When Will Driving Be a Thing of the Past?

It was February 18th when I took the troublesome "trip" down a flight of 14 steps. The results of this fall were a slight concussion with a small brain bleed as well. This was the beginning of my limited way of living.

Recovering from a fall

My road to recovery was relatively short, thankfully. The first 2 weeks I suffered with headaches and a painful wrist. The wrist was mildly sprained and the headaches left after those first 2 weeks.

I was also put on anti-seizure medication for 7 days as a precautionary measure to ensure that I did not, in fact, sustain a major brain injury resulting in seizures. It was also stated that I would not be driving until I was officially cleared to do so.

A full 7 weeks without driving

I was prescribed physical therapy to work on my balance, or lack thereof. I also was prescribed occupational therapy to make sure my reactivity time was not adversely affected; I needed to be able to react effectively in a driving situation.

In total, it was a full 7 weeks from start to finish of no driving.

The hardest part

No driving. Those 2 words were probably the hardest part of this whole "adventure." So here it was again: a reminder of my living with myopic macular degeneration (MMD). I was reminded of what could potentially lie ahead of me. I have read how I could possibly get to a state where it is not safe for me to drive because I might not be seeing well enough to do so.

Feeling like an inconvenience

In those 7 weeks, my designated driver, my husband, was my escort. It was he who took me to the multiple therapy sessions throughout those weeks. My weekly Bible study classes, my Bunco evenings, lunch gatherings with friends, shopping excursions — all of this became a challenge. I hated the feeling of inconveniencing anyone to get me anywhere. I was told over and over it was not a problem, but still it was weighing heavily on me.

MMD could take away my driving

About 4 weeks into this way of life, I had a revelation of sorts. It was the thought that MMD could potentially take my independent driving away and make it a thing of the past, just as it was in the middle of this recovery period.

As I looked into this "crystal ball" of my future, I had some thoughts. In accepting my dependence on others for every trip out of the house, how would I make this work? Could I possibly let myself do this?

Learning more about myself

Life with myopic macular degeneration often rears its annoying head in my day-to-day life. Whether that means turning on more lights, opening up window blinds, or stepping closer to the objects at hand, I am making it work, for now.

Thankfully, I have been cleared to drive again, so my current life is back to normal. I truly hope I have learned a little more about myself. Have I potentially learned how I may have to function should I lose my ability to drive independently?