Hello! I had a stroke two years ago - Friday, 28 April 2017 - to welcome me to my 50s, LOL!
After months/years of stress, frustration, fear, uncertainty and real hard work I just came back from my second driving assessment. I am officially safe to drive. I just need to wait for DVLA to send me my license and freedom and that sense of independence - here I come! Just the simple ability to drive myself locally is truly liberating.
When I woke up in the hospital for the first time two years ago, with my eyes closed, I imagined and willed my right arm/hand and leg/foot to move. But alas as I opened my eyes a big NO, they were not. I promised myself someday they will.
I am very thankful and appreciative of so many things. I keep reminding myself (and boring to oblivion my friends on Facebook) of my mantra: Persistence. Determination. Courage. Patience. Acceptance. EVERY MOVEMENT COUNTS!
So much hard work to come if I want to improve further. I know I will never fully recover. The pre-stroke me is gone but hey I am here, alive and kicking. ☺ xxx
Hi all! After not being able to drive for more than two years MY DRIVING LICENSE ARRIVED TODAY! I was expecting it to be sent by DVLA in another month at least. So when I saw that brown envelope I got very excited. You can imagine the screaming that followed.
Getting it today made every bit of hard work worth it. Right at the start I refused to give up my license until DVLA tells me that I am legally required to give it back. I asked them to medically investigate my case. It took a lot of months (more than a year really) and a lot of frustration, determination, hard work and a bit of expense but today - that piece of plastic made it all worth it!
I am looking forward to driving our car on my own for the first time. Very apprehensive but I keep reminding myself to remember when I drove a car totally unfamiliar to me during my second assessment, with 3 other people as my passengers and observing me, in Leeds of all places, surely I can safely drive in North Yorkshire, LOL!
Very happy for you. Do take it very carefully when you first venture out in your car. My concentration does not hold good so I limit driving to 30 minutes.
As you say, it brings an independence that is so important to us SS. Just shopping, visits to the dentist/GP and so on are so much easier.
Congratulations, I am stil waiting for my driving license from Dvla after 18 months and jumping through loads of hoops those guys at Dvla so slow with anything
Fortunately before my assessment I took advantage of the maximum 3 months of retraining. I had 12 driving sessions - one session a week. I refuse to call it lessons because he was not teaching me per se, LOL! 9 of those sessions were 1-hour sessions and the 3 sessions were for 1 1/2 hours. So I know I can safely drive about that length of time. But still I have to sensibly listen to my body to be a safe driver.
I am just looking forward to driving myself anywhere I want or need any time convenient for me. I even said my next haircut will have to wait until I get my license. Once our car is sorted I can have my haircut - a sigh of relief and excitement. We have a lot of very helpful and very supportive friends (unfortunately families live far) but nothing can replace that feeling of freedom and independence.
I finally drove our own car today, on my own! I drove to Tesco and fill up the car, which was an interesting experience on its own LOL. Then did some shopping. It meant changing my driving shoes to a pair of sandals which will let me wear a splint for support while I am walking with my walker. Then I had to change to my driving shoes again. A lot of effort involved but all worth it. Now, I need to rest because it took so much out of me. Again, all worth it. More hard work to come but I am looking forward to it.
Persistence. Determination. Courage. Patience. Acceptance. EVERY MOVEMENT COUNTS. :-)
Well done for persevering and not giving up especially with exercising. I can empathise with you as I had a left sided, right paralysis stroke two years ago and had no movement in my leg, foot, arm and hand. Tomorrow I am being brave and having a driving lesson with a knob to steer. IT is very scary but is the next stage in this long journey back to the best me since my stroke.
Thank you. I had driven 3x now on my own. Many things have been happening so I have not driven more. But now that things have settled down I will be more adventurous and do more driving, even just to go out for a cuppa and a bite.
I simply wish you the best. Just keep believing in yourself and with the help of all those wonderful people around you no matter how frightening, frustrating things may be at times with determination and hard work you will succeed. Interesting times ahead. Best wishes. :-)
Thank you very much. Wishing you the best with your next physio appointment. Hopefully they will actually do something that will be of help to you. Best of luck! :-)
I drove our car yesterday for the first time with a passenger - my trusting husband. I was very apprehensive and trying to find all the excuses I can think of not to be the driver. It was more daunting than when I am driving the car on my own. I guess because I was aware that I am responsible for the safety of somebody else. I am a much slower driver than before my stroke but as long as I feel I am in control of the car and I am driving safely I am happy. I am sure my speed will pick up and normalise eventually.
I drove to a local ice cream shop (Brymor) and we enjoyed our ice cream then I drove us safely back home. It was only a short trip 7 miles each way but as I said quite daunting. But I am really glad my husband motivated me to do it. I am looking forward to our next day trip out, with me as the driver. A friend of mine told me every successful trip will normalise everything about driving again. Every trip will become just another trip just like before.
I am really thankful that two years after my stroke I can drive again. I can still remember the first time after my stroke and coming home from the hospital. Then my husband drove me to my hospital appointment. I sat in the car quietly and desperately thinking if I can drive again. I am really happy that after two years I can. Very huge relief. ☺