Following her MS diagnosis, Natasha worried about getting behind the wheel. Find out how car adaptions switched her life’s gears.
I was diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting MS in July 2020. Like many others, I’d experienced a range of health issues (which I now know were likely relapses) for several years before this. My issues were mostly related to my mobility, balance and sensation/ feeling (especially in my right leg).
An MRI scan at the end of 2019 showed several lesions, but of course, the pandemic came along and cancelled all but essential procedures, delaying further tests. It took until July 2020 for me to have my lumbar puncture and be formally diagnosed.
Before this, I’d started noticing when driving I wasn’t always confident moving my foot to switch between the pedals.
I stopped driving unless I absolutely had to. As we went into lockdown and I had even less reason to drive, I stopped completely.
I relied heavily on my husband or my parents for lifts. I couldn’t pop to the shops on my own like I used to – someone had to come with me. My world suddenly got a lot smaller. I was very grateful for lockdown, as it allowed me to shy away from the issue. No one was able to go anywhere.
As the world began to open back up, I realised it wasn’t an option to never drive again. Life was moving on and I couldn’t hide in the house forever. Then, in 2021, we found out I was pregnant. The thought of having a baby who would need to go places was the incentive I needed to get back behind the wheel.
My husband did some research and found a local company that could add a push/pull hand control to the car.
As we needed a bigger car, we bought an automatic so this adaptation could be made.
The company came to our house to do the work, which took them a couple of hours to complete. The car can still be driven as normal if needed, and the adaptations can also be removed if needed.
Next, I notified the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and my insurance company. The DVLA sent me a further form to complete, requesting more information on my medical issues.
I declared to them that I had a blind spot in the visual field in my right eye (caused by a relapse several years ago, pre-diagnosis). This meant I had to go for a visual field test to check that my eyesight was at the legal limit for driving.
The DVLA provided a list of where I could go for this – I went to my local opticians. I wore my glasses during the test, and both eyes were tested at the same time. You get three attempts to take the test, and the opticians send the results directly to the DVLA.
I received my licence in the post a few weeks later. I now have a three-year medical licence, so I will need to retake the test every few years to have my licence renewed.
They take some getting used to. I had lots of evenings driving around an empty car park at seven miles per hour as practice. It was like being 17 again! But I have my freedom and my confidence back.
Initially, I was daunted by the whole process, but I found it to be very simple. There are lots of companies and organisations out there who can offer advice on the best adaptations for you.
Getting back behind the wheel was a major step in accepting my diagnosis and getting back to living the life I had before MS.