Driving with epilepsy

[eslucas]

I got my drivers license when I was 16. In my entire lifetine , I had gotten only 3 tickets (2 as a teen, last one 27 years ago), involved in 2 accidents, one I rear ended a guy when I was 17 and got hit by a drunk when I was 20.

My record was great for 27 years. Then I had my first grand mal May 2001 and I voluntarily relinquished my license.

For someone who is totally independant, and able to accomplish whatever goals they set out,to suddenly have to rely on others to "Take Them Someplace" is a bigger bust in the chops than the diagnosis of the disorder!

Asking, neighbors, friends and relitives to "please take me to the _____" (fill in the blank) just makes you feel less of a human. I am the kind of person who seldom asks for help. And to ask for rides when I appear to be so healthy just was awful. I wanted to drive myself to the store, do my own errands. My husband never had to do the business end of our lives before. He had left thet up to me, now it was dumped in his lap. Let's add resentment to my humiliation, and lack of understanding. We were overwhelmed. I cannot count the number of fights we had because of this (and still do)

In fact I was never left alone for the first 2-3 years. I had experianced a few drop seizures, a few "run like hell to anywhere but here" seizures (one of those in the car), 100's of simple, and maybe 20 complex. It was degrading. I wanted my space. if I was taking a shower and dropped the shampo bottle, someone would come running in thinking I had a seizure. I know they were scared too, but I was NEVER alone!

But somehow we managed. I learned to ride the bus system and was familar to the drivers. I even got a job on the Air Force Base.

Here in Nevada you have to be seizure free for 3 months. I finally reached that mark this past February and was able to reinstate my license. If you have never had the freedom of driving, than you really don't comprehend the stripping of your freedom when you lose that license for medical reasons. I have been taking a chance by driving short trips this past year, like up to work or the store. But I don't really do all that much driving now.

Just having that little plastic card brings me a sense of my old self back. To be able to do what I want, when I want.

Wow! Your problem losing the privelage to drive and the psychological impact it has had on you is very similar to my own. I know exactly how you feel. I had to stop driving 8 years ago. I'm also very independent but now I have to ask my husband to drive me places. You would think after that long I would adjust to the reality but it still bothers me all the time. There's nothing worse then having your personal freedom taken away from you. It won't be too long before my step-daughter will learn how to drive and the possibility of a 16 year old with a big 'ego' driving me around will be a big blow to my self-esteem. I know I will have to be the mature one and not let it get to me. It really sucks when you pay for 1/2 the car and you can't drive it. I guess we've put our 'egos' aside and be grateful that we have family who can drive us around when there are some people with epilepsy who don't have that help. I sincerely hope the negative impact of not driving lessens for you. Hang in there.

[shawn33]

Hi there ran man,

When seizures jumped into my life just after i was honorably discharged from the corps.. My father gave me info on why not to drive if you currently have seizures that can cause an accident. That's because he was a homicide detective. But he didn't tell me if it was just for California, or if it was federal. He's a retired deputy sheriff for Los Angeles county. I'll tell you what he said if you ever want to know.

[shawn33]

In one way your driving is OK and in one way it's bad. my father (a deputy sheriff homicide detective) told me that if person has a seizure and gets into an accident where the other driver dies. The driver with the seizures that caused the accident. If they know perfectly well that they can have a seizure while driving. They can be charged with pre-meditated murder. But he didn't tell me if that was in CA. or if it was federal. But since your neurologist hasn't taken your license away, they're the one that will get hit, not you. But since you know that you're going to have seizures where you lose consciouness. Don't be real inconsiderate and put other peoples lives at risk. you should have a heart and play it safe!

[alivenwell]

Well, to give myself a more positive outlook about my car, I left the driving features up to my husband. My car features had to be some form of amusement: a really good sounding stereo, CD player, and a few other luxuries. Music is a great stress buster.

I virtually go many places. It doesn't have to be a physical location, it can be a state of mind. I play piano as an escape mechanism. I read a lot of books. I love to draw.

