Driving

Well folks as you know dad passed his driving assessment a week last Monday.....he was given the advice take it easy short journeys...mmmmm......yesterday he took my mum out for the day up to Boundray Mill nearer Burnley bit of a drive from where they live. 

I have visited my dad tonight after work and he looks shattered!! Clearly pushed himself a bit to much AGAIN. Is it normal to be shattered the day after driving again it has been a while as you know for him ?? X

The first long journey we did post-stroke resulted in needing to call paramedics the next day!  Ooops!  Totally over-did it, even though I'd shared the driving.  It scared the life out of me, and I felt responsible for my reckless behaviour.  It was a wake-up call, and ever since we have planned proper breaks into our journeys

I had underestimated the concentration and effort required to drive for an extended period of time.  It seemed fine, but certainly came back to bite us, even after a night's sleep.  It may not be the same for everyone, but if your Dad is planning to drive for more than 45mins/an hour, he really needs to build in a break.  Not just a stop, but a complete break - get out of the car, stretch, toilet break, light refreshment - maybe equal length of time to the time he has driven.  That may sound a bit pedantic, but it works for us.  Have to say, these wonderful SS can't be held back!!  There's no stopping them - love them to bits!!  That's why they're survivors, they have such a lot of fight in them.  Be amazed heart laugh !!

Karen, one problem we survivors have is knowing our limits. We want things to be as they were, but they cannot be. My holiday last week involved a long drive there and back. I wasn’t driving, but journeys make a lot of sensory demands on driver and passenger. Add post stroke fatigue to the mix and the survivor is likely to be shattered.

I also go for the staged journey plan in the early days of recovery with time for stops and rest along the way. Short trips are also better than long ones. Longer holidays require rest days as well. You have to build up stamina. Any excess effort is likely to affect the survivor. That said...well done Dad!

I'm so glad your Dad passed his driving assessment. I know how excited he must have been. I was only a month off the road after my stroke and I found that the driving alone was exhausting. You don't realise how much work your brain has to do all at once combined with all the hand and feet co-ordination.  I realised quite quickly that if I wanted to look round the shops, I had to wait till my husband could take me as I couldn't drive too long and then do an afternoon's shopping precinct day.  I'm just over a year post stroke and I can do a drive to the supermarket and the week's shopping, have a meal there and drive home with just enough energy to put all the shopping away when I get back.  I can no longer do supermarket, shopping precinct, together.  Likewise, if I go to the gym, I can only manage to pop in for a coffee on the way home.  I wouldn't be able to do shopping as well as I used to pre-stroke.  I totally avoid busy times and busy days too.  It's all a bit too much when you've driven there. So I guess a visit to Boundary with all those little separate areas to look at and a busy environment would be quite difficult after the drive there and back.  Over time, he will get to know his limitations. We survivors can be quite stubborn in the early days but we do learn to deal with the limitations quite quickly!