Parkinson's Disease Support Group
Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder often characterized by muscle rigidity, tremor, a slowing of physical movement, and in extreme cases, a loss of physical movement. The primary symptoms of Parkinsons are due to excessive muscle contraction, normally caused by the insufficient formation and action of dopamine, which is produced in the dopaminergic neurons of the...
Today we went to the doctor for another problem but the doctor asked my husband how his Botox was doing on his eyes.He has excessive blinking but the Botox has helped that way. His eyes aren't the problem. We said it was okay and driving okay but I was a little concerned about this slowness in braking behind another car. The doctor must have seen things that concerned him too and checked him over.
He ended up telling us that he has to send his concerns to the Ministry of Transportation and asked that my husband not drive until we hear from them and for me to do the driving. He is also recommending that he be referred to the Drive Able program where they assess him for his driving skills, etc. I read it costs between 500 - 800 dollars or more.\
There is an instructor and therapist, etc but the instructor isn't from the ministry that tests him.
After we left the doctor's office, I felt horrible to think I was the one that made the doctor have concerns. I just cried and cried, but my husband never saw me.
I had an idea to ask the doctor if he could hold off alerting the ministry until we see the MOTION Disorder Doctor in July. HE said he couldn't hold off and the other doctor wouldn't know any better how my husband drives, but I know the MDS wouldn't have this concern.
Our home doctor is the one more concerned
I thought it was something I said about the driving but it was that the doctor saw that my husband was different than the last time he saw him in regards to his tremors and his problem expressing himself.
It will be so hard on my husband if he does loose his license over this, but the doctor said that if he ever was involved in a accident and it wasn't his fault, the police might have concerns which would make it difficult.
We'll just have to see what happens but in the meantime I will have to drive about 5 hours or more when we visit our daughter . We usually take turns, so it's going to be on my shoulders for a while at least.
I know other people are probably going through this too and I just feel so sad if he can't drive. He like to go for short drives back to the farm where we used to live or down by the lake. He also drive uptown to get the mail. I'll try not to think the worse and things will work out okay.
LYNNIE
He ended up telling us that he has to send his concerns to the Ministry of Transportation and asked that my husband not drive until we hear from them and for me to do the driving. He is also recommending that he be referred to the Drive Able program where they assess him for his driving skills, etc. I read it costs between 500 - 800 dollars or more.\
There is an instructor and therapist, etc but the instructor isn't from the ministry that tests him.
After we left the doctor's office, I felt horrible to think I was the one that made the doctor have concerns. I just cried and cried, but my husband never saw me.
I had an idea to ask the doctor if he could hold off alerting the ministry until we see the MOTION Disorder Doctor in July. HE said he couldn't hold off and the other doctor wouldn't know any better how my husband drives, but I know the MDS wouldn't have this concern.
Our home doctor is the one more concerned
I thought it was something I said about the driving but it was that the doctor saw that my husband was different than the last time he saw him in regards to his tremors and his problem expressing himself.
It will be so hard on my husband if he does loose his license over this, but the doctor said that if he ever was involved in a accident and it wasn't his fault, the police might have concerns which would make it difficult.
We'll just have to see what happens but in the meantime I will have to drive about 5 hours or more when we visit our daughter . We usually take turns, so it's going to be on my shoulders for a while at least.
I know other people are probably going through this too and I just feel so sad if he can't drive. He like to go for short drives back to the farm where we used to live or down by the lake. He also drive uptown to get the mail. I'll try not to think the worse and things will work out okay.
LYNNIE
I will be the first to take myself off the road. Hurting someone or myself is the last thing I want to do . If the ministry finds a problem maybe it will be a good sign. I know it will be hard to accept. It's just another item we have to accept from Parkinson's terrible conditions.
Best wishes, Brian
THIS IS NOT ADVICE OR FEEDBACK.
IT IS THAT WHICH HAPPENED TO ME.
I STOPPED DRIVING SOME YEARS AGO, BECAUSE OF HYPRE DYSKINESIA. THIS WAS MY OWN CHOICE.
I KEPT MY DRIVING LICENSE UP TO DATE IN THE HOPE/BELIEF THAT SOMETHNG POSITIVE MIGHT HAPPEN.
WELL SOMETHING POSITIVE DID HAPPEN, I WAS REFERED TO UNDERGO DBS. WITH THIS HAVING A SUCCESFUL OUTCOME, I FELT WAS READY TO BEGIN DRIVING AGAIN.
