Driving Test

 I have a friend who is suffering from Vascular Dementia and he has been doing pretty good. When he first was given the diagnoses he started going to research projects at our local university. He underwent tests, after test and was given exercises and tasks to do to help him improve. He told me once that these outings were the highlight of his week. He went to the first research going three days a week to the hospital and he said he loved it. He drove himself. 

When the first study ended he seemed lost for a while, because the research regime had been part of his weekly routine. Within a month he had started to gain another routine but another research opportunity came up and he applied for it and was accepted. He, again, found a purpose and a routine that he liked and he believed that by taking part he was helping others. A fine goal. 

He was in the routine and doing well, and the research appeared to be helping him remember and keep focused. Then COVID hit and the study stopped and then when we went to phase three it started again with different protocols. About three months ago after some cognitive testing by the researchers my friend was told he could no longer drive and his family doctor was taking away his drivers licence and he could no longer drive.

In my jurisdiction, family doctors used to have this ability, but a few years back the law changed and the family doctor could only recommend to the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles that a person lose his licence. Once the Superintendent received that notice from the family doctor, he/she was obliged to investigate and if follow-up tests determined the doctors advice was sound, the person was told the had lost the right to drive. However, a person can still appeal that decision.

So I told my friend this and he appealed and was given back his licence while the appeal process was taking place. As part of the process my friend went through a battery of cognitive and physical tests. He received the results a few days before I wrote this. The results of the test were not good and the recommendation was that he could drive, but only around his neighbourhood during the day. That is impossible to monitor so my friend lost his license. He is very upset but his wife although she is upset is, I think relived because she told us that my friend was getting lost on the way home from the supermarket, which is 4 blocks away. As well he was driving on sidewalks and over peoples yards.

We still hold hope that his dementia will slow down in its rate of attack. For those who don't know Vascular Dementia is caused by a series of small strokes. Multi-infarct Dementia (MID) is the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer disease in people over age 65. MID usually affects people between ages 55 and 75. More men than women have MID. I have talked about this before, my friend had a series of small strokes about three years ago, and did not tell his doctor, and by the time he did and he was looked at it was determined that he had Vascular Dementia. The doctors at the time said that he probably had about five good years ahead of him. We hope they are wrong, but it appears that he is getting worse. 

I know that many of you have lost friends to Alzheimer's and Dementia and it is a very sad time but my friend is still in good spirits and has a positive outlook on life, which is all we can ask for during this time.