herself. I cannot walk but get out every day on my class III road going buggy.With 30 years driving experience I am very happy on the road and did over 2,000 miles last year. ‘Big Bug’ is fairly narrow and within reason I can go wherever a human can walk,barring stairs.
I’ve also got a tiny class I buggy that breaks into pieces and then fits into the glove box of any car, and a £100 internet wheel chair which again fits in any car.
Walking is for wimps and overrated. My free travel pass is coming soon, and then I won’t be paying for bus or train travel and will be able to annoy many more people. “I want to be a burden whilst I can still enjoy it”
he_funk - no ive not told DVLA yet, as its all so very new… I did check onilne last night and im requesting the form today. but Im worried about the questions… ie: If I tell them it affects my driving will they revoke my license… or if I tell them I NEED adaptations will they simply restrict me to driving with the adaptation(which I dont mind!)
Ophelia - Yeah i llooked at the form lastnight… also not a lot I can answer properly… im waiting till Ive seen Neuro first so I can get a clearer picture on things… Only saw him once when i was dXed…
rebecca - I dont think youd be allowed to have baby in a sling on a scooter.
pip - Ive got Baclofen from GP, which is helping with stiffness… but balance, tingling and numbness still remain. |Plus seeing neuro for first time on Monday so hopefully something else can be figured out! GP, even tho I was having a craooy relapse basically told me whatever she did wasnt gunna change anything so i might as well put up with it until i see Neuro!
woblyboy - definately NOT telling anyone about it!! I got away lightly, the woman even came back to her car got and drove off whilst I was stood there with my jaw on the floor lol she walked past the back of her car and didnt even notice her car was poking out the front of the parking space, where id shunted it forwards!
On a lighter note though, I already have an automatic… and Ive discovered i think you can get poush-pull controls for around £500 which is do-able! So I will see about getting that fitted at some point…and possibly see about potrential funding or help, just need to deal with the DVLA!!
If you want to find out about loads of car adaptations Jubilee in Hill Top West Bromwich have got everything going…they bespoke all our vehicles at work and so far there hasnt been any individual they havent been able to find a suitable adaptation for…and trust me ive made some very big asks.
Just to reassure you, if you tell the DVLA that having MS affects your driving then they won’t automatically revoke your licence. What’s most likely is that you’ll get a 3 year licence and have to re-apply ever 3 years, but that’s just pretty standard for us. They may ask you to go for an assessment, but not necessarily (I actually went for an assessment voluntarily, not because I was required to. I went so I could try out different hand controls and it was a really helpful experience.)
Just to let you know, when you’ve sent off the medical form to the DVLA, don’t hold your breath for a reply - they’re notoriously slow at responding - the longest I’ve had to wait is over 6 months!
If your waiting that long for a reply i guess thats that much longer you can keep driving for tho…? Yea Im thinkning of doing the driving assessment to… with RDAC?? Its £80. i guess that would be useful too, as if someone saw me driving they probably ight not think anything was wrong because for the most part i can do just fine and drive perfectly safely… the problem is, is that there is a lot of POTENTIAL to mess up with the whole not feeling the pedals part! I might fill in my medical form and go for an assessment before I send it off!
I had the assessment with the Forum of Mobility Centres - this is their website: http://www.mobility-centres.org.uk/. As I get the higher mobility component of DLA the assessment was free, so I don’t know how much it would be for you. I got to try out three different types of controls, on private roads as the centre I went to in Derby happened to be on the grounds of a hospital. I’m really glad I did it as it really useful in helping me to decide which controls would be best.
Usually you can carry on driving while the DVLA process your form, but I’d give them a call to double check. But as you say, there’s a lot of potential for things to go very badly wrong if you can’t feel the pedals properly, so I reckon it wiould be much better to be safer rather than sorry.
In the mean time my friends and family are being incredible and ferrying me around, getting me out the house and helping stave off the cabin fever!!! Chin up, Ophelia xxx