I am struggling with something and who better to turn to than people on this forum. Bear with me but there are two parts to this letter. You have all probably being through more than me and coped better so can offer advice.
One of the things my stroke affected was my sight and after 18 months I have had to admit it is not going to get better and I won’t be able to drive again. I had to sell the car this week and The psychological effect has being awful, I even have tears pricking my eyes while I am writing this. That is it, my independence has been taken away from me in one swoop. I live on my own and to have no family nearby, although neighbors have been very kind it’s not the same and you don’t like to ask for lifts if all you want is a pint of milk!
My second part of this is: I am trying to be positive and move forward and as I am still walking quite well it is not imperative yet, but has anybody looked at mobility scooters and electric trikes. I don’t really want to go down the mobility scooter root as, even though I am an old age pensioner I don’t want to look like one so I have also been looking at electric trikes? I suppose my question is as anybody got one, or both, and how do they find it/them. Any comparisons? I have tried YouTube reviews and things like that but there is nothing like a stroke survivors personal experience
Hi i don’t have any experience of walkers, mobility scooters, trikes etc, but was told not to drive by dvla. Luckily, I have a husband, but we’ve had to change things round as he is 77 and has a bad hip/walks with a stick. I understand the emotional effect of not being able to drive, relying on others (who can resent it! ). We have an automatic now, my hubby drives and I am finding walking increasingly difficult! When we didn’t have use of the car for 3 months, I used the bus and taxis to get around. We live in a small town and the buses were unreliable. my daughter recommended Deliveroo and I used them. Even though I love cooking, I cant cut or peel so my repertoire has changed to include pre-prepared veg. I’m going to look into walkers so i can use the bus and be steadier. We are thinking of moving nearer my daughter. a new start where people don’t know me! ill report back!
A trike is good exercise, I don’t have one but am to understand you can switch between the electric motor and pedalling. They also go faster and have longer ranges than mobility scooters, so I guess it depends on your overall needs. After five years without personal transport apart from my bicycle, I’ve gone down the electric moped route for the purpose of doing fortnightly shops at the supermarket and extending my social range. I live rurally and the pavements here fluctuate in width and quality, I’ve mostly seen people on mobility scooters scooting down the roads instead of the pavements . My partner’s sister bought her mother a luxury £4000 mobility scooter, it got sent back, it was useless in this neck of the woods. Depending on where you live, if you do get a trike, a rugged locking kit might be worth investing in as they are probably more attractive to thieves than mobility scooters, sad that I feel I ought to mention this but the world is full of magpies.
I have a powerchair. It has been a lifesaver. I got it originally because using a manual chair one-handed was damaging my good arm and making it hard to continue working. I was very reluctant to make the change as I thought powerchairs were for disabled people which wasn’t me. I have found it is only useful if you have a means of transporting it. Otherwise you will be confined to your local area. If you have a local mobility shop you will be able to try a few models. Alternatively most shops will bring them out for a test drive.
I have a mobility scooter for when I need to go that bit further than my walking range will allow & i need to keep up with people. I walk like a snail. I used an m-lite one on a recent trip away & it made a world of difference. I am younger than you & whilst I would rather not have one it has given me back that independence you say you crave. People don’t really take any notice of you when you’re out & about on one & there are many younger people that use them. A recent discussion on the forum about scooters is linked below.
thank you for your reply, it was very helpful and gave me much to think about, I must admit it had crossed my mind about how I would secure it to stop it being nicked! I also live in a fairly rural area and wondered how I would manage when the pavement ran out, but it would be nice to get out in the countryside for a change. My edge of town estate can get pretty boring to walk around. Maybe a trike rather than a scooter is the way to go.
Oh do please get back to me/us. I have also thought about moving to somewhere less isolated and easier to get to the shops from. I too love cooking and find it therapeutic, it gives one something to think about than the stroke
Hello. I’m Sue, 67 years old and am 22 months post stroke. In reply to your message I am sorry to hear that you are no longer able to drive and I understand the difficulties and loss of independence that brings. Since my stroke my eye sight has given me lots of problems by changing at every eye test. Yesterday I had a brain scan to see if there is something else going on in my brain to cause the ever changing eyesight. I await results, but it may be that at some time in the future your eye sight may improve and change as mine do. I don’t want to give you false hope, but please don’t let the driving get you down, you will learn to adapt to a different way of getting around.
