My husband who has glaucoma is currently struggling mentally.
He had an appointment yesterday and was advised to inform DVLA. He didnt have a field test this time however she advised that based on the results of his previous visual field test months ago he should inform DVLA
His pressures where ok at 11 & 10 previously it was 10 both eyes. The lead nurse he saw was happy about this.
He is worried he will fail his DVLA field test and lose his driving licence & this will affect his work as he has to travel 45mins each way.
He was diagnised around 4 years ago but hasnt really wanted to discuss this until last night we where up all night with him so scared.
I was just wondering if we have members who where diagonised at a young age & still managed to continue with work until retirement.
For those who have since lost their drivers licence how did you cope.
Any advise on what i can say or do to help ease his anxiety.
Thank You
Written by
Nyasham
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Hi Nyasham! It’s a massive shock when you get this news, so I understand where he is at. Did his consultant explain why he needs to inform the DVLA now but not before? What has changed? You usually need to inform DVLA as soon as you have a diagnosis of glaucoma in both eyes regardless of the level of vision. Has his glaucoma spread to both eyes recently? I had to inform DVLA as soon as I got my diagnosis as I have glaucoma in both eyes but the vision loss was only noticable in one. Tell your husband that the DVLA field test is done with both eyes at the same time, with glasses or without (they adjust the focus) and so is easier than the hospital tests in some ways.
Obviously the anxiety of losing your license is overwhelming and most of us are ridiculously anxious prior to a first test and then each renewal.
I’m on a 3 year medical driving license and my second so far. I’m 58 by the way. I work part time but live far from any public transport so would have to move house if I lose my license. I get that this is a massively big deal for him.
I think he needs more info from his consultant so he can assess his probability of losing his license. Meanwhile be reassured your eyesight needs to be pretty poor for you to lose your license, but many of us with glaucoma in both eyes, are driving around quite safely on 1, 3 or 5 yr medical licenses and have been for many years! 👍🏻 I hope he’s one too!
When He got his diagnosis , . Initially they said he had (significant) nerve damage in his left eye but his right eye was ok. He was advised by Consultant if any changes he might have to inform DVLA but wasnt told he had to at that time.
He had laser treatement in that left eye 2 yrs ago but Covid then hit & had appointments delayed & rescheduled. He has only had a few appointments in 4 yrs hes been diagnoised. Less than 5. Then when he was seen his pressures where much higher 23 & given more eye drops which reduced them to 10.
On his latest check up thats when he met a different nurse lead who he said was very informative . She was happy with pressures & told him results will be passed to consultant and if he has any concerns he would call him.
Thats when she mentionioned that based on his last field test results she could see on the system he had to inform DVLA. Which he has now done.
To be honest when i read posts on here people seem much more informed on their progression than my husband is. Besides knowing his pressures , he doesnt know what stage his glaucoma is. I havent been able to go to his appointments due to restrictions . He doesnt know what percentage of his nerves is damaged etc. Which honestly is now causing me anxiety.
Hes only seen the consultant 2 times , the rest are with the Lead Nurses at the eye clinic.
It does sound like he has glaucoma in both eyes and so this has triggered that he has to surrender his license to DVLC and be tested for a medical license which will automatically test his vision annually, or 3 or 5 yearly, as DVLC see fit. As I’ve said the test is “easier” than the field test at the hospital.On the field tests at the hospital they can seem to go on forever sometimes and we all lose focus on the dot and drift off thinking about random mundane things like what to have for tea.🙄 I’ve found that if I make sure I breathe properly and not hold my breath, this keeps me calm and focussed. Also I blink regularly as I was told the system accounts for this and this keeps my eyes moist and somehow stops my eyes getting bored and wandering off to follow the flashing lights. The system does detect if you are pressing when not seeing a light and it is registered as a false positive. If there’s a lot then they take this into consideration when reviewing your test results. Your husband should tell them if he’s concerned about the test.
Last thing, on getting information from your consultant or doctors. We all advocate on here taking some ownership of your treatment. Ask questions. Write down a list of questions and ask them and write down the answer. We all forget everything we’re told when we walk out the consultants room. The consultants sometimes operate on a need to know basis with patients; they are busier than ever post covid and some are better surgeons than communicators, I suspect. However, if you ask questions they are often happy to give answers. Glaucoma is a complex disease but sometimes more information can remove some of the unknown and anxiety and help us understand more.
Tell your husband to post if he is anxious prior to his DVLA test. I posted last time I had one and the support from everyone on here was amazing and really got be through it. He’s not alone. We are here if if he needs us. 👍🏻
Hello Tshape , Thank you for your encouraging post.
I am wishing you well in this Glaucoma journey & hoping they are managing to stop any further progession for you.
Just a quick question how do you know that you are at advanced stage? My husband at diagnosis was told his left eye had significant nerve damage . Not sure what that means. Or stage that is.
