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On the Road to Freedom: Personal Reflections on What Driving Means to MeDriving and Epilepsy: Rules of the RoadFor a good part of the twentieth century, people with epilepsy were not allowed to have a driver's license at all. But by the 1970's, largely as a result of advocacy by the Epilepsy Foundation and its predecessors, every state had liberalized its policies regarding driving with epilepsy. Today, restrictions on driver's licenses vary from state to state, but usually address an amount of time a person must go without having a seizure. Some states require that individuals with epilepsy go as long as a year without having a seizure, while other states call for as little as a three-month seizure-free period. Several states also require physicians who diagnose or treat people with epilepsy to report that person's name, age and address to a central state agency, usually the Department of Motor Vehicles or Department of Public Safety. People with epilepsy who are denied a driver's license can appeal the decision. For more information about epilepsy and driving, check out the Answerplace. Many people take the ability to drive for granted. Driving to work, driving to the store, driving to the park. No big deal, just a fact of life. But when a person has epilepsy, driving can seem like an elusive dream. So when that person meets the required seizure-free period and gets that license, driving can be the most liberating experience in the world. And something for which to be very grateful. In this article, four people from very different walks of life share their personal reflections on why driving means so much to them. Linda Camp, Long Branch, N.J., Age 52For Linda Camp, life began at forty. That's when she first got her driver's license. From ages 14 to 39, she had complex partial seizures. Then, unexpectedly, from age 39 to 40, she experienced a whole year with no seizures. New Jersey requires one year seizure free before being able to drive. When she met that goal, she took driving lessons and got her license. Today, she continues to take a low dose of anti-epileptic medicine to keep her seizure-free. "Before I got my license, I lived with my mother. She would drive me to work. I would get a ride home everyday. Eventually, I was able to find a transportation plan in my county that offered reduced-fare taxis ," says Camp. "There is no way to describe the joy of how I felt when I got my license," she says. "It used to feel like everyone else could drive but me. Now, I am independent. I can go to the store. I can do work-related travel. I can go anywhere, anytime I want to. Driving is everybody's dream, and for me, it opened up a whole new world," says Camp. In January, 2003, she celebrated 13 years of seizurefree living. And 13 years of driving -- and loving it. Diana Rogers-Adkinson, Ph.D., Whitewater, Wis. Age 41Imagine getting your license at age 16 and then having to give it up at age 37. That's what happened to Diana Rogers-Adkinson, Ph.D. "I was diagnosed with epilepsy later in life. In my state, people with epilepsy have to go six months with no lapse of consciousness in order to drive. With two young sons in a small town, I had to be resourceful," says Rogers-Adkinson. "During the summer baseball travel season, other parents helped drive my kids to practices and games. My husband helped with the grocery shopping. Thank goodness, I live walking distance from the university, where I work as a special education professor," she says. "When I finally met the seizure-free requirement and got back my license, I felt normal again. Believe me, in a small town like mine where the grocery store and mall are 20 miles away, I really needed to drive. When I got back my license, I felt I had access to the world again," she says. In addition to improving her personal life, being able to drive again allowed the professor to supervise student teachers out in the field, a part of her work that she finds very fulfilling. Today, Rogers-Adkinson has a Vagus Nerve Stimulator and takes anti-epileptic medicine to control her seizures. Kenneth Jackson, Chillicothe, Ohio, Age 29Kenneth (Ken) Jackson may be a born walker at heart, but when time is of the essence, he says nothing beats a set of wheels. Jackson has epilepsy. Fortunately, the medicine he takes five times a day controls his convulsive seizures. Back in 1995, Jackson and his brother took eight months to hike the Appalachian trail. Obviously he loves to walk. But ever since he got his license at age 18, he has been both seizure-free and driving. "Today, I travel a lot. I am a historical re-enactor. I drive a truck full of gear to different cities to set up events," he says. "I am also a motivational speaker. I present slides of my hiking trip to different groups. I speak to young people in the juvenile justice system to encourage them to do something positive. All of this requires a car." There's no doubt, he says, that if you need to get somewhere fast, driving is the way to go. Susan DuPart, Roswell, Ga., Age 42Like most teenage girls, Susan DuPart got her license when she was sixteen. Then, about five years ago, her seizures began to get worse. She stopped driving for a year. She relied on friends to drive her places. A co-worker picked her up for work. She walked to most stores. And relied on public transportation. Eventually, DuPart became a candidate for epilepsy surgery. Fortunately, after the procedure, she was seizure-free. Suddenly, driving was once more a possibility. "When I started driving again, I felt more self-sufficient. I wasn't controlled by my seizures any more. I was no longer disabled by my diagnosis. My social world opened up. I could take my 11 and 7-year-old children places," she says. "Now, my life is finally in order." |
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