Driving

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diamond

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Joined
Sep 18, 2015
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1,548
Reason
DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
01/2008
Country
UK
State
anywhere
For Fibro sufferers who learnt to drive before becoming unwell have you been able to carry on driving ?
 
I have been able to keep driving but on days my hands and arms are too painfull I stay home or get someone to drive me.
 
When I first got fibro I drove on and off for a few years until my condition became so severe that I gave up driving for 10 years. Most of that time I was in so much pain and trouble with weakness in legs and brain fog that I did not feel safe to be out on the road. Then too were the times I was bed ridden and unable to do anything.

Now years later I got back my drivers license when I moved from FL to PA, and slowly got used to driving again. I don't drive long distances and I don't drive out of town during the winter when snow covers the roads. I am a lot more timid about driving then I was when I was younger. Of course my family does not understand my illness and my reasons for being extra careful with my driving.
 
Still driving as well. May be giving up my motorcycle though. I’m just too sore and the enjoyment is gone. Guess the time has come to shelve the helmet
 
still driving, but I have not been able to ride my motorcycles for 3 years and it really makes me sad. I just cannot part with them, but feel bad that they are just sitting there probably going to ruin because I do not have a garage to put them in. I really miss riding.
I have to keep driving because I live a long way from anything and have to drive in order to keep living here. Takes me an hour to get to work most of the time.
 
@sunkacola. I’m torn about parting with my bike but I can not justify having it sit in my garage not being used, losing value and costing me money (registration and insurance).

What kind of bikes do you have?
 
Medicmurphy, the motorcycle that I used to have was a Yamaha 850 and I also had a little Yamaha 350RD with a 2-stroke engine just for kicks.
Used to go x-country on the 850 by myself, and it was a blast. Everyone so surprised to see a woman travelling alone on a big-ish bike.

I went to scooters several years ago because they are so much lighter and easier for my body to handle and I still have the 2 scooters. They are both excellent machines, were very expensive rides when new although I bought them both used, with low mileage. I no longer have them registered or insured to save money, but I just cannot stand to sell them. I want to believe that some say I will ride them again, and it would take mere minutes to insure and register them again if so.

What do you have?
 
My fibro and ME-like symptoms started when I was 19. 2 years later, I decided I should go for my driver's licence (I was finally making enough money to pay for the classes). I only took 5 classes and it was obvious even with the not-so severe problems I had (mainly with my neck/arms and my eyes, I can't look into mirrors back and forth, somehow I get very dizzy) I had to give up my dream. I also completely lacked the self confidence needed.

It is still something I grief, but at the same time I am also so used to having have to rely on public transportation and always save money for taxi's for emergencies=bad fibro days.Strangely I also prefer metro/tram like transportation to cars - the smooth ride makes a huge difference in my neck/shoulder pains. People I told this to can't seem to believe or understand me (some doctors even made fun of me, like it must be all in my head. Yes, it is called a brain, it is where all nerves = pain come from!). But with bad roads we have over here, I really hate being in a car, especially sitting at the back, on the wheels.
 
Vicky i also experience worsening pain just from the movement of a car...and that's a pretty comfy car and with a soft duvet over my chair to cushion me and my partner driving.

Your comment reminded me when someone close to me said it wasn't possible for being in a car to hurt that much!

Im so sorry you missed out on the freedom of driving but it sounds like you have made the most of public transport and that it now suits you.

I miss the independence of driving but after 8 years since i last drove im used to it...but it is another loss im sad about.
 
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@sunkacola, my current ride is a Honda cbr 500r, sweet sport bike. I love it. I’ve owned and rode several bikes, from a Honda cbr 250r, Honda cbf 1000, and HD Sportster. My fav ride is a sport bike. Very lightweight and flickable. I know what you mean about hanging on to the bikes. It’s a love affair we just don’t want to walk away from. Guess I will see how the winter goes and how far down the fibro-rabbit hole I slip down. My nights have been pretty tough pain wise. Still managing to run though. Got passed by an old guy on his electric scooter today lol. He was moving pretty good and I got a good laugh out of it :)
 
I still drive but rarely any distance, 20 miles at most but mainly it's just to work & back & to taxi my girls about. I couldn't drive long distances at all now.
 
Glad you managed to keep up a little Lou....well done for keep doing what you can.
 
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medicmurphy thanks for understanding.....really, most people don't, as you probably know. Maybe it is denial but I just cannot believe that I will not ride again. It is a part of my being. Even if I could find a partner with a bike and ride on the back, that would do. if I couldn't ride my own.
But finding a partner is even harder than most other things.

One thing that I am really learning, though, is this: when something starts to get hard to do (taking off a jar lid, picking up something, getting down underneath something, whatever...) the very best thing we can do is keep on doing it.
Honestly, I think that most people stop being able to do things because when it got hard to do it or painful to do it they just gave up and stopped doing it. And so now, they cannot do it at all.

If something gets hard for me to do, I make myself do it even more. Use it or lose it is very real.

Now, of course, with fibro sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't, but I think it is always worth a try.

I stopped riding half because my back and hands hurt so much and half because riding was what my partner and I did together and it was a huge part of our relationship. when she died, it was such a grief-filled thing to me to ride that when it started being very physically painful as well I stopped.
I shouldn't have, I think. But now it is too hard to go back to it ....yet, anyway.
 
For Fibro sufferers who learnt to drive before becoming unwell have you been able to carry on driving ?
My suv thatmy parents handeddown to meee has heated seats,so my back and booty love it,but my arms and hands hurt.i havetobe careful what i listen to.one reason ismy sensitivity to certain sounds,secondly some of thethings those radio people say makes me very anxious and upset.???sometimes i pop in a cd(My parents loaned to me)traffic really gets my nerves frazzled also.i don't do too much driving for pleasure and i try not to take my anxiety med till i get home and that is tough too.sorry if mmy posts are too long!!
 
@sunkacola. I truly understand the grieving of your partner and the bike connection. My heart is sad for you. Kind of a double loss.....physical pain and heart pain. Perhaps the day will come where you will get back in the saddle, even for a quick toot around the corner. I think deep down I’m hanging onto that as well since my husband still won’t list my bike.

I also agree with you about pushing through the pain and not giving up or giving in. I do believe some people find it easier to stop moving. Perhaps this is where the mental fatigue factors in from constantly fighting this syndrome everyday. FM is a nasty condition to deal with. It affects patients so differently. Some are completely incapacitated while others carry on with minor inconveniences. I fall in the middle of the pack for the most part. I’ve been stuck in bed but thankfully I was able to improve enough to regain some quality of life. Keep on posting please. I love your positive attitude and it’s encouraging for me. TBH, I sometimes feel guilty posting about my activity as I know many don’t experience this and are combating a much more difficult struggle. We ALL need encouragement regardless of our degree of FM.
 
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