Important Appointment.

Thanks for the explanation - I now see what this means to you.

When my grandfather got older he likewise was savvy enough to give up driving; after my grandmother died he later married a woman who was younger than he by about 10 or so years, and she did all the driving later in his life. I know many people are either too proud or too dependent on driving to give it up; it also depends on where one lives.  In more rural areas it is more difficult since there is no public transportation.

Here's wishing for your best possible outcome. From what you describe it does sound like you should not be on the road with a motor vehicle...and I would expect the medical consultant to agree.

My Norwegian aunty tells me that I am more like my grandfather than anyone she knows. He was an admirable man. Difficult sometimes, but more often than not he was right in judgements as proven over time.

She said I even walk the same as he did. Talk quietly always. Always the same. 

The resolve involved in tackling this is something I can draw on his example to follow. I know that basically I had become unsafe on the road, as I miss things, and that is no good. Sixty miles an hour with a three ton vehicle is a very dangerous machine in the wrong hands. That is my view. But the combo is still dangerous at walking speed, truth to tell.

The reality is that whatever the advice I shall surrender my licence. My employer may not be impressed though.

ATB from George

I'd imagine your employer is bound by the DDA and will have to accommodate reasonable adjustments should your condition prohibit certain work related activities.

G

If driving is not in your job description, your employer cannot insist you drive.

Dear Graeme,

It would never come to quoting legislation at work.

When I was knocked off my bike two and a half years ago my first visitor in hospital was my boss, and the first thing he said was not to worry about rushing back to work or being paid. He paid me not SSP but full wages for six weeks, so naturally I did rush back to work on the same week that I was told to start to weight bare on my leg - when I next saw my consultant he was surprised but not annoyed to find I was already working again!

I sued the driver so as to repay the wages for the time I was off and being paid. I said that it was a matter of correctness that my boss should accept the amount that I sued for as wages. Reluctantly my boss agreed ...

The man is an old style gent. Very rare these days. 

Dear Lionel,

I have never seen a job description for myself! I have never seen a contract. I open my P60 once a year to see what I was paid. I know the money has gone in on the proper day and as we get a flat rate for each of the twelve months there is no reason to inspect the minutiae of the wage slip each time as each time is the same. Sounds informal, and a bit old fashioned, but fair treatment of staff is a mark of the company I work for. 

I shall have to explain the situation by the end of the week. I do not look forward to it, but once done it will be alright.

ATB from George

Best of luck tomorrow.

My thoughts will be with you tomorrow, George. Hope the outcome will be positive and you'll be all well very soon.

Good luck tomorrow.  Please post and let us know how things go.

Hey Mo!

Been listening to joyful Haydn,

After that nothing can go wrong! I replied your mutant post in the Music Room!

G

Best wishes, George.

George,

Glad to read that full recovery is almost always the outcome. However if you are concerned regarding future recurrences it is a simple matter to surrender your driving licence. You don't need a doctor to examine you. You mentioned that you previously had an attack in both eyes so you will already have been advised to report your condition to DVLA (it would be an offence not to). If you don't apply for your licence back then you remain 'grounded'. Your employer would have no say in the matter. But their employee care sounds very good anyway so unlikely to come to that. Fingers crossed you don't need the laser surgery. 

Andy

My driving licence has a code on it to indicate an eye history ...

Yes. that is years old.

I have already lost confidence in my safety as a driver. In the last few years of private driving, I have done only a few hundred miles. I always preferred the train or if push came to shove a bus ...

I suspect my boss will understand my position, whatever it may be by tomorrow teatime!

In reality I shall never drive again. To read the internet prognosis, it is clearly not life threatening to me, but my actual vision acuity has been fairly borderline since the 2004 attack. Even as it recovers now, the main point is my own confidence rather than a strict reading of the Law. It will not be as good as last Autumn ever again ...

My confidence is shot. So to actually be formally advised to quite driving would be a relief. I am terrified that I might hit some complete innocent, and so the decision is quite clear. 

ATB from George

Perhaps with your challenged eyesight you should not ride a bicycle, your sight problems may have even contributed to your accidents.

Dear Derek,

The cycle accidents - three of them - were entirely down to motorists not looking hard enough. I saw the accidents coming, but you cannot accelerate out of the way enough on a cycle in a side-swipe situation.

I have never come close to hitting anything else on a cycle.

I have never felt I was the remotest threat to anyone on my bike, so please forgive that I shall carry on with that at least.

I am a very cautious person with respect to others' safety, which is exactly why I have agonised over finishing driving even if I am not advised to do so. One's own risk assessment may be cautious and more cautious than the professionals, but that does not make it wrong.

Well that is what I think. I just hope I have the professionals behind my cautious view. 

ATB from George

Best wishes George.  I hope that you get some favorable news!

All the best,

Bart

It was a long session of tests and talks between ten to one and twenty past three. I got the usual roaring headache from the eyedrops to dilate my pupils. And went to sleep when I got home.

Nothing worse than the best really. I have an angiogram appointment on the first of October and then another appointment [TBA] with Mrs Chhina. 

Sorry not to report longer, but I am sheer exhausted.

ATB from George..

PS: Thanks for all the nice comments.

PPS: For the Doctors here, my BP was 118 over 74, so not bad for a fifty two year old! 

I look forward to hearing that all is well. Good luck with it.

Dear Winki,

The lovely Mrs Chhina assures me that they will wait till October to decide whether to put me down!

Amazingly she remembered me after a decade! She was not pretending. she wanted to know how I was getting on playing the bass!

Amazing!

ATB from George

118/74 is excellent for any age George - good to hear that your BP is not at issue.

So they did not make a determination on your driving?  Or will that be decided in October as well?

I had to have my cat put down, but she didn't have what you have George.

Not sure whether you wanted to know that, but, whatever, I hope all goes better for you than it did for my cat in October.

(PS - that's abaout as much sense as you get out of me at half past three in the mroning    )

Dear Dr Mark,

I have to see the optician for a proper assessment. Mrs C thought that there would be absolutley no problem though. 

Dear RJ,

I have had two dogs put down. I know what it is like and how it is a worry whether it is the the right thing to do at the time. With hindsight, it was right in both cases. Both were thirteen year olds. One injured in a fight with a visiting Dalmatian, and being a Jack Russell [imaginatively called Spot] you would expect it to win every time. But the last time is likely to be a loss - it was.

The second one - a Welsh Collie called Fred - was suffering from a weak heart and so I took a fortnight's holiday, spoiled the old fella something chronic and at the end of the time took him to the vet. Idiotically I should really have had the vet visit, as I drove nine miles in second gear back home with my eyes absolutely filled with tears. Next day I knew the decision was a good one. 

So all joking aside about putting me down in October there will be a consideration of any repair treatments, even including laser, depending on the healing , and the proximity of the optic nerve. 

Last time it was too close to the optic nerve in both eyes, and so it was left alone. But this time the left eye might be somewhat helped by it, but time is the thing. Wait and see how it goes, but my acuity is now quite good again, so a good recovery is in prospect.

ATB from George