Cant drive but would push bike be on?

[Jackiesmith7777]

Sorry this sounds like a silly question , but has anyone on here who has lost 50% vision in each eye due to a stroke managed to get back on a push bike ? My husband had lost vision in the right side of both his eyes . He used to love cycling but doesn’t think he will be able to again. It’s only been 6 months since his stroke so I’m hoping he will become more confident in time . Thank you . He is unable to drive a car now .

[Ellie-]

@Hijackiesmith7777 I have been able to ride a bike again only on very quiet paths and roads but my balance is fine and I remember how to. Six months is very early days and hopefully your husband has will see lots more improvement and adaptation. I have found the stroke association forum really helpful and people are very supportive and willing to help and share thier experiences. They have a search bar , type in Hemonopia and you can see posts about people who have returned to driving. It might be worth a look I found it useful. Best wishes x

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Ellie-]

Thank you so much for your help and encouragement x

[Scobby17]

hi Jackie, I managed to cycle 6 months after a major stroke, started in a small park and then as hot more confident, cycled further. Eventually managed to get my driving licence back after 2 years.

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Scobby17]

Ahh that’s good to hear . Was your eyesight effected like my husbands ?

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Scobby17]

That’s really good to know thank you . The optometrist was a bit negative and basically said don’t expect your vision to get better after six months and said she would be getting a certificate of visual impairment sent to him and driving is out of the question . As you can imagine my husband was devastated .

[Scobby17]

yes, have total loss in vision on left side.

Used lots of scanning exercises on the pc and at home. Jigsaw’s was one of the most helpful ways to improve.

[Ellie- in reply to Scobby17]

Hi that's amazing, so did I read that right you have hemonopia and returned to driving? Did you do a driving assessment through exceptional circumstances, I have Hemonopia and would love to drive again but have been told I only have one chance, is that true best wishes

[Scobby17]

I applied for exceptional circumstances and I then recieved a 3 month provisional licence to practise before the test.

I went out with a number of driving instructors and adavanced drivers. In all cases I asked them to write a report on my driving, I then handed these , the better ones of course, to the examiner on the day of the test. This was mainly for my peace of mind, but don’t think it done any harm on the day. The lessons were essential as it really helped get over some issues when you lose sight on one side, which for me was trying to over compensate on the side without vision.

[Ellie- in reply to Scobby17]

Well done that's great news, have you lost vision half of each eye? I have. In 2020 so it's been four years I still haven't quite got the confidence to try for it yet. I'm put off by only getting one chance at doing it. Were you told this? Well done for passing that's brilliant. Best wishes

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Ellie-]

Have you got used to it after four years . My husband is really nervous about bumping into people and visa versa when out and about

[Ellie- in reply to Jackiesmith7777]

Hi Jackie smith7777 I'm definitely a lot better at scanning and not bumping into things, I have two young children who were 4 and 6 when it happened so I had to get used to being in busy places quite quickly. It makes me so sad when doctors say there's no improvement after 6 months because you are improving all the time, adaption is definitely part of it. I tried visual field expanders or Pele lenses they might help not for everyone but they might help. I got mine from York vision care but they also do them in Bristol opticians turners I think it's called. It is becoming my normal now slowly by slowly. Looking to the future I hope to drive again take care best wishes x

[Scobby17]

My eyes are fine, it’s just the brain does not see the left hand side , hence rhe need to scan.

Not sure where you live but started here. In Essex ://drivecardrome.com/ should be something similar near you.

[Jackiesmith7777]

yes same it’s his brain not his eyes . Thank you

[Ellie- in reply to Jackiesmith7777]

Thankyou for your replies Yes sorry I was just wondering if scobby17 your sight loss is Hemonopia too, no vision in half of both eyes or is it you visual field only. Mine is both. Just wondering if we have similar sight loss especially if you have returned to drivingBest wishes

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Ellie-]

Yes that’s what I was wondering as my husband is the same only right sided . Did you have aphasia also? My husband has . Do you mind if I ask what caused your stroke as my husbands was his AF . Thank you

[Ellie- in reply to Jackiesmith7777]

Hi not at all, I had a right cartroid tear in my neck which blocked the blood flow to my optical lobe. they wouldn't unblock as they it was too risky. I was devastated and it has been hard to come to terms with and accept. But feel I am adapting every day and I'm sure your husband will too. Luckily I didn't have aphasia thank goodness just vision. Best wishes x

[Scobby17 in reply to Ellie-]

Yes Hemonopia

[Ellie- in reply to Scobby17]

Scobby17 thank you so much for your reply, it really does give me hope I might drive again when someone else with hemonopia has done the same. I have, unfortunately No where near Essex any more but have found a driving track near me that does a similar thing. Sorry for all the questions and thanks for your help. Best wishes

[Scobby17]

no problem and good luck, take your time and start with familiar routes, when you get on the road, but as the saying goes practice makes perfect.