[Franciz]

When i am on a trip, im making sure i had taken my medicine. Most of the time, i dont travel alone.

[shawn33]

it's good that you take your meds, but if your neurologist hasn't given you the OK to drive than you're driving illegaly, and if you're still having seizures where you go unconscious. Than you're puting others lives on the line!

[shawn33]

eslucas I'm very sorry to hear how your husband has acted. The errands that you have done aren't a womans job, it's a family job! So I wonder if he is being lazy and nasty to you. Or if he does what he thinks is a woman's job, is he affraid to feel femanin then. Hell I'm a Marine war vet from desert storm and I wouldn't mind going to the store and buying my wife's tampons if I was married and able to drive! But since I tell women about the seizures, they just reject me and I haven't been on a date for 16 years.

[kayaker4157]

Hello everyone!
Could someone post the link that lists the individual state's driving requirements here in the US regarding how long you have to be seizure free before legally driving again? Also does anyone know if here in the US this includes being "aura free" too??? I wasn't able to open the link that Bernard posted above to find the individual state laws. Thank you!

[shawn33]

Hey there,
Here in Ca. if you're seizure free for 6 months on your meds you can legally get your license. Then if you have a surgery, and are seizure free for 3 months you can legally get it. If you have simple partials you can keep your license, and with aura's it has to give you enough warning where you have time to get offa backed up highway to get to the side of the road so you can park and have your seizure. If you have an aura like that you can keep your license here in Ca.

Shawn33

[grovbaby]

I understand exactly what you mean. I've been driving for since I was 18 and I've been in 1 accident that I was not at fault and had 1 speeding ticket when I was about 19. I'm on my 2nd suspension. I completely understand the safety reasoning behind it and due to recent increase seizures, I totally agree that I should not be driving right now but I do understand the sense of humilitation.The first time I lost my license, my neurologist completed dmv paperwork, he decided that it was easier for him to include transcripts of our appointments, instead of answering the questions. He provided way more information then required and though I was not hiding anything, I felt a slight violation of privacy because there were word for word conversations we had.

After dmv approved the paperwork, I was required to do a 45 minute driving test which I had to drive and carry on an ongoing conversation with the dmv employee. The driving part was not dificult but I have a hard time carrying on with someone I know nothing about. Sounds funny, being that I'm going on and on here but at least we have a topic and something in common. Top it off, he wasn't the most social person. I'd ask question to spark a conversation and be shut down. Prior to the suspension, I'd had 1 accident and one ticket both about 15 yrs ago. After the 45 min we returned to the dmv office and I had to wait another month for a appointment at the driver saftey for them to tell me I passed and I could drive again.

There is nothing I hate more then having to depend on others for transportation. Unlike my husband, I am a very active person, and I have a very active daughter. Sometimes, I feel that I'm begging him to drive us around. Between work and sports, we are going from place to place ALWAYS having to depend on someone "Be sure to pick us up right at 1pm cause we have to be across town by 1:30". Such a burden for everyone.

Buses-About a year ago I started riding the bus and one morning on my way to work I took an alternate line to save time waiting for the next bus. I had to walk a little bit more but that seemed to be no problem. I got off the bus and started my walk. While walking I felt the start of a seizure. The next thing I remember is walking down the street, not knowing where the heck I was. I was scraped up and bloody and my head pounding from an apparent bang on the asfault. I'd walked quite a ways before I realized where I was and that I'd gone completely opposite/off route from my destination. I had to make calls for someone to come get me. I finally reached a coworker and he came for me. He insisted on taking me to the hospital for the head injury that was actually pretty bad but I refused because I was already embarrassed that he had to come get me. Throughout the day he continued to check on me and still suggested the hospital. I still refused. I managed to avoid my husband by telling him that I had to work late and would be leaving for an already planned, out of town trip, straight from work. I knew if he'd seen me, he'd never let me go away for the weekend. There it was, more humiliation. Not being allowed to do something.

