It was a bitter blow to be registered partially sighted due to loss of peripheral vision in the left hand part of each eye, my physio noted that in their 20 years of treating stroke patients it is unlikely mine will return, still going to get it tested as part of my eye test in August, at least I willl have more than the NHS test to measure progress by.i used eye test and exercise programs on my tablet so am aware of any shortcomings.
Any advice welcome, do miss my driving licence.
Regards
Mark
@mrfrederickson it’s hard being told you can’t drive especially if you enjoy driving. I never liked driving but still miss the independence it gave me. I will drive again just not fit enough yet.
I know the DVLA require you to have good peripheral vision to drive & sounds like you’ve been doing the right things to try & improve it. All I can say is persevere you just never know. Talk to your optician when you go for your test. They may be able to offer some advice on other things you can do.
Best wishes
Thanks for the guide wil persevere and update everyone
Yes hope you get recoveref to an acceptable level of sight that DVLA require,
The way things arei will be swapping my exercise bike for my mountain bike with stabilizer s like Andrew marr, getting too ambitious I feel like but hope springs eternal
I am in exactly the same situation . In hospital immediately after my stroke I was diagnosed with left sided peripheral vision loss and my consultant advised that it is likely i will never drive again . I refused to accept this and went to optician for full eye teat on discharge . He was right with regard to the left sided vison loss ;however 1 calendar month later I went for another test and now my left eye is clear and my right eye i only miss three of the lights out of 40 which i believe is pass to dvla but I’m now in the system and am waiting for special DVLA test which may take a very long time indeed as DVLA currently in industrial dispute which may last another 6 months , who knows
Keep positive the brain is an amazing thing and the eyes can correct .I thank God for looking after me every day
Thanks for sharing your story it gives us all hope as the old saying goes never say never
Hi Fredrickson I left hospital confused with the prognosis for a good recovery , bit unstable but no physical disabilities just the muddled head and peripheral loss of vision from both eyes on left side. Once home the combination of head and eyes put me in a bad place for while and I thought I’d had another stroke so went to doctor, depression and anxiety was cause. I asked about my vision, he checked my hospital notes and said with the type of stroke you’ve had, a haemorrhagic on the right side ,the good news is your vision won’t get worse, the bad! It’s not likely to get better. Felt something could be done to improve vision so booked appointment with ophthalmologist, had thorough check, eyes ok but it’s the brain damage. He repeated what my Doctor had said , in my experience he said I’m not saying it’s impossible but it’s rare for improvement. They say the first positive step after stroke is accepting it’s happened then get on with adapting and adjusting. So bit on the bullet there and then, yes shattered for while then pulled myself together and realised how lucky I’d been, I survived and had enough vision to get by. Yes not being able to drive is a bitter pill to swallow, having to rely on others for lifts a nightmare particularly if like me you live out in sticks! Have to live in hope, 18 months on, most days have come to terms with it . Hope your prognosis is more positive. But what ever outcome keep us posted Good luck
Was cheered to see a chap walking out of my local Morrison s supermarket, obviously a stroke survivor but got in his car and drove away all power to him, gives me hope that one day I can be that man
Will do oddly enough I pick up birds outside my window so may be healing is happening will book test in August
@strickland sorry to hear that. I assume that means you can’t drive for now? Is there something that can be done to improve it so you can return to driving? I hope so xx
Sadly not driving there are some eye exercises or tests on the iPad but most ly it’s in the lap of the god’s won’t know if any recovery has happened until the opticians test in August
These vision problems are a game changer. My stroke was in the occipital lobe, so vision based. The 1st hospital check on my eyes at 7 months tested only peripheral vision - I missed 3 lights (a DVLA pass) ; eyes were checked again 2 months later and I missed only 2 lights. Great you’d think - cleared for driving! But……the disturbance in the upper left quadrant of my vision is always there and is visible only to me, can’t be picked up by any Opthomologist (or any that I’ve met). As I cannot turn my head left to right without feeling dizzy and disoriented, I have given up driving…. I’m simply not safe enough. At 83 that was always going to be on the agenda, however my stroke has accelerated me into old age mode - strange territory as I was living a life that didn’t fit that category. So I find I’m having to adapt to this rather annoying fact that I am actually old ….and have to behave 
…… as well as dealing with these persistent stroke nasties. Thankfully I am a glass half full person and though there are moments when it seems less full I can usually top it up again - life is there to be lived and not regretted. I can only keep trying….
I hope you can recover and do all the things you hope and want to do, patience is truly a help, if not a virtue!
All the best, Virginia.
Hi Virginia what a positive view, I’m a youngster at 73 and will adopt your attitude to life, that’s whats so good about this site it’s uplifting posts like yours. May your glass remain full
Thanks for your reply, I hope your glass is at a satisfying level today!
But I think that, as well as my being a naturally positive person (and how irritating can that be to others at times 
), because of my age I may also have a different perspective of my stroke /life than younger sufferers. A stroke radically alters not only daily life, but one’s picture and expectations of the future. At 83 my future is tilted on a downward slope (in more ways than one ). I don’t mean this to be a depressing or negative statement, it is simply a fact of ageing, which varies from person to person… A gentle decline where I continue to have pleasures, however big or small, is a realistic view. I hope I can continue to mow the lawn and make bread, and if I can keep what wits I have, all the better…… and put one leg gracefully in front of another, without falling over, hurrah! I can cope with that scenario. My decline has had a cliff edge moment - I have good days and bad days, but I’m hanging on and crawling my way back up as best I can.
For those younger to have to cope with the physical affects of a stroke as well as adjusting to coping with work, family, and their own expectations as they recover makes my life look like a party. I applaud all those amazing people on this forum who cope with their challenges and put in amazing effort and patience to reshape and regain a good life. Hang in there everybody - it’s worth it!
Thanks Loraine. I hope you had a great time away and that it’s given you a good boost in every way! You live in such a wonderful area I m sure it was also nice to come home again! x
Great story hang on in there, if I make 83 it will be a miracle although by my parents ages before passing I should, wil be glad to be active and safe again soonso I can enjoy the time left and draw my pension, there’s a goal
Hi Mark, I hope you are doing well. I know that it I will be journey and want you to know my thoughts are with you.
I saw your post and I think my dad has just experienced a stroke very similar to yours. He has lost his peripheral vision on the left and has visual hallucinations. I’m trying to find programs and apps that can help him adjust. You mentioned you were using some. Can you tell me what they are please? Thanks
@Carolynnetate just wanted to say hi & welcome. Hope your dad goes on ok with his stroke recovery. Best wishes to you & your dad.
Hi the software I have tried is from Tacfus Apps called Visual attention therapy Lite I use it on an android tablet so the software is from Google store