[Ellie- in reply to Scobby17]

Hi scobby17, Thank you for your reply, I went to speak to the assessment centre some time ago, they did a few tests with me. The one I found particularly difficult and failed was looking at two dots and being able to tell which one was central, think I got 15 out of 20 correct but that was a fail. I passed all test except this one. Drawing a clock counting cubes etc..I didn't do driving assessment as they said it had to be used and sent to DVLA. Did you do the dots test? How did you find that one?Also my sight loss is pretty much half of each eye is yours the same or do you have more vision than me? If you don't mind me asking. Best wishes

[Scobby17 in reply to Ellie-]

Hi , yes did all the cognitive tests as well and did not get them all either.

Had my partner with me who also made many of the same wrong guesses as me.

They did take me out for a little drive but was off road , which went fine. Would not take me out in the road.

I then had to go through the dvla to get the exceptional circumstances accepted with was painful, but with the help of letters from GP, driving instructor letters and other professional people, go the exceptional circumstances which meant they had to take you out in the road.

In my heart I knew I was a safe driver, so took the test and happily passed.

Do you feel you will be safe?

If so confirm this by finding a off road training centre and having a go get the person to be honest and if possible have someone in the car who knows how you drive, before stroke, to give you honest feedback too.

.

[Ellie- in reply to Scobby17]

Hi scobby17 Thank you again for you encouraging words I'm going to book for some practice this week. It's been four years and two strokes so my confidence has had a bit of a knock. But I'm definitely going to give it my best as see how it goes,. It's interesting that you didn't need to pass all tests to pass the assessment, that's good news. Just one last question, my sight loss is left half of each eye. Would you say yours is exactly half? Or a bit more or less? Thank you again for your help.

[john-boy-92 in reply to Scobby17]

Legislation required that "exceptional case" drivers with a vision issue were meant to be given refresher driving lessons before the driving assessment. This required thye issue of a provisional disability assessment licence (PDAL). The DVLA Medical Group disagreed with the legislation, as it did not require the refresher lessons instructor to be an ADI. Therefore prior to February 2020, they would not grant time for refresher lessons. Consequently, someone would not have driven for at least 12 months (or years), and were suddenly in a strange car driving an unknown route for your driving assessment for 50 minutes (plus all the other non-driving assessments). Although that changed in February 2020, the decision was not backdated. As one of the drivers before 2020, the DVLA require that I have the compliant visual field of someone with normal vision. I will be interested in the PHSO's view.

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Ellie-]

My husbands is exactly half like yours but on the right side

[Scobby17]

the only way to know for is to have a go, I truely wish you all the luck in the world.

Not driving is not the end of the world if you still have ach other.

Love to you both.

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Scobby17]

Thank you for your kind words x

[john-boy-92]

I had a stroke in 2016 that left me with permanent right-side homonymous hemianopia with macula sparing. My driving licence was revoked and I no longer ride a bike althought my Optician says that I am well adapted; I scan to my blind side. Vision can restore in the first three months after a stroke. After six months the probability decreases, and at twelve months there is little likehood that it will improve. That didn't stop a DVLA Medical Group administrator writing two years ago that I must have a compliant visual field to have a provisional disability assessment driving licence(!); PHSO will give a verdict this summer.

There are some good academic papers on the subject: Liverpool University - Professor Fiona Rowe, Drs Lauren Hepworth, Claire Howard, and Kerry Hannah. Regarding driving, you can view the half-yearly minutes of the Secretary of State for Transport’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on driving and visual disorders (known as the DVLA Vision Panel) online. Interestingly, there was a an FOI reply from the DVLA that confirmed the Medical Group dealing with vision, does not employ opthalmology consultants. The decisions are made by administrators working to written instructions, with the possibility of refering to the senior medical doctor who is a former A&E consultant.