After 18 months since I was diagnosed with Neuromyelitis Optica, today I drove my car for the 1st time!
It was quite nerve racking, as my last car was a Ford ST 2oo manual… my new car is a Seat Leon Xcellence with a DSG 7 speed gear box. Over the past few months, I’ve been using my sim rig to practice my driving. To start off, I needed some velcro straps to hold my feet in place, as I had very little feeling in my feet and they would often slip off the pedals. But for the past month, I’ve managed to use the pedals without the straps. I’ve been using left foot braking for many years on my sim rig, to aid in cornering when racing to encourage rotation. But now, I realise that left foot braking will mean my return to driving a real car again.
My new car has a DSG 7 speed gear box. The gears can be selected sequentially using the stick with nudge forward and backward motion, or placed in automatic mode. Either way, there is no clutch needed, so I can safely use my left foot solely for braking. The first time anyone tries braking with their left foot is quite strange. Usually, the driver has got little fine co-ordination in the left foot, so this results in harsh braking. But as I have used this method for years in the sim rig, my left foot fine control was there already there.
My wife has been the driver for the past 18 months. When I said I wanted to have a go at driving she was quite nervous. She’s watched me stumbling around with my walking stick, losing my balance at times. So I could understand why she would be apprehensive about sitting next to me whilst I was driving the car. However, after a few days, she finally agreed, so today we both got into the car, but this time with me in the drivers seat.
After adjusting the seat and mirrors, I started the car, popped it into drive, then cautiously pressed the accelerator and edged out of the driveway to the road. We live away from the main busy road, so I planned on a short journey around the block, avoiding the main road. So that is what I did, taking my time carefully. It felt great! After completing going around the block, I decided to head towards the main road, then towards our local shopping centre a couple of miles away. I parked up, we had a coffee in Costa, then I drove home, parking the car on arrival.
Before my diagnosis, I was driving 2500 miles every month… then nothing for 18 months. Those few miles I drove today were the most rewarding for me ever! It now means I have more independence, not so reliant on others.