About Driving a Car with Macular Degeneration
At the intermediate stage of dry AMD, I feel anxious each time for my 6 month checkup with my RS, wondering if he will tell me I can no longer drive, which I dread to hear. I would appreciate any advise & encouragement from those who are no longer driving. How did you find out? How did you handle it? Were you given any advance warning? I know it will probably happen eventually but not sure I’ll ever be ready to hear I can’t drive. I’ve already stopped driving at night.
just like you, each checkup causes me anxiety. Will my scan show progression or will he say I can’t drive anymore. At my January annual eye exam with my optometrist, he told me it was no longer safe for me to drive at night. Though I still can drive in the daytime I am fearful of driving in heavy traffic or unfamiliar areas. Sharon Moore Advocate 
I too have the same concern about driving I can still drive during the day but i am more cautious especially on the interstate Only drive at night locally
I find that I have difficulty reading road signs the gps helps
wish you well
johnGPS is a blessing. I can’t read road signs until I am almost on them. Having AMD makes me extremely cautious when driving. Thanks for sharing, Sharon Moore Patient Leader
I gave up driving voluntarily several years ago due to a movement disorder. However the AMD caused extreme light sensitivity both in bright sunlight and at night when I would see halos around oncoming headlights. My fear of causing harm to others as well as myself made it a simple decision although giving up independence is hard. I can still manage to get where I need to go and have had some of the best conversations with family and friends as a passenger. Thea DeStephano
Theodore, that is a great way of looking at the possibility of not driving any longer - We may likely get more connected with others and have some great conversations. Thanks for that observation. Linda Hoopes, Advocate
I think about this all the time. I'm at the intermediate stage too. I don't drive after dark anymore, unless I really have to, and I know the territory very well. I haven't been told this by my RS, I just know myself, that I can struggle in the dark. I have been looking for somewhere more central to live, where I can walk easily to the shops and transport. I have just come home after inspecting an apartment for sale that is built in a complex above a shopping centre, with transport at the door. It is such a big step to sell a house and move into an apartment - I'm not sure if I'm ready, but I think it will have to happen sometime, especially if I can't drive. I found with my parents that it is better to do this sooner rather than later, when you can no longer drive to inspect potential properties. Meanwhile, I am practising using Uber so that I can at least be confident with this means of transport. I worked out that I could spend a lot on Uber or other transport, before it would come close to the cost of running my car. I wrote about it a while ago. https://maculardegeneration.net/living/driving-alternatives Wendy, Advocate.
