Driving Again After GBS!
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December 20, 2006 at 1:39 pm
Hey all, I had the cold a month ago which kept me off the forums. Then following that I had a busy week where I took my driving eval and I PASSED! My doctor agreed and gave me the ok to drive, however, I do have one excpetion. I have to have a special restraint system in my vehicle because my back muscles arent strong enough that I tip over frequently. There are only two that are USDOT approved so I ordered it up, payed for express delivery (or course) and had my boyfriend install it for me. I have not been driving for a week with him riding along every time to make sure I could get my wheelchair in and out of the truck on my own. At rehab on Monday I told my PT that I wanted to work arms really heavy at the end and try to fatigue then so I could see if I could still get my wheelchair into the truck and I could!
So starting tonight my boyfriend doesnt need to come with me, as I am good to drive on my own! I got my handcap parking permit (temporary one) and am waiting for the plastic card to show up. My doctor put on the form that I need a permanent one which is valid for 6 yrs. Hopefully I wont need it that long but it is nice to have so I dont have to keep going back to him every few months if I still need it.
Also, I started walking with a wide based quad cane for very short distances which translates into around the house. Thats cool because the crutches were getting to be a pain around the house. I cant really get around anywhere outside of my house walking so I take the wheelchair everywhere else but I’m getting along!
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December 20, 2006 at 3:04 pm
Congratulations to you. I have CIDP, and a severe exacerbation in Nov. 05 left me completely unable to drive for six months. I now drive with hand controls. You never realize the loss of independence until you can’t drive. I hated depending on people for getting around, especially as a 44 year-old man. I’m sure you felt the same anguish. I felt shame, actually. I literally had tears in my eyes the first time I took my car out with the hand controls – FREEDOM IS GREAT!
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December 20, 2006 at 4:23 pm
[SIZE=”5″][COLOR=”Magenta”]CONGRATULATIONS![/COLOR][/SIZE]
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December 21, 2006 at 12:53 am
What a wonderful feeling it must be, finally ‘independant’ again! Congrats and a wonderful Christmas present.
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December 23, 2006 at 10:12 am
The “little things”, how big they are! Congratulations on a wonderful Christmas gift 😀
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December 23, 2006 at 10:38 am
Congradtulations! Driving gives us more freedom. Good Luck.
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December 23, 2006 at 2:34 pm
Congradulations. I remember the first time I drove too-I had felt imprisoned in my house and of course my wife couldn’t drive me everywhere, so it was wonderful for both of us when I got permission from the doctors. Just a note of caution-I find that even though I can physically drive fine I get tired very quickly. If I try to drive more than a half hour I get so exhausted it gets dangerous. It is very frustrating to me and it may not apply to you or anyone else as we are all different, but I would suggest you start in small doses and see how you do. After a year of driving I still can’t do more than a half hour at a time safely. Merry Christmas, Jeff
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December 26, 2006 at 2:03 pm
[QUOTE=jeff]Congradulations. I remember the first time I drove too-I had felt imprisoned in my house and of course my wife couldn’t drive me everywhere, so it was wonderful for both of us when I got permission from the doctors. Just a note of caution-I find that even though I can physically drive fine I get tired very quickly. If I try to drive more than a half hour I get so exhausted it gets dangerous. It is very frustrating to me and it may not apply to you or anyone else as we are all different, but I would suggest you start in small doses and see how you do. After a year of driving I still can’t do more than a half hour at a time safely. Merry Christmas, Jeff[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the caution, I actually have been taking it slowely. My back muscles cant even keep me sitting upright for that long but with this 4-point harness that I had installed thats not a problem, I stay sitting upright without any issue as it holds up me up and prevents any tipping or slouching. The issue I have found is that my ankle is what gets tired the fastest so when on the freeways I use cruise control to help out but I am always prepared to stop and rest if needed. If I didnt have that harness though in the truck I dont think I could make it more than 10 minutes which barely gets me to the closest store or gas station.
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December 26, 2006 at 4:49 pm
How wonderful it must be to be able to drive again. Congratulations. I am dependent on my 81 yr old husband or 19 yr old grandson. Actually, would prefer an age group in between.
Peggy
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December 26, 2006 at 7:06 pm
Congrats, I remember how good it felt for me to get some independence back.
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December 30, 2006 at 4:16 pm
Doby, you encouraged me to try driving. Getting in and out of car was the problem, driving was a cinch. Drove around the cou-de-sac, got mail out of box and paper also. Felt a little useful since my husband is sick in bed with cold and can’t go out. I’m looking forward to the day of total independence in 2007.
Peggy
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January 1, 2007 at 1:20 pm
[FONT=”Fixedsys”][COLOR=”Red”][SIZE=”5″][COLOR=”Blue”]Congratulations.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] I am so glad to hear that, hopefully in a few years I can feel it.
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January 2, 2007 at 9:35 pm
OneEye, you will. Today I drove up to town and back. Felt like I was flying, free as a bird.
Peggy
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January 25, 2007 at 7:06 pm
One thing I have learned since GBS is that there are modified ways of doing just about everything. For example, I still cant feel anything from the neck down but I am able to drive. I cant situp very well on my own so I have a restrain system in my truck so that I can drive. I passed my drivers eval just barely but was able to pass it. If lower body is not comming back then hand controls are an option, you never know till you try to see if you can do it or not and there are disabled testing stations that will evaluate you. If you can use a manual chair have the insurance buy you an ultralight model that you can eventually lift in and out like a paraplegic does by sitting in the vehicle… it WILL take practice and feel impossible the first several times expecially with limited strength. If you are in an electric chair then a vehicle can be outfitted to drive your electric chair in on your own and even right into the driving area if you cant transfer on your own. Hand controls are available in lots of different models even joysticks for people that use electric chairs.
So, just keep positive and if you think you cant do something then its just a matter of looking to find the modified way of doing something!
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