As for the mobility scooter etc. I didn’t want one and refused to even look at them. However, seeing that I am unable to walk any distance since my stroke, my husband booked up a weekend away for us and unbeknown to me he had hired a mobility scooter from our local disability shop to take with us. On arriving at the beautiful little cottage I was sad that once indoors I couldn’t get out into the country lanes and into Durham until my husband produced the scooter!! At first I was annoyed and adamant I wouldn’t use it, but you know I am so glad he encouraged me to at least try. I had a whale of a time!! And I got my independence back. We went in and around Durham, for walks (or in my case, rides) down the country lanes. It was amazing and I was happy to be proved wrong. I’m still not very confident on it in regards to going through small gaps or riding on narrow pathways, but I am learning and have found so much freedom. I have even done some shopping whilst my husband waited outside the shop. So yes, I’d say consider a mobility scooter, preferably one with suspension and is comfortable to ride. I did try several before buying my own one. I hope this helps you in a small way and gives you the confidence to at least hire one to try. For me having my independence back and the freedom to visit places it has given me a much more positive outlook on life after the haemorragic stroke I had. . I wish you well for the future and the road you’ll travel to recovery. Just a quick thought on getting milk in, if you can do it, I order powdered skimmed milk from Amazon, just make it up with hot water and I never run short !!! All ideas help.
I have a mobility scooter and I love it. I live pretty rurally and mostly use just to get me out on the lanes, see the wildflowers and then ip to the seafront. If I used in town I would use it a lot more. I got it from a centre where they let you test drive including around your location. Am technicallyan OAP but many people younger than me use them. Have hadcto let go of a lot of pride since stroke. I would love an electric trike one day but I don’t yet have enough control of my affected hand for steering.
Thank for your very informative and encouraging reply. I have two question: do you have a three wheeler or a four wheeler, the three wheeler is my preference [for looks alone] and do you find the 8mph frustrating when you go any distance.
I actually bought some UHT semi-skimmed milk, it is ok-ish, maybe I should try the powdered version!
I feel more positive about everything now - there is light at the end of the tunnel!
Hello, I have a four wheeled one. I find it okay at 8mph, and its a pavement use one, but I do have to go onto the road sometimes when cars are parked up on the pavement or the path is too narrow, but I get by. The bigger ones are road use only. I didn’t know until I bought mine but I believe the bigger more powerful ones are for road use. No licence is needed but they are considered too fast for pavement use as I understand it. I honestly have been so pleased to have mine. I’ve managed to get out with my daughter in law and granddaughters when they come over from Canada, so it is definitely worth considering it. A new found freedom!!
I’m glad you have some hope now for the future. It does look bleak when we lose so much after our strokes, but be positive and you will be surprised at how life can become good again. Probably not as it was, but a new way of coping and accepting life as we have it now. I hope you decide to at least hire one to try out and good luck for the future.
Try the milk too. I’ve never tasted any difference to liquid or powder form, but its more convenient and I have it for dairy intolerance. If you wish, please let me know how you get on, I’m sure you’ll be here, there and everywhere!! . Take care
Hello VBartoszuk so sorry to hear your plight , selling your car must be so awful. I have an electric mobility scooter which I go arround shoping centres and the supermarket on I find it useful there although a bit scary when alot of people about as nobody looks down !! Or they are on their phones !, once you get used to that it is quite enjoyable but I have never gone from home to the shops on it. So perhaps not so useful. Best wishes M x
I’m 79, and my driving licence was revoked nine years ago because a stroke meant that my vision is poor on the right-hand side (right-side hemianopia). Around 70% of people who have a stroke have a visual disability. That decreases to 20% at 12 months. I don’t use a trike or a mobility scooter, but I may be able to offer some other points.
If the DVLA revoked your licence, they should offer you a bus pass if you don’t already have one. If you are potentially unsafe as a pedestrian in busy urban areas - I was dragged back on a zebra crossing because of a cyclist speeding through a red light - you can apply for a Blue Badge to use as a passenger. I have one. Consider having a Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI), it’s up to you whether you register it with your local Council, but it may provide more help and a route to benefits. Consider buying a folding signifier cane from the RNIB; I have one that I use as a pedestrian in busy areas.
If you hadn’t sold your car, I would have suggested suspending your licence, as it makes it easier to return under Section 88. You could then apply as an Exceptional Case. That said, DVLA required that I apply as a normally sighted driver, despite written evidence from a Consultant on the Secretary of State’s expert medical panel who advise DVLA on driving and visual impairment.
The strange thing is, that at the commencement of a car / motobike driving test, you are only required to read a registration plate at 20 metres. I can do that easily. They don’t test your visual field. Mind you, the DVLA Medical Section is … don’t get me started!
The DVLA had a consultation a few months ago on increasing the speed of road capable mobility scooters to 15 mph. That could be a real problem on a pavement. I have a visual disability and moderate hearing loss, so I don’t hear cyclists and mobility scooters behind me when I’m walking on the pavement.
. My partner’s sister bought her mother a luxury £4000 mobility scooter, it got sent back, it was useless in this neck of the woods. Depending on where you live, if you do get a trike, a rugged locking kit might be worth investing in as they are probably more attractive to thieves than mobility scooters, sad that I feel I ought to mention this but the world is full of magpies.
. I wish you well for the future and the road you’ll travel to recovery. Just a quick thought on getting milk in, if you can do it, I order powdered skimmed milk from Amazon, just make it up with hot water and I never run short !!! 
All ideas help.
thank you - found it!