Driving me Crazy

Herb generously shared his feelings about an issue that some people with MD face if their disease progresses. "Over the past 70 plus years of driving,

I have owned nineteen different vehicles, from a Mini to an ex-hearse; from the essential '38 Morris '8' to various Mazdas, Toyotas and 'Humphrey' Herb's Honda. That's 84 wheels which includes my very first set of wheels, a pram’, and my current wheels, a mobility scooter. My happiest moments in life are when I amin control of a steering wheel and gearbox, cruising along a Highway, handling the caron a gravel road or tempting fate a little on a sandy beach or a forest track. Not one accident in all that time and only three 'outages' - when I had to be towed out of a 'situation'. Oh, what joy; a great feeling; a fabulous hobby - Driving!

Imagine my horror one day, when the Doctor said to me 'Mr. Ritchie, you should not be driving. If you have an accident while driving and they investigate your eyesight, there will be no insurance.’ She spoke the words I had known in my heart for some considerable time but did not wish to acknowledge. I was aware I had glaucoma, macular degeneration and retinal detachment, all medical terms I knew little about. In hindsight however, I recall a few years back when delivering Valentine flowers in Christchurch, I had difficulty spotting house numbers. In Mosgiel a few years later when delivering Meals on Wheels, I could not even read the street names.

There were more obvious signs: I could not judge distances well, I could not see into black shadows, I did not see cars coming at me from the side. Additionally, my wife was frequently commenting; 'Did you not see that lady on the crossing?' 'You're too close to the car in front' or 'Would you like me to drive?' My emotions were raw! How can I survive without driving; I won't be able to go anywhere; I can't drive around Central Otago anymore, or up to Palmerston to see my son. So many differing emotions surfaced -impatience, dissatisfaction, anxiety.

Dear Reader, take heed; emotions can, and need to be controlled with a healthy positive attitude. Whether it be self-pity, fear, nuisance, insecurity, disappointment or total frustration, there is always an opposite to offset that ill feeling. Joy, of sitting back enjoying the drive and scenery; appreciation, that someone cares to give you an outing; excitement, of going places and home again.”

Herb’s wife Barbara also has a message for people going through this challenge: Talk about your concerns and feelings with your loved ones. If you share this with them, your loved ones can help and support you through this new challenge.