Upon returning home, I was able to explain the injuries as outdoor activities. After some time I fessed up and until recently bus was not even an option. I am a frequent buser now and slowly learning my way around the lines but I no longer carry a purse or valubles and very little cash. I guess I'm lucky I'm near bus routes but I can't help but have that feeling that I need to drive. Destinations that should take minutes, take a couple hours and sometimes advanced planning. What other options are there. I wish my daughter was old enough for a license but we still have a few years to go. The truth is, I'm not even sure how that will work out because she too has epilepsy and though it's been over 2 years since her last seizure, Dr. can't really say if that's it.

[John-Forrest]

I have had two major accidents in cars where I totalled the car - and miraculously came out untouched. How I got through those two incidents without having my license pulled is another miracle.

I will readily confess that I probably should turn my license in, but driver's license remains the most valid form of ID. And there is no way to depend on buses to go everywhere and I don't have anyone to drive me around. I'm hesitant to drive cars - it's too easy to space out and feel you're not in much danger in the comfort of an enclosed vehicle. I tend to have one where I actually go unconsicous every couple of months or so, I might be lucky enough to go for a year to get my license back, then have one the next day, and there I am again. (This is a reason I don't tell official people about it; we're forced to hide our condition for this reason.)

The past ten years, I have been living without a car. I happen to live in a college town where buses go everywhere and I ride my bicycle everywhere. Every once in a while, I want to get out of town, go for a hike, get away from it all - necessity for my mental health. I ride small scooters or mopeds, occasionally motorcycle (though those feel stressful to me). I'm looking to get a three wheel scooter that only goes 45 mph called an Auto Moto. I tend to ride on sides - it's myself who is going to get hurt, not someone in an SUV.

Just a weird idea: What if you could have your brain waves read, if you're going to have one, the vehicle automatically pulls over and brakes. Maybe in some sci fi future we'll have self-driving cars on rails or magnetic strips.

In this civilization it is impossible not to transport oneself somehow. Perhaps the energy crisis and global warming will get bad enough, so the US will finally pitch in and build trains everywhere like they do in Europe.

Just a thought: Should we be forbidden to go walking? It is conceivable that you could cross the street, have a grand mal, and cause someone to run off the road right into a telephone pole! The same thing could happen on a bicycle, which currently requires no license.

[John-Forrest]

I just wanted to do a P.S. - I've looked into the possiblity of special transportation for disabled persons such as quadriplegics, blind persons and such. It seems they do not really recognize our condition as quite valid - or they require a constant attendant during the ride. So it's out of the question. If I could get a personal attendant like that (I can't), that person could drive me everywhere.

Not having personal transportation in suburbian America where everything is built for cars and everything is miles apart is absolutely impossible, so many of us are forced to be sneaky. It wouldn't be such a problem when we used to have everything right on main street and everything was on a much smaller scale.

I wonder what they did with epileptics when we used to ride horses? (I would imagine the horse would just stop if it sensed something wrong.)

[Duvexy]

I know how humilating it is. I am so sorry this happened to you. I had an accident april the 4 th and I ended up in the hospital. I had a seizure while driving, but I hit the curb and cracked the transmission and I was very lucky that I did not hit anybody or die. I am so glad that I made it through. I am still freaking out with the what ifs. What if I had hit someone, and someone got hurt or something. I could never live with that. Hopefuilly one day I get that right back. But, they have not found a cure yet.

[twhkid08]

I would love it if we went back to horses as main transportation, my horse would actually be useful for something. Also it would keep towns more localized so that they would be much easier to navigate. I had my first seizure in April and then had another one last week. I'm bored to death not being able to drive and having to fit into other people's schedules to go to the store or eat out. I can't imagine not being able to drive for an extensive amount of time

[CathyAnn31]

While the horse sounds like a great mode of transport, I wouldn't want to. That would be one hell of a fall, and the horse could get spooked and add a few hoof marks for good measure. No thanks!!

Mopeds sound like the safest route for protecting other folks on the road. But damn, there are too many big ol trucks and SUVs there I come from. While it may be safe for them..is it a good idea for me?

(I still drive fwiw)