Driving- Avoiding the law

[Penny]

I just don't get it I guess. I mean, I understand why people want to drive. I havn't driven for almost a year now and I'm going nuts but I'm not going to try to slip by the law by saying, "well I have only had a couple auras in the last 6 months so that doesn't really count so I should be able to drive so i'm not going to tell anyone." Well if it was only your life you were messing with, I guess it wouldn't matter but there are others on the road so "STAY OFF THE ROAD". I wont ever drive again if that is what it takes and I live in a hick town so I walk a lot. I have a mass transit but it only is used a little a day. My town is only a pop. of 1,200. So I am stuck! Better stuck than dead. Or others dead, that I couldn't live with. That is selfish to think about all because I "HAD" to drive.

 

[Mellismom]

Do people really do that? I've never had a driver's license because my seizures started when I was a child but I would never dare to drive! Even though I didn't know it was epilepsy I didn't feel in control over my body and then HOW could I feel in control over a car?? I don't understand why anyone would risk the lives of others (and themselves). I just wouldn't have the nerve to get out on a road...!! You are right that is selfish.

 

[Penny]

Yes, there are a couple of post going right now about it. I just don't understand why people even give it a second thought.

 

[2ndchances]

I just don't understand why people even give it a second thought.

:agree:

 

[Cint]

Yes, there are a couple of post going right now about it. I just don't understand why people even give it a second thought.

Yes, I am one of those who did give it a second thought. But I was in a car accident because I did have a seizure while driving. Fortunately, only my car was totaled and the fence was broken. I lost my right to drive, my dignity, and sometimes my will to go on with life. Why do people give it a second thought, you ask? Well, because people like me live alone and need a way to get our groceries when there is a blizzard in the forecast, get to the dr. downtown, etc. I do have access to a light rail transportation I do use it often, but it doesn't get me to these places. And I will not be driving again because I don't want to kill anyone either, except me sometimes.

Penny, I see you've only started having seizures a year ago. I can go a year without driving. Actually I've had epilepsy for over 30 years and have gone for 15+ years without driving. Then when I had the VNS put in, I was doing well for a while, so the dr. said I could drive again. Then after 3 years, the seizures started again. So that is why some folks like me were driving.

Let's see how you do 20 years from now.

 

[Penny]

I already walk to most of those places and its not easy espesialy when days like yesterday it was -2 outside with windchill it was-24. But what do ya do when you don't have groceries and no ride because the transit (which doesn't always run) shuts down if school does. I havnt driven for a year but I was driving and having simple partials for about 6 months before that not knowing what was happening after my seizure and I shouldn't have been. I went to my councelors, moms and the store and that was it but it was still to much. My first big one was in the Mc donalds drive thru. Thank God I had just put the emergency break on and was grabbing everyones orders when it happened. I came to 5 minutes later they said. I don't know if I will ever let myself drive again frankly. That's how scared I am.

 

[Belinda5000]

I've never had license and I've had seizures since I was very young.I walk a lot and I live near mass transit.You don't have to live in a hick town to be able to get around and use mass transit.I do not live in a Hick town. It's not smart to drive when your not controlled.

 

[kirsten]

I started the process of getting my license when I was 17 but then I was diagnosed and I didn't feel safe to drive. It has been 20 years since then and I have never had a seizure free period long enough to feel confident about getting my license. There have been times when I really thought I could start the process again and I got really excited about it but seizures always managed to get in the way. In my country there are no laws against driving with uncontrolled epilepsy but I am too scared of hurting others. If there was nobody else who could get hurt by my driving, I must be honest and say I would probably drive but there is just no way I could live my life knowing I killed someone because I didn't want to walk to the store in a storm. There have been times when I've not been able to go places I wanted to go and times when I've gotten absolutely drenched in a storm (more times than I can count.) We have horrible public transport. It follows only one main road with the occasional taxi taking a slight detour from it, so I've had to do plenty of walking, come heat wave, come storm, come feeling too ill to carry my groceries back home. Sheesh. I sound like those grandparents who say, "When we were kids we used to walk for two hours in the snow to get to school every day." I don't feel sorry for myself--it's my decision after all. I just feel very strongly about my choice.

 

[Penny]

:agree:

I love your video. It made me cry. You have a very touching story that you have presented well. :twocents:

 

[2ndchances]

Wow, thank you so much, Penny! :flowers:

I had so much fun putting it together (free therapy!!) and my city's epilepsy organization has been showing it to patients that are preparing for surgery; it's quite the honor!