[Ski]

#1066100

Not sure how many, but I can tell you that patients with the very worst symptoms are a very small group within the set of people who deal with the eye disease. Most of the issues created by TED can be fixed relatively well (in the cold phase, after it’s run its course), with either surgery or other modifications (prism glasses for double vision, for instance), so I think the number you’re looking for would be rather small. That’s in the LONG term.

In the SHORT term, when symptoms are at their worst, I think the numbers would be higher. It’s a really tough condition to deal with, both physically and emotionally, and when things are different day to day, it may be a wise decision for some, to keep away from driving for a little while. Most people should be able to return to it after the disease runs its course.

If it’s double vision keeping you from feeling safe as a driver, you can patch one eye to make the doubling go away, but you weaken your depth perception as a result, so be very careful. If you choose to use a patch, switch the patch from eye to eye occasionally (one day left, one day right, for instance) so that neither eye becomes unusually weak from lack of use.

[frefluterb]

#1018625

I have a question, how many have stopped driving because of this eye thing?

[ridefamily]

#1066101

I have not drove in over a year because of my eyes!
I lost some depth perception at first. That combined with the exteme light sentivity…… I just could not put myself behind the wheel. For the last few months, double and blurry vision has be added to the mess. I am waiting for OD ~ but am unsure if I really want to have it. No doctor can give me odds as to coorecting the light sentivity. I suffer so badly that when outside I have sunglases, a hat, and a light weight blanket or jacket to cover my eyes. When in the car I have been using the hat with sleeping eyepatches (but that just brings on motion sickness)
I know that I am in the small percentage of people…… Because EVERY doctor that I have seen has told me that.

[Bobbi]

#1066102

I stopped driving for a while. The double vision was terrifying in traffic, and the lack of depth perception when I patched one of my eyes caused me to dent my car when I was practicing away from other cars: I scraped the sides of immoveable objects. So I didn’t think patching was the right way to go for me. Not to mention the other folks driving on the road! It’s a burden, to be sure. Where I live, there is really bad mass transit, so if you cannot drive, you cannot go anywhere unless someone else is willing to take you. Anyway, those days are gone, thank goodness. I was one of the lucky ones whose double vision remitted over time. And I am back to being able to drive.

[genuinruby]

#1066103

Prior to being diagnosed, in the fall of 2007, I chose to quit my second job as a delivery person because I could not see the addresses and street signs properly. And the hyperness I was feeling kept me from being able to "focus"…a little hard to explain…but I felt very insecure driving at night.

[frefluterb]

#1066104

So I saw a new eye specilist on Monday, which said I have a mild case. I find that interesting….because I do not feel mild.
lol….what is bad though is the right vertical deviation…..so he said NOT to drive the car…doesn’t sound mild. But at this time I am not a canidate for any treatment… just shift my head….hahahaha seems ridiculous

[Ski]

#1066105

I’ve seen photos of severe cases, you’d be completely shocked. I lose my breath sometimes when I think of how bad it gets for some people. And when the symptoms are something you can manage by doing something simple, it’s always better than the temporary fixes you can take advantage of while in the "hot phase." Most everyone comes out the other end of all their symptoms within about three years (most in far less time, some as little at 18 months), and mild symptoms tend to self-correct when everything cools down, so doing anything drastic to fix it can go wrong when things go back. The other complication is that, while your symptoms are "hot," they change frequently, so it’s hard to get a complete handle on any one symptom before it moves on ~ double vision can move around as different muscles are affected, etc. etc. ~ and that ends up making it a little more reasonable that all you’re asked to do is wait and see.

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