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Living with Neuropathy - Welcome to the group
Neuropathy | Last Active: Oct 27 5:51pm | Replies (6152)Comment receiving replies
Hi steeldove,
I did look into hand controls for driving when my neuropathy required me to wear braces. The braces prevent foot drop, but have a steel plate under both feet. So I really can't bend my foot enough for the brakes.
THEN for about 18 months I had a condition that caused me to suddenly fall to the ground (syncope). That's when I had to stop driving. The condition was caused by a side effect of a drug I had taken for 6 years. I stopped taking the drug and I stopped collapsing. But I haven't gone back to driving because by now I need a walker, and would have to manage getting the walker in and out of the trunk. By then I would be exhausted!
Very few people have the level of disability that I have, thank goodness.
Regards, Elained
Replies to "Hi steeldove, I did look into hand controls for driving when my neuropathy required me to..."
@elained I guess it comes down to how motivated one is. I shall be 81 this month and I live alone, but maintaining my independence was my highest priority and a strong motivation for getting the Kempf hand controls, which now allow me to drive the 600 miles to my appointments at Mayo in Minnesota. I have a friend who is in his 50s and is wheelchair-bound being totally paralyzed from the waist down. He carts a collapsible wheelchair, a walker, and various pieces of equipment that enable him to get in and out of his Kempf-equipped van. Don't give up!
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Hi @elained - I too have had syncope, and fractured my kneecap in December. Can you tell me which drug it was a side effect of?.