Hi everyone - this is a brief update to a previous post. I had a stroke in August last year (2022). The major damage has been to my field of vision, I have left homonyous hemanopia. The stroke specialist has described it as ‘profound’ and warned me that he thinks it unlikely (but not impossible) it will recover sufficiently for me to be able to drive again. The no driving is a massive game-changer as we live out in the wilds with virtually no bus service. I have had to give up work (hopefully temporarily). So, very keen to hear from fellow stroke sufferers who may have experienced improvements in vision after 9 months + or just hear your stories Best wishes to you all. John
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@jjbassett I don’t have experience of visual field loss & thankfully my vision issues improved enough for me to pass tue DVLA eye test. I too live in the country & know how much of a game changer not being able to drive is. Im still not driving and find myself somewhat stranded unless hubby delivers me somewhere.
Do you have a “dial a ride” type service available to take you places? It varies from area to area so you’d need to contact your local council I think.
Really hope you do get some improvement & that you are able to return to driving.
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Hi John. @jjbassett . It took a year after my stroke to get back to driving. I do not have the same issue as yourself having full visual field in my unaffected eye, but have double vision if I allow both eyes to see. Consequently I must patch my affected eye to prevent any double vision. To say this is disconcerting is an understatement but I accept this is what I need to do. Without a car I have no independence because of where I live so would consider any alternative.
The process with the DVLA was long-winded, upsetting, but ultimately I had to know I had all the correct boxes ticked, and I made sure I had, which ever hoops I had to prove I needed to jump through.
Wishing you all the best, Julia x
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I have depth perception loss which is pretty scary at times… nope all the time… i misjudge going up curbs as they all look flat… not very good i tell you…
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Hi John lost some peripheral vision on left from both eyes over two years now , ophthalmologists told me me in his experience my eyes are not lightly to improve but he wasn’t ruling it out. So off to my Doctor. He produces my MRI scan at time of stroke and the second taken a week or so later, Nothing wrong with your eyesight it’s the damage to that part of brain that’s problem, haemorrhage on right side.
Good news and bad ! Yours eyes shouldn’t get any worse ( true at moment) but they’re not likely to get better. Had to surrender my license.
Got use to idea of not driving, eyes not improved but get feeling when sitting as passenger recently that maybe all is not lost.
Leaving it a bit longer and then have a practice run on private land somewhere and see how I go.Like you out in wilds and it’s a bind relying on folk to ferry you around. Keep positive and wish you well Paul
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@jjbassett I had to surrender my driving licence after my stroke November 2020 due to field vision. mine did improve to the point I am in the process of applying for it back. I have had to have eye tests field vision tests and various consultants writing letters for the DVLA
hopefully yours will get better
good luck
regards Chris
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Like Harmonixx have trouble with depth of perception and occasional weird vision. For several months in early days cups and bowls seemed to have part of their rims missing, just now and again happens. Bizarre thing recently was seeing black three dimensional object on footpath, tried to navigate round it , puzzled me, then worked out what it was, a piece of torn black polythene laying flat on path
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Hi , just seen you story, I too have left side hemonopia was just wondering if you were any further forward to driving again, I too am desperate to drive again thank you
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Hi pds I too have visual field loss Hemonopia following a stroke at 41 just wondering how it was going trying to get your license back I too am desperate to drive, I have been told I qualify for exceptional circumstances but I only get one shot!
Hichlodog, yes I know what you are saying it’s a massive challenge every day, I think it’s about hope and maybe knowing that someone else with the same condition as mine has driven again, Of course would never want to drive if it was not safe to. It’s a tricky one. My light sensitivity isn’t quite the same as yours. I had a lot of morphing of faces in the first 18 months but thankfully has resolved now. Take care
Hi Elle - please forgive the long delay in responding to your question. I suppose the answer is yes and no. I am further forward in the process as I have finished clinical trials and my consultant has written a helpful letter to the DVLA re-test people, so I await their response. Not holding my breath. The not so good news is no improvement in visual field so I don’t think I am likely to pass the test. The consultant did mention though that I ‘scanned’ well and had very good reaction times. So there is hope. How are you doing ?
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Hi@jjbasset I am fine Thank you and thank you for your reply, I’m not sure what Your sight loss is but I posted something a few weeks ago about Hemonopia and returning to driving, I know it is possible if you meet all the criteria for DVLA and I think now if you are successful to be referred for a driving assessment they now give four months practice driving with a dual control driving instructor, let me know how it all goes best of luck x
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