Hi i was told by my consultant i should inform the DLVA because of suspect glaucoma and a marginal fail on the field vision. I think she premature and i am waiting for the next test in six months. Also i am going to test myself via spec savers on field vision.
You are legally obliged to inform and the penalty for not doing so is significant. Your insurance probably also obliges you to do this. I would not risk driving without insurance. The way things are at the moment the DVLA are taking so long to do anything it could well be 6 months before they notice. Husband still waiting for a response 10 months after informing them about a new surgery.
Hi - I was told by my consultant to inform the DVLA about 5 years ago - I am on an annual Licence now and whilst it is stressful, the testers are always helpful and reassuring. They don't want people to lose their ability to drive and you get several attempts at the visual field test. The visual acuity you can test yourself by measuring and reading a car number plate. The drops that I am on seem to have slowed the decline caused by the glaucoma but I know that it is only a matter of time until I fail the test ... but until then I drive with a much greater focus on care.
Hi Nyasham, I lost my licence for 4 months but was adamant that the SPECSAVERS administrator didn't give me a fair chance after I read the experiences of others on a range of social media platforms. I wasn't allowed to do the test without glasses. Four months later, I went to another SPECSAVERS where I was allowed to do the test with & without glasses and gained 100%, which formed part of my appeal. DVLA paid for the next test, 3 months later, where I gained 100% again. I continued to fulfill many of my work duties, except for driving mini - buses with more than 9 passengers, as it is not possible to appeal for D1 entitlement after licence revocation. Of course, I have passed the local council assessment to drive their vehicles. Although I have bilateral glaucoma, I still have good vision in one of my eyes, so conclude at my stage of the condition, it is more about learning how to pass the test, rather than an accurate assessment of your vision. As I have Normal Pressure Glaucoma, Visual Field tests were new to me, so I lacked practice. I paid to practice at my opticians, although these outcomes would not be accepted by the DVLA.The DVLA need to circulate the rules around how these tests are administered and there should be an interval between attempts. I found doing three tests without a break in a noisy corridor, wearing a mask, a challenge.
I can fully understand how your husband feels, as I felt very down whilst asking friends for lifts in a rural county and walking in the winter weather, while battling with the DVLA. Don't give up.
Well done you for getting your license in the end. Oh its reassuring to note the test can be done with glasses. This will definately make a difference for him as i believe the one in hospital is withought glasses? I will check with him.
The other thing for him is that he says he found the field tests annoying. He finds it hard to concentrate on things like that.and he ended up just clicking apparently in his test.
I was diagnosed 15 years ago and have had two DVLA tests; I am due another next year. I do take it seriously, but I try and get into the zone while I’m doing it and I think of it as a computer game. One of the advantages of the DVLA test is that you can move your head! I also try to co-ordinate clicking with blinking, so I am less likely to miss a light. It IS nerve-racking but so important to stay relaxed and not think about anything else at all while you are doing it. Best if luck to you both. ❤️
There are many people who are diagnosed with glaucoma in both eyes, and still reach the standards expected of the DVLA to drive safely. if a persons glaucoma is picked up in the early, and this seems to be the case for your husband, there is a very good chance he will retain his driving licence.
Your husband will need to obtain a V1 form to fill in from the DVLA. This can be done online and is much quicker.
It is important that he does this. If a person with glaucoma is involved in an accident, whether it is their fault or not, and they have not informed the DVLA or their insurance company, they will not be covered fully comp. They will also be fine around £1000 and lose their driving licence.
Hi Nyasham, I started having probs aged 20, formally diagnosed at 39, am now 73 and lost my driving licence in Jan but am hopeful of regaining it. Thing is, we are all different... no standard progression. The treatments now are far far better than when I was diagnosed, far more kinds of drops, different ops... The main thing is, be watchful with it. Take drops religiously... I tick it off on a chart on the wall, makes me feel I am in control, order new ones in plenty time... mine have to be preservative-free and individual so can't really over-run. My worst pressure was 67 back in 92 when I was having a bad spell. Drops have improved since then and so has laser, not to mention other ops. I couldn't drive on just my worse eye or read easily, but with both eyes open I can do most things. Having my cataracts done was a huge help. So was having a tube in my worse eye. I have had a trab in my better eye. I need specs to drive or read but not otherwise. It is horrible feeling less able, but your husband has a very good chance of keeping his vision as well as the next person. Has he seen a relative suffer from glaucoma and lose sight? Really, there have been so many improvements even in the last 10 years, not to mention since I got a firm diagnosis in 89, that the outlook is much more hopeful now. Good luck!
I have had two tests authorised by DVLA now and was worried sick before each one. However I passed them each for 3 years. The best advice I saw was a video of a fellow glaucoma sufferer and she empowered herself by keeping copies of all the field tests the hospital did and in between hospital field tests she arranged extra ones through her opticians, which she paid for. Anyway she had her own record of fieldtests every six months which she could compare to see if there had been changes. I am not saying she could analyse them like a professional but obvious changes would alert her. Thats what I am doing now.
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