1st of all id like to thank everyone on here who is taking time to read this and any advice is appreciated thanks here we go…
On Sunday October 16th 2011 i sat on my computer to look for concert tickets after a big night on the pop the night before. Ive recently been under a lot of stress due to severe family issues and my son being born with hearing difficulties. As i was sitting on my computer i had a fit/seizure/Blaclout whatever you want to call it at the time we had the health visitor here looking at out new born baby.
Straight away an ambulance was called i came around after a minute or so was a little confused to refused to go to the hospital as i was feeling fine just bit a chunk of my tonque the ambulance advised me to go and see my gp the following day
I went to see the gp as my wife was worried about my health the doctor advised me to stop driving immediatly and refered me to see a specialist at the hospital he agreed this was down to stress and has ordered a eeg and mmr scan just to make sure everything is fine my scans take place on the 29th december.
I went back to my doctor as im self employed he gave me a sick note till the 23rd january and told me i had to report this to the DVLA straight away
I rang the DVLA and they have informed me its an automatic 5 year ban for HGV drivers if everything comes back fine and i get the all clear from the specialists at the hospital does anyone know the chances of this 5 year ban being overturned??.
The only other option is to take the DVLA to the magistrates court with the proof im all fit to drive but the DVLA said today the chances of me winning in court is 0% anyone got any advice with a family of 3 and a mortgage to pay im really struggling and any advice im thankfull for
Ive never ever had a fit before and nothing at all since i feel 100% fine in myself and ready to work today if i could
I’ve moved your post to where I think it will receive more answers from posters with experience of the health issue that you’ve had. dd.
I am not sure what you want from us except sympathy. If you had a fit or seizure at your computer then think yourself lucky that it didn’t happen while you were piloting 44 tonnes at 56mph on the motorway.
All I can suggest is that you resign youself to the fact that your lorry driving career is over, at least for now. You need to think hard about what alternatives there are and go for it. Who knows - it may be the push you needed to get you out from a dead end job behind the wheel and into a career with prospects. The last thing you need to do is to start challenging the DVLA - you will spend a load of dosh and they will win.
You feel hard done by, and wish that you’d never gone to see that doctor but think how much worse it could have been and move on; it might have been your widow applying for benefits.
don’t have any useful advice for you on the legality issues etc, but your wife, kids and mortgage would be even worse if you continues driving and had an accident.
good luck mate.
Nature has rung the alarm bell, heed the warning and review your eating and drinking habits and general lifestyle. You have been given another chance, make the most of it, you have your family to consider as well.
Duck, I’m really sorry to hear about your trouble, I really hate hearing about health troubles.
The only advice I can give is the one of Santa above. Look for another job and hope that your results will come back OK and the only thing stopping you from driving lorries in future is the precaution of DVLA.
Couple of weeks ago a car driver in CZ performed some erratic driving (reversing out of one-way street, spinning round at junction) before running onto pavement and pinning two boys, brothers, against a wall. Younger, 3, died on spot, older,5, in hospital, grandparents with minor injuries and serious shock. The guy is now pending between jail and hospital, doctors trying to establish what sort of fit he had, lawyers arguing what do they charge him with.
djduck22:
Thanks for the replys so after 1 fit and no other problems your advice is to give up even if the doctors specialists say everything is fine ■■
My tip is for you to wait for some other ideas to be posted.
I’ve no idea what your specific health issue is, but here’s a post involving something possibly similar.
