I have been to see Neuro today and he has finally diagnosed me today after 2 years . I dont know what to think really i knew it was possible all along i had MS but to be told is still a shock you dont know whether to be sad or pleased you can put a name to what you have.
He told me i have to inform DVLA and car insurance about it . Do i have to inform anyone else ? What is worring me is that i have had optic neuritis in both eyes will i have to stop driving can anyone help me please.
Hi Lisa I had optic neuritis but only in one eye i informed DVLA and they get in touch with your doc ect. It take ages for them to get back to you but had a letter from them the yesterday and they have give me a three year licence that seems to be the norm if you have MS so don’t worry. As for the insurance i told them and it did not affect it they told me they will put it on file and as long at DVLA know it’s ok i am covered. Hope this put your mind at rest Take Care Dave
Thank you i have just printed the form off the internet i will fill it in tomorrow and send it off. Hopefully i will be like yourself and get a 3 year licence .
I had just the same reaction when I was given my dx, somewhere between total terror and relief that they knew what was wrong- I still remember the neuro saying ‘Its MS’ and the next thing I remember was I was in a car park!
Same for me I’ve been walking around for 2 years, dragging my left leg, falling everywhere, going back and for the docs, asking to be referred to someone. They sent me to a Physio, waste of time, told me until I get MS out of my head they couldnt treat me. So who was write, me or someone who’s trained in these things or someone who’s looked on Internet at symptoms and found MS. Also my aunty had it. I’ve been waiting to hear from DVLA but had nothing back since June. I’m quite uptight about this, as I’ve been driving since I was 17 and really want to be able to drive just for a bit of normality, if thats possible. I’ve had 2 lots of steriods now in the past 6 months, but am quite good at the moment, just taking amitriptyline, if thats how you spell it. It makes me sleep anyway and dont wake up in the night much. But I am getting trouble with my water works and am quite anxious about this, dont really want a cafiter yet. Anyway keep strong Lisa, we are all here to support each other
As K says; if you have a mortgage check if your house insurance covers ‘crtical illness;’ if so claim could mean a cheque to pay your mortgage off. Most polcies say you must claim within 6 months of diagnosis.
I too have just been dx with MS, in the last 3 months, and have sent off the DVLA forms stating that i have MS, i also put on the form that i have ON and both eyes have been affected and impaired visually. They wrote back to me after one month stating that ON was another seperate illness and another (same) form had to be filled in.
I actually have another bout of ON again just now and visited my optician for advice before going to the hospital and she did the test that the DVLA would ask to be carried out if requested and she said that i would pass, phew!
I think that’s normal to be issued with a short term licence as the condition worsens over time for some.
As others have said dig out your mortgage policy if you have one and check if you have critical illness cover. MS is defo on the list and you could get some/all off your mortgage paid off depending on your policy. I’m doing this just now and the company have been great at informing me where they’re at in the process; my neuro is the one holding things up! They write to your GP too. Mines, if successful, won’t pay all my mortgage off as i have re-mortgaged my home but it will certainly help; the only benefit of this illness so far!
I did also phone my car insurance providers and they said thanks for letting them know but they’ll now be waiting on further advice from the DVLA on the matter. Please note that they can’t add any more money to your cover, i was informed by others on this site about that.
They only other people i told was my work place. I got occupational health involved and worked with them to make reasonable adjustments to my work practices, i did do this before the dx tho as i knew it was a comin! My work have been genuinely helpful and not just paid lip service to the whole thing, they have implemented many things and it has been hugely helpful to me. My colleagues are very supportive too.
Good luck Lisa with all of this and the ups and downs over the next few months as you actually come to terms with the dx and the realisation of such a wicked illness. I actually think that i’m now a liitle grounded and as i kinda knew from March this year that i ‘could’ be MS, but it hasn’t been easy and i’m sure i’ll have a few more grettin (crying) days to come.