I DID NOT HAVE, AND STILL DO NOT HAVE ANY DOUBTS THAT I AM WELL CAPABLE OF HANDLING AND DRIVING A MOTOR VEHICLE.
ALL WAS IN PLACE TO BUY A CAR AND TO GET BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN UNTIL ALAS, SOMEONE CLOSE TO ME STATED MOST STRONGLY THAT SHE TOO HAD NO DOUBTS ABOUT MY ABLIITY TO HANDLE AND DRIVE A MOTOR VEHICLE, BUT HOWEVER NOT ON THE ROAD. REASON BEING, I HAVE ISUSES WITH MULTI-TASKING.
I DISAGREED, UNTIL IT WAS POINTED OUT TO ME WHERE MY SHORTCOMINGS LAY. 'SO HOW ARE YOU GOING TO COPE WITH MAKING SPLIT SECOUND DECISIONS, OBSERVING TRAFFIC LIGHTS, OTHER ROAD USERS ETC'.
IT WAS CLEAR THAT I WOULD FALL SHORT IN THIS REGARD. THIS WAS AN ISSUE I FOUND DIFFFICULT TO ACCEPT AT FIRST. IT WAS ONLY AFTER HAVING A GOOD LONG THINK ABOUT IT THAT I REALISED THAT IT WOULD BE FOOLISH TO GET BACK ON THE ROAD.
I'M GLAD NOW THAT I LISTENED TO AND TOOK ONBOARD THE FEEDBACK/ADVICE. IT WASN'T EASY TO ADMIT FAILURE. I STILL HAVE NOT DRIVEN ON THE ROAD.
I HAVE SINCE SURRENDED MY DRIVING LICENCE.
I FEEL THIS WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
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If he does loose his license, I just hope he doesn't get depressed. That is my worry. We'll just have to see how things go with the program if the ministry want him to take it.
I shouldn't worry about what is going to happen, just have faith that things will work out, Whatever God has in store for us is what we have to accept, right?
It's just sad that this darn disease takes so many things away from a person to enjoy life.
My husband is angry with me but I guess he has to blame someone.He hasn't actually blamed me, but just the way he was acting, so I asked him. MY family said for heaven sakes don't blame yourself.
i guess whatever happens, happens, but we'[ll see what the other doctor has to say. We don't see him until July so that is why I thought I should write to him. You can't just pick up a phone and talk to them as they are busy and in a big hospital.
Wish us luck and pray that things work out.
Brian
hugs, paula
Interesting discussion you have provoked. I have spend several days wandering around the underlit back corridors of my brain coming to grips with my own feelings about driving. In the US, we have elevated driving to the level of a Constitutional right... which it isn't, of course. But behind that sense of entitlement, there is a very real need to get to distant places to shop, socialize, conduct business, get services and so forth. And there are few practical alternatives in our 'advanced' cultures.
On reflection, I cannot get away from the sense that there was a bit of heavy-handedness on the part of the MD reporting your beau to the ministry. Wouldn't it have made more sense to test his abilities, or send him to a short course on defensive driving?
I recall when my father stopped driving. He was in his late 80's and knew his reflexes and sensory systems were going to pot. But he had prepared himself was already familiar with his alternatives.
My own car -- his car, actually -- now sits more than it used to. And when I drive, I know to give more distance. My wife knows not to drive at night. As we see it, the REAL risks are not us. We live in a suburb where there are some pretty awful drivers, young and old. Age and infirmity sometimes seem only distantly related to judgment used behind the wheel.
When time comes, I hope I have the sense to decide to stop in the same way I decided to stop riding a motorcycle years ago. I know I am incompetent in so many ways now. Have been for years. But I really would resent having someone in a position authority adjudge me that in an area where believe I still have sufficient faculties.
A wish you and your husband well.
Beekeeper
I sent a letter to the MDS. to tell him about it.
We haven't gotten anything from the ministsry yet and on the weekend we had to drive over 5 hours so I let him drive for a while since he still had his license. He drove for about an hour before he was tired so i drove the rest of the way. He was okay driving.
We'll see what happens. If they do send him for a test I hope he is able to endure it, but if he can't maybe it's time to give it up.
I just feel badly for him. He used to drive transport truck part time after he retired from another job. He also farmed so was always an excellent driver, so you can see how hard it is.