im 27 and used to suffer epiletpitic seizures i was rushed to hospital in 2003 with a suspected seizure i was banned from driving from that point for 1 year last year i applied for my hgv provisional licence which was refused due to rules on seizures and driving etc i was informed by dvla if i can prove it wasnt a seizure then a licence can be granted so i managed to prove it with statements from 3 specialists who along with my doctor have said it wasnt a seizure but due to the fact i was prescribed but didnt take medication i have to wait another2-3 years before i can apply i am appealing the decsion i have had appointments with my local mp countless phone calls to dvla and the dvla even brought in a professor from a uni who claims i was given a repeat prescription for tablets for a seizure when my medical records say different my advice would be to speak to your doctor specialist and maybe mp my case is flawed yet dvla think they are right u need to get copies of everything letters medical records and be armed with everything bit of info im not giving up on my case out of principal i would also advise getting a job to tide u over like me i drive a forklift at a ford dealership its not great but it keeps me in money till i can get behind wheel of a truck
There is/was a poster on here from Hull named Potter who I think had the same difficulty, he jumped through hoops for the DVLA medics and doctors but still had to resign to a longterm ban, not sure whether he still reads the forums, but I remember he had some good advice from the massive.
As mentioned. I wouldn’t worry about your driving career, just get yourself right before driving a lorry again, you look after the kids, let her indoors go outdoors and make bread.
Take most of your savings out of the bank, change your mortgage to interest only & let the people that have taken away your license pick up the bill for the foreseeable future. Incapacity benefit might also help?
harry:
Take most of your savings out of the bank, change your mortgage to interest only & let the people that have taken away your license pick up the bill for the foreseeable future. Incapacity benefit might also help?
There’s just the small problem of Britain’s so called social security and national insurance system standing in the way of that.If you drive for a living a decent income protection insurance scheme is essential even more than a pension.Without it you’re at mercy of the jobcentre rules in which the incapacity test passes you fit for work unless you’re absolutely incapable of doing anything at all whatsoever.So in the case of loss of licence it’s likely to be retraining under jobseekers allowance as whatever the jobcentre sees fit to suit your medical issue.
Big thanks to all the replys I’ve had they have really helped I’m 29 1st ever so called fit it’s not epilepsy if it was my insurance company will have payed out its been 2 months I’m fine 100% I cannot give up driving is the only thing I know!! I’d be happy with 12 month ban and take it from there will see thanks again everyone who gave advice.
djduck22:
Big thanks to all the replys I’ve had they have really helped I’m 29 1st ever so called fit it’s not epilepsy if it was my insurance company will have payed out its been 2 months I’m fine 100% I cannot give up driving is the only thing I know!! I’d be happy with 12 month ban and take it from there will see thanks again everyone who gave advice.
Hi mate,
From reading other posts on similar issues, I’d say that your circumstances are not unique and I’ll add that the large female hasn’t started singing yet.
Please keep looking in on this post, because I only moved it here this morning and I’m fairly sure it will receive other answers.
DJ
Sorry to hear of your predicament.
Not a doctor, but have had 6 fits observed by third parties, and your symptons match a typical grand mal bitten tongue etc.
This has little to do with lifestyle or diet, stress possibly.
This may sound odd, but I think that the rules have been relaxed over the years to where they are now.
The fact you were on your computer may be an issue - flashing lights (including flickering tvs) and extreme tiredness have been put down to causing my 6 fits (in 44 years).
The sad fact is there are people who will be prone to seizures, but have not yet had one triggered.
Having been clear for 40+ years, and now being really chilled out and at ease with myself I had 2 within eight weeks in 2008.
I drive (a car) for my job which put me in an awkward position.
If you were employed you would be in a better position, as epilepsy is classified as a disability, so my company could not do anything even if they wanted to, but the conversation never took place.
I know you are in a much worse position, but my experience is that not long after a mild fit, I have a really bad one.
Advice:
Listen to the professionals
Take the tests and any medication
Contact Epilepsydirect - not a toothless organisation, but very helpful, read their blogs to see how lucky we both are not having 10 seizures a day!! epilepsy.org.uk/
Good luck.
My uncle was in the same boat. He had a seizure when some [zb]s broken into his house two decades ago and beat the crap out of him with baseball bats when he disturbed them. Never had one seizure since and is still not allowed a HGV licence.
