Did anybody find...

[Vicky]

That your diagnosis sort of had bad timing?

I feel like mine did, especially with driving.
It took me 2 years from when i passed my theory test to pass my practical test and about 13 attempts. (I didn't pass until Feb this year.) When i did i was so happy cos I'd worked so hard. In March I bought my car and I loved that feeling of complete independence! I could take myself wherever I wanted!
Then in May i had my first seizure and that was that. I had to surrender my licence It was so upsetting cos I'd only had for about two and a half months and then I had to cancel my car insurance etc..

I've still got my car cos my mums driving it until I get my licence back

Now I get lifts to work and I don't like going out on my own and I only just feel now that I can stay at home on my own

Vicky

[Kathie]

Hi Vicky,
I can understand your frustration from a Mom's point of view. My son Alex just had his licence revoked because of his uncontrolled seizures over the past couple of months.
We live in a rural community, he had to take a leave from college until next Sept., hopefully he is in better shape and can get his licence back by Sept. Now he is totally dependant on everyone in our family and he is stuck at home for awhile.

It must be so heartbreaking for you! It will feel like such a long time for you especially with the new car, Alex went through this back when he was sixteen and had just gotten his licence and then 3 months later it was gone.
I wish you all the best, try not to get too down, life goes by in a blink, so before you know it you'll be driving that car!!!
Kathie

[Bernard]

There is no good time to be diagnosed with epilepsy.

[Bee91]

I agree 100% with Bernard.

[munchy]

Totally!

I finally got the car I'd been wanting for ages in August, I lost my license a few weeks ago. The annoying part is that I still have to pay the finance on the car. Well, thats not so bad, as I am better off since I can't pay insurance on the car. This is where I hit my dilemma, since my insurance company wouldn't insure me with no license, I couldn't insure the car to be on the road, which is a legal requirement (I have nowhere off road to keep it)

So I was naughty and put the car into my dad's name, so he could insure it. Unfortunately I'm not allowed to do this because if I stop paying for the car, the finance company can't take it back. I know it was naughty, but I fully intend on keeping up the payments on the car and I'm hoping that if I do keep up the payments, hopefully they shouldn't know and the car can go back into my name when I get my licence back.

Luckily my parents have agreed that if the finance company find out that I have transferred the car to them, they will help me out, either by paying the remaining finance, or by acting as guarantors. I'm just hoping the finance company don't find out.

But yes, the loss of my licence has been a right pain in the proverbial. I am a single mother and I live 10 miles away from my job, (no bus service), I also live in a village. Luckily I live with my parents, who have been fantastic, giving me lifts everywhere, the trouble is, I've lost my freedom and my privacy, since they know where I am 24/7.

This is especially difficult at Christmas, since it's very difficult to buy my parents presents, since they are always with me (thank god for amazon!!)

Oh more to moan about (!) None of my friends drive, so I've lost nearly all contact with them too. I barely go out now, unless it's to go to work or shopping, luckily I've become a member of a really good epilepsy forum, (you might have come across it lol!) and that's really helped me the last few weeks.

Oh well, I'm just hoping this next year goes as quickly as the last one did!!! Hope yours does too xx

[seizures4ever]

Mr. B...you da man! I totally agree.


Vicky,

It is hard. It is never easy. Epilepsy always interupts something important to us.

My story??? I had finally finished ten years of college and received my third college degree...I was "ready to follow my dreams." But I never got my chance. Still in my 20's, I had to apply for disability.

Don't get me wrong. I still have dreams, and I will follow some of them. Now in my early 30's, I know to expect the unexpected.

I hope you remain seizure free and are driving your new car again soon!

All the best. -Julie

[borgolibero]

In Italy you can have a driving license only after 2 years from a seizure.. I do understand your frustration, but in our country the problem is greater. We have no problem with doctors and drugs, you do not need to have an insurance to have them, we pay them with our taxes.

[ziggidypoo]

There is no good time to be diagnosed with epilepsy.

Sorta true - better to be diagnosed correctly at SOME time than to live with it a lifetime with wrong diagnoses ALL the time!!

However, RE: driving revoked, as I have said before, I've been a gas donkey since I was 16 and I'm 52 and just now had to turn it in a month or 2 ago for a state ID. I can imagine for a young, vibrant, active younger person the frustration would be multiplied many times over.

Time passes fast, so soon you'll be a lead foot again!! lol

[drarvindr]

Yeah , . While bernard has a point about there being no good time to be diagnosed with E , i also feel you have a point . I too have felt sometimes that God is picking on me and gets some form of cheap schadenfreude in watching me squirm.( i get the feeling i'm the mole in the game at the carnival and god whacks me with a mallet every time my head pops up). But then all you have to do to make it go away is to look at people worse off than you ( and there are ALWAYS people worse off than you) and be grateful for what you've got.
Sucks to lose your license. I sympathise totally

[Lil 1]

GOOD TIMING - or at least as good as could be. I was pretty sure what the neurologist was going to say and an answer ment I could start learning and moving on (after some emotion).

My problem with being diagnosed was my neurologist I was working with was HORRIBLE. He half listened to everything and then handed me a prescription telling me he thought control release would be better for me and then started to move like he was leaving the room. I had to stop him and ask what I had. He said "epilepsy" and when I asked how he knew and he said "based on what you told me"... well no sh*t. I was looking for him to tell me what parts of what I told him were signs of epilepsy - I am pretty sure that some of them were actually PMS symptoms or just random and not epilepsy. I gave up because I didn't know what I should be asking or doing. I did get him to write down my diagnosis so I could research it when I got home, but it was unreadable doctor scribble. He was supposed to be an amazing genius, but all that genius isn't any good when they have no communication/social skills.

Good note - Never saw him again. New neurologist is amazing. Listens, notices that I am feeling good/bad about what he is saying, and re-assures that he, my obgyn and my gp will be there for me through to the end.

[skillefer]

Well, when I was 16 I had a learner's permit. The day before my driving test to get my license, I had a seizure. The same thing happened every year until I was in my 20's . So I feel your pain.

[Vicky]

Hi

Thanks for all of your replies and comments.

I take aboard everything you've all said I know there's never a good time to be diagnosed, like I know this just one part of being diagnosed and touch wood come next June (I had another one 11 days after my first) I'll get it back.

Its probably just me being a bit silly just going about driving when its not just my driving thats been affected.

Vicky

[seizures4ever]

Vicky,

You are not being silly at all. It really does suck to lose your license. I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 16, and it's really got to be an unexpected punch after working so hard to get the dang driving permit to immediately have it put on "hold."

Just hang in there. I hope you stay seizure free and are back to enjoying all things teenager again soon!

Hugs. -Julie

[RobinN]

I guess I will take a more positive view of the situation.
At least Rebecca who is now 17 never had to take drivers training or "the test".

I plan to see that she can drive by her 18th BDay though. It is always good to have goals.