Any advice on getting drivers license back after medical suspension?

Hi Tatiana,
What an awful ordeal you! How mean of that doctor to take away your driver's license! I have no advice on how you could get it back. Perhaps you could talk to an attorney. However, that could be quite expensive with possibly no useful results. Years ago when I was young; (I'm currently 79) I forgot to renew my driver's license. I drove without a legal license for a year before I realized I could go ahead and just renew it without taking a test. I have always driven safely so I never was stopped when I didn't have a license. You might try that. Follow all the speed limits and signs etc. Possibly drive in the mornings and do your errands then so you won't be so noticed. I do that now because I live in Edmonds WA which is 15 miles north of crime ridden Seattle and some of their crime drifts up here later in the day. It's safer to drive and do my errands in the morning. The only other things you can do is have friends take you places or take cabs or public transportation which often isn't safe; depending on where you live.

You really have had some awful experiences during your life! No wonder you have PTSD episodes! How terrible for you! Have you considered putting those experiences into a book? It might be therapeutic for you and could make some money.

The other thing you could do is pray and ask God for his help to get your license back and to help you with your PTSD. He's there for us and as we get older we really need his help! My husband died a year ago this month and I have been praying a lot just to get through that year! God has answered all of my prayers. It has been so good! I never thought I'd be happy again but I'm getting there. Just talk to God like he's your best friend and he is! Have faith and things will get straightened out. I'll say a prayer for you also.
I wish you the best.
PML

@tatiana987, for many people being able to drive equals independence and free will. Having your driver's license suspended is a huge adjustment, even if it is temporary. It sounds like you would like to appeal the medical assessment made by the neurologist.

Each state may handle these situations differently. You can find out more about possible next steps in your state, by searching here: https://www.epilepsy.com/lifestyle/driving-and-transportation/laws

I know this is frustrating and you feel unheard and unseen. Consider getting a second opinion. Your medical issue is important. Take care of that first. Please do not drive without a license. That will compound the issue. Hopefully you have family or friends to help with transportation until you can get this straigthened out.

Thank-you for responding.

I live in Reno, Nevada, which has a completely broken medical system. I absolutely agree that I need a second medical opinion. That appointment will take 6 to15 months.

Only people who have to ask kind friends or relatives for help understand how damaging the stupidity of this doctor is. And even with the best possible friend helping you, your freedom is gone.

The stress, the fear, the certainty that they can kill you if they choose is overwhelming. They are not at all moral. They do a lot of harm, when they vowed to do no harm.

Wow! Thank you. What a wonderful person you must be. Your words are healing. Sorry about your husband. That must be sad beyond sad.

@tatiana987
I’ve been in that situation several times. In fact my license was suspended in April.
The doctor at the emergency room tried to claim I had a seizure. even though I've had seizures for 60 years, I had zero symptoms of having a seizure and convinced the doctor that didn't happen. So at least a seizure is not in my medical record at the ER and the paramedic said I was not post ictal when they arrived so those no proof I had a seizure. If I did have a seizure, I would gladly accept driving suspension because I wouldn't want to put anyone or myself in harms way. But I'm concerned about and why I hired an attorney as the seizures are in my past and I'm afraid that's going to work against me..
Even being through this several times in the past, I never hired an attorney because I legitimately had a seizure where bystanders panicked and called 911 and ended up at ER and physicians are required to report them so I accepted the one year suspensions. My current accident was caused by inattention, but I didn't tell that to the police so he felt my driving privileges should be reassessed.
Did the neurologist give you any justification as to why he believes you had a seizure?
you're going to need a good doctor on your side to fill out your DMV health forms if Nevada laws anything like California's. You may need to hire an attorney. I paid $2500 for an attorney to represent me at the DMV hearing which includes one appeal of course if that appeal is held at the DMV. It's already clear how that will turn out. If I choose to take it to court, the attorney said it will be a minimum of $10,000 plus $6-$700 an hour. If it gets to that point, I guess I'll just accept the one year suspension and let it go. Obviously I'm not familiar with the motor vehicle department in Nevada, but the one in California is impossible to deal with. here in California they give drivers licenses back to drunk drivers who have injured people and refused to return them to people who have did something very insignificant.
Good luck, I'm afraid you're going to need it,
Jake

Driving without a valid driver's license is a very bad idea. At the very least, if you DO get into an accident, you won't have insurance since you can't be insured unless you ARE licensed. This means if you injure someone, maybe incapacitate them for life, you won't have any fallback to compensate them or their grieving family. It's patently irresponsible, leaving aside the criminal nature of it.

A point of clarification:
A physician cannot directly revoke a driver's license. If a doctor believes a patient's medical condition impairs their ability to drive safely, they are required to report it to the state authority - Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This report can trigger a DMV hearing where the driver's license may be suspended or revoked.

@tatiana987, first I want to commend you on taking care of your health concerns. That is very important.

You mention that you are experiencing dizziness and light-headedness. Has this improved?

I completely agree. I would never drive without a license unless the situation were dire. Finding a doctor who knows me at all and who is willing to sign the DMV form is a challenge to say the least. My primary care doc, who has thousands of patients and barely knows me, refuses to help and refuses my clear direct question: “Do you refuse on principle and in general to sign DMV forms which give people their licenses back? Or is this refusal about me, my medical condition?” No answer. No science here. No medicine here.

Thanks for asking. Repatha detox almost complete. Very few symptoms left. Occasionally I have a bit of light headedness, just a bit, not nearly enough to interfere with driving in my car which has AC. I have never experienced falling or passing out from a seated position. 100% of the incidents I have experienced were in high temperature and from a standing position.

Without my car, there is not much I can do when the temperatures are in the 90s or 100s. I have no AC at home and used to drive to the river where it is cooler to take my daily walks or when that was too warm I would go to an air conditioned mall to walk or sit in a coffee shop with friends or go to the library or Tai Chi classes. Not possible now. Riding a bike in this heat would be stupid at my age. That leaves a motorbike which might be OK if I could make myself visible to drivers, and cops say that over 50% of our drivers locally are impaired.(cell phones, alcohol, marijuana and other legal drugs plus the illegal ones.