Spouse of deployed member, lives off base,doesn't drive & needs ride to use VLT?

[PMedMoe]

There are other conditions like this, such as Parkinson's which my father has and he as well knows when he should and should not drive.

Really?  He knows when he's going to be uncoordinated or have muscle tremors??  ???

According to the Merck Manual

Parkinson's disease results from degeneration in the part of the brain that helps coordinate movements.
Usually, the most obvious symptom is tremors that occur when muscles are relaxed.
Muscles become stiff, movements become slow and uncoordinated, and balance is easily lost.

When the brain initiates an impulse to move a muscle (for example, to lift an arm), the impulse passes through the basal ganglia (collections of nerve cells located deep within the brain). The basal ganglia help smooth out muscle movements and coordinate changes in posture. Like all nerve cells, those in the basal ganglia release chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) that trigger the next nerve cell in the pathway to send an impulse. A key neurotransmitter in the basal ganglia is dopamine. Its overall effect is to increase nerve impulses to muscles. In Parkinson's disease, nerve cells in part of the basal ganglia (called the substantia nigra) degenerate, reducing the production of dopamine and the number of connections between nerve cells in the basal ganglia. As a result, the basal ganglia cannot smooth out movements as they normally do, leading to tremor, loss of coordination, slow movement (bradykinesia), and a tendency to move less (hypokinesia).

No offense, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere near your father when he is driving.  He is putting himself and others at risk.

 

[CountDC]

I'm with you on that one PMed - there is no way that symptons are predictable, they can and do happen anytime.  Medication does not fully control it either. It is also a degenerative condition so at any point the person can get worse with no advance warning.  So he could seem fine, hit the road and suddenly his body doesn't respond the same. No thanks.  I wonder if the provincial license board would issue a license to a person that they knew had the condition?

a quick check did not come up with anything saying they wouldn't.

I did come across this though:

In most provinces, every legally qualified medical practitioner (physician) must assess and notify the Provincial Registrar if a medical condition exists that increases the risk of motor vehicle crashes (exceptions are Quebec, Alberta and Nova Scotia).

 

[Cpl4Life]

I'm just telling you what my family experiences.  You'll find many doctors hesitate to pull a licence, at least that has been my experience and discussing it with my wifes doctor, seems common.

Vern you are correct, if Annie has been told not to drive by her doctor, and I suspect this is not the case otherwise licence would have been pulled, so I wait for clarification from Annie.

I'm a bit surprised Vern received so much support from the military while you were on bedrest, my wife was on six months bedrest for her pregnancy and I was sent away on course no help at all came our way from the military.  And my wife (and I) have suffered four miscarriages and one newborn loss.  In fact, there was no sympathy when I mentioned my wife was on bedrest and they were sending me away on course.  But vern is obviously army and I have heard the army is generally better at taking care of the families than the other two branches.  I'm curious if Annie is in Winnipeg if her husband is with an air unit.

Annie, as far as the rude comments, there are always rude people in any organization, and the military is no exception.  If you have been told things as you say, and if it were my wife, I would suggest she ask for that persons supervisor and speak with them.  There are rude people, but that is no excuse for spouses being told things like you have mentioned.

 

[Cpl4Life]

You do not know the specifics about my father, therefore I will forgive you for your ignorant comments about him.  The doctor he sees, one of the top two Parkinsons specialists in the country, is fully aware he has Parkinsons and is also fully aware he drives and has no issues with my father driving.

Really?  He knows when he's going to be uncoordinated or have muscle tremors??  ???

According to the Merck Manual
No offense, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere near your father when he is driving.  He is putting himself and others at risk.

 

[PMedMoe]

You do not know the specifics about my father, therefore I will forgive you for your ignorant comments about him.  The doctor he sees, one of the top two Parkinsons specialists in the country, is fully aware he has Parkinsons and is also fully aware he drives and has no issues with my father driving.

You're right.  I do not know the specifics of your father's condition, however, I do have personal experience with Parkinson's as my mother has it and has had it for years.  Granted, her loss of movement has been attributed more to the two strokes she has suffered in the last year and a half.  IMHO, I still don't think someone diagnosed with a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system should be driving.  Good for your father's doctor being comfortable with him driving.  Is he going to be as comfortable (and take part of the responsibility) when your father has an accident due to the Parkinson's?  I think not.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

You do not know the specifics about my father, therefore I will forgive you for your ignorant comments about him.  The doctor he sees, one of the top two Parkinsons specialists in the country, is fully aware he has Parkinsons and is also fully aware he drives and has no issues with my father driving.

You are the one that brought him and his condition into the discussion. If you did not provide every detail of his condition, it entitles people to speculate. And without your righteous indignation.

Milnet.ca Staff

 

[CountDC]

I'm just telling you what my family experiences.  You'll find many doctors hesitate to pull a licence, at least that has been my experience and discussing it with my wifes doctor, seems common.

many people do lots of things that are illegal or not morally correct - does not make it right.  That is part of the problem - doctors that will not do what they should and report the health concerns.  By the way no doctor can pull a licence - they only make a report to the authorities.


With a degenerative condition symptons can change suddenly without warning.  A person suffering with one that affects motor skills should not be driving.  I read one study that indicated parkinson sufferers were fine driving in daytime perfect weather conditions but once you introduced anything such as fog their driving skills dropped markedly compared to those without the condition.  I have yet to drive in perfect weather conditions so am guessing that anyone with parkinsons and driving has decreased driving skills that puts everyone around them in danger.  Seems selfish to me.

 

[captjtq]

Anny,

I'm currently deployed, and am able to speak with my spouse and see my five month old fairly regularly via webcam. I've used the ones at KAF and KPRT that have been provided by a civilian contractor for this specific purpose. I don't know where your husband is (nor should you tell me) but if he has access to VTC he should have access to the welfare trailers with both regular internet and the webcams. We use MSN Messenger and the video function available on the newest versions to chat - while the connection is sometimes slow, and the picture pixellated, it beats the alternative (i.e. nothing at all). And I get to see the little one grow. 

I recommend you try to download the latest version of Messenger, and get a half-decent webcam. Have hubby do the same vis-a-vis a Messenger account (all he needs is a Live, Hotmail or MSN account).

If I recall correctly, there is even MSN Messenger-specific one that you can purchase. You'll probably also need a microphone. Most will come with directions, otherwise, google is your friend. I picked my spouse up a laptop before I left that has a mic and camera built in, which has come in handy. I understand this may not be an option.

If there's anything else you need to help get you connected to your husband (technical advice), let me know via PM, and I can try to help.

JTQ