Seizures and Driving: Epilepsy Causes Driving Issues

Seizures and Driving: Part Eight

Near the same time that Gina returned to work, she started driving again. She explains the issues she encountered with seizures and driving.

I never lost my license. It was more a – I think my – there was three or four people that suggested that more for liability, that if I got in a car accident that it was proven that I had, that I has passed a test, that some professional felt I was safe to drive. It was more the liability end of it.

My husband actually let me drive just in a parking lot, I want to say four weeks. I never had my license taken. I, I guess he thought I was okay just little trips.

I don’t remember the exact date. Like I said, I didn’t want to go. This was another fight I had with my mother. At the time, I know my doctor had me go through, like take a driving test and make sure that I could pass.

Seizures and Driving Reason to Take Driver License Away

The driving issue got more complicated because she was diagnosed as having a seizure disorder. Seizures and driving is frowned on by the DMV.  Her husband explains:

We went through a couple episodes where she had seizures so they wanted to pull her driver’s license. And then we found out that the type of seizures she is having doesn’t constitute her to lose her driving privileges.

Actually she still has seizures quite a bit, but they’re not a grand mal seizure like we think of when, when we hear people having a seizure. She has what’s called a partial complex seizure. She can be talking to you and have a seizure and you don’t even know that she’s having it, unless she says oh, I just had a seizure.

She describes it as like an electrical shock she can just feel going through her whole body.

He says that she doesn’t have problems getting lost with places she is familiar with and that he doesn’t try to limit where and when she drives: “She’s pretty independent that way at this point. “ Her seizures and driving have not become an issue.

Gina explains:

I have epilepsy. I am on anti-seizure drugs. I have not had a seizure in, going on four and a half years now. Every time I have an (EEG) or anything, they, it shows seizure activity and I don’t know what that means.

Next in Part Nine – Physical Problems and Headache