If you read the link that DD has put on here further up you will see I have been having these “fits” on/off since the early 80’s
Have had all the test & more my Dr advised me not to drive also DVLA revoked my licence for a time had to ask the consultant to write with all medical evidence after this I applied for my HGV licence this did take a while ( 4 mth approx IIRC ) I then did go take my test
Yes I have had another since have informed my Dr he has advised me not to drive so did stop until seen consultant neologistic who then gave me the all clear to drive again
But has been said thee is more than me who has had this prob with DVLA it can be sorted
Apply for ESA ( employment support allowance ) they will send you for a medical you have to pass that before you can receive any money from them but the only way to do this is by phone call
As you are still quite young you maybe able to re train I have changed jobs / careers a couple times same as a lot of other people not what you want to hear but it does happen
Wheel Nut:
There is/was a poster on here from Hull named Potter who I think had the same difficulty, he jumped through hoops for the DVLA medics and doctors but still had to resign to a longterm ban, not sure whether he still reads the forums, but I remember he had some good advice from the massive.
As mentioned. I wouldn’t worry about your driving career, just get yourself right before driving a lorry again, you look after the kids, let her indoors go outdoors and make bread.
I am still on here!! It happened to me as well and its not nice, however when I had my seizure I was in my lorry asleep and 200 miles from home, I handed in my licence as oppose to them taking it away, this makes it easier to get it back, I have my car licence back, its restricted to 3.5 tonnes though, You can apply for disability living allowance, the council should pay your council tax and there’s other things you can get.
My advice is to try and get another career, I am sorry if that sounds harsh but there is no way you will get your licence back if you have epilepsy, anything else you want to know, message me
Potter:
It happened to me as well and its not nice, however when I had my seizure I was in my lorry asleep and 200 miles from home, I handed in my licence as oppose to them taking it away, this makes it easier to get it back, I have my car licence back, its restricted to 3.5 tonnes though
Oh my, this is EXACTLY what happened to me 2 years ago - your entire sentence is what I did.
Sorry to bring up an old thread but this has been playing on my mind. I am 29 and 2 years ago I had a ‘seizure’ in my wagon when I was asleep. I didn’t really know anything about it, except I had a real bad back and had bit my tongue. Though I has some trouble putting my socks on, connecting the trailer to the unit, and changing into 6th gear, I still managed to drive back from London to Crewe. Anyway, cut a long story short. I had several tests including EEG and MMR. My specialist doesn’t know for sure if I has a fit. I am actually going back this Wednesday to see him and request another EEG.There is actually an underlying medical condition that my dad has, which may have caused me to have a fit, if I did have one. Which is not down to epilepsy. Now with this in mind, and the fact that the specialist cannot prove whether I had a fit, do I have a chance of getting my licences back? I am going to fight no matter what, as I want back what I worked so hard to get.
I was in a similar position mate, in january 07 I was in our 11t truck passing Harrods when I briefly said to my mste with me “get me a sandwich when I stop” and threw him a tenner, I woke up about 30mins later in bed in hospital covered in wires :(:(
The story of that day was we started at 0530 and went from Southampton to Worcester to Donington to Bedford to Hype park corner and all id eaten was half a sandwich in strensham svcs and at lunchtime (Leicester forest) 2bags of haribo sweets and 2 cans of red bull (I know bloody stupid but lesson learnt)
Sent licence off to dvla and then it was 10years off lgv driving and a year for a car…:twisted::twisted:
After all the tests they put it down to a solitary seizure and case closed.
Well I kept calling and emailing Swansea and if id had the money I would’ve fought the decision as I knew what caused the episode, in reply to one of my emails I was told that the rules had changed and it was now 5years, which to me was a result.
Luckily I was kept on in the office and in march 12 my shiny new licence came thru the letterbox
Unfortunately where ive been office bound my boss is reluctant to send me out on the road which is getting really frustrating ?:?:?
Probably not want you wanted to hear but i thought I would share my experience with you and the masses…
Well following a recent EEG it turns out I was possibly misdiagnosed, and due to the fact they are not 100% sure I even had a seizure in the first place, I need to go and speak to my specialist about coming off these tablets and go from there. I am in a situation that I am unsure of where I actually stand at the moment
:(:(
:twisted::twisted:
?:?:?