Author Topic: Driving at Night  (Read 4264 times)

ilsemor

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Driving at Night
« on: December 03, 2009, 01:12:52 pm »
Hello everyone - Does anyone have any suggestions....I'm very uncomfortable driving at night since the lights and the opposite traffic lights make it harder to keep focus on the road.  I wear my sunglasses to minimize the light since I can't blink.
I'm still waiting for the blinking to come back, is it ever going to happen?  :(
Ilsemor

Brendalu

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Re: Driving at Night
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2009, 03:04:37 pm »
I don't have a blinking problem, but when I went to get my license renewed after my surgery I have a night time driving restriction.  I wasn't comfortable driving at night any way, but it sure puts a kink in my activities!  My license also says I am supposed to have two side mirrors, a rear view mirror and or a hearing aide.  I guess they just don't get it that I am deaf on the right side!
I sometimes wear sunglasses when I ride in the car at night because the glare drives me nuts!  (My family says I was already nuts)

Brenda
Brenda Oberholtzer
AN surgery 7/28/05
Peyman Pakzaban, NS
Chester Strunk, ENT

Nickittynic

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Re: Driving at Night
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2009, 03:48:34 pm »
Watching this post as I have the same problem.
I tried wearing a pirate patch on the "bad eye" and it eliminated a lot of the glare but then I lost a lot of peripheral vision. So, I don't know.
25 year old OBGYN nurse, wife, mother of two
5.5cm x 3.1cm left side AN removed via retrosigmoid 9/09 @ Hopkins
SSD, Tinnitus, Chronic Migraines, Facial paralysis (improving!)
Resolved - Left sided weakness, Cognitive issues
Gