I had GBS now have CIDP. I went without driving for a couple of years. Rehab said i was ok to drive. they tested me with a simulator. I wear Afos on both feet and walk with forearm crutches or a four pronged cane. I had to take the driving test to get my licsense. I drive a regular car no hand controls. I am numb and tingling from the chin down and have permanent damage to my feet and possibly my hands. I drive in the city sometimes on the highway. I dont know how long i will continue to drive i guess it depends on if this progresses. I get IVIG 2 times a week every week. I have begun to walk in the house with out any assitive defices. I also began wearing a core balance bracelet. It really has helped. Dont know if it is the bracelet or mind over matter whichever is ok with me.(not to mention IVIG)

Dick,
Ever thought about trying hand controls? My son has had to use him all of his adult life (he is 30 now,) & he does fine with them, even in our terrible MN winters. I keep drivingeven with AFOs & neuropathy, but drive a large SUV with lots of room for my feet, so I can use the right foot for the accelerator & the left foot for the brake. But hen I do live in a town of 9,000 where I know the city by heart. My husband does do 90% of the driving, however.

I had my driver’s license revoked Sept. of 2002 when we first applied for a handicapped placard. I was unable to walk, totally numb yet & had no real use of my hands. I began to walk again the summer of 2004 with AFOs & a cane, still use those. In Feb of 2005, with a letter in hand from my neuro, I went into the DMV & took the permit test & the driving test, passed both with no problem. But then I used to teach driver’s ed, so I knew the book by heart as well as the routes for the actual driving test. I still have lower legs & feet that are about 70% numb, still wear AFOs & no reflexes. But I only drive locally & live in a small town.

Well after 2years i went for driving lessons to learn how to drive with hand controls.I can not feel anything in my feet so i could not brake or use gas petal.I feel this has been the best for myself as well to keep everyone else safe.I had my vehicle done by a shop.My brake and gas are on the colum.And a plate has been put over the gas.Anyone else may drive they just remove plate.I also have afo’s so it does make a difference.Good luck.

I find expressway travel much easier. No red lights or stop signs. I don’t need to constantly work my feet and legs to stop and go. Around here there are a lot of parkways that are only for cars as well. I drove into manhattan the other day at night and spent most of the time on expressways and parkways.

Enjoy some Milw’s Best brews!

I was just wondering, was your state driver’s license actually revoked? Mine was, as when I applied for a handicapped placard one of the questions was, “Can the patient drive?” I was basically a quad, so my license was revoked. But 3 years later, when I was walking with a cane & AFOs, I went & retested & passed both the permit & the driving test. I have almost nothing below the knees, totally weak ankles, but can push the accelerator down enought to drive. I use my left foot for braking, have been doing this for 2 1/2years now, & I think I do just fine.

If you still have your license, have someone take you to a remote area & see how you do with driving. If you feel comfortable driving, then why shouldn’t you? You would probably be better than most teenage drivers on the road! Also, experience counts for a lot. But I think you yourself will know if you are ready.
Good luck, Pam

I just posted on your other driving thread, but then saw this one. My GP also wanted me to go through the driver’s evaulation before he would give me a letter to drive again, but they demanded that I have a permit, which I, of course, did not have. That is when I called my neuro who is 200 miles away & asked him for the letter. That way I was able to pass the tests again without even having through the evaluation. I think I would have ended up with hand controls, which I have had in my cars for years (for my son), & I guess I never really felt comfortable with them…

I came down with a severe case of CIDP in April of 2002, with a very rapid decline. When I applied for a handicapped placard that November, my driver’s license was revoked by the state of MN. But they were correct in doing so, as I was essentially a quadriplegic at that time.
As I slowly recovered, I went in on a whim in Feb of 2005 & retook the permit & road test. Even with AFOs & driving with two feet I was able to pass both tests. Thank goodness I used to teach driver’s ed, as the permit test has a lot of trick questions! My feet are still partially numb & always will be, but I feel very comfortable driving. My right foot does get tired pushing down on the pedal for long periods though, thank goodness for cruise control…

Hi Walt:

I can offer you a bit of info relative to driving, and the California DMV. I have CIDP, and suffered a severe exacerbation almost exactly one year ago today. This exacerbation rendered me completely unable to drive for six months. Finally, I recovered enough, but would require hand controls to get back behind the wheel.

In order to get hand controls installed on your car, you need to be evaluated by a certified rehab facility. They specify the equipment, and recommendations for drivers training, then you can get the equipment installed on your car.

Once you are evaluated by a rehab facility, they are required to notify your physician of their observations and recommendations. Your physician is then required by law to forward this info to the DMV.

The DMV may or may not ever contact you regarding a driving test, but they will have been notified of your disability.

If you have do not need equipment modifications in order to drive, then, theoretically the DMV does not ever need to know. However, having been incapacitated for so long as you were, your physician may have stated you cannot drive in his records.

I would say this, if you have bad foot drop, foot weakness, leg weakness and/or sensory loss, and you can sort of get by driving – just go get yourself evaluated by a rehab facility for your fitness to drive. If they recommend equipment modifications – like hand controls, better safe than sorry than getting into an accident because you missed the brake pedal or could not react fast enough with your legs.

This is just my opinion. The exposure to insurance issues, etc. is not worth it.

I can no way drive without hand controls, and after about one week, they became second nature.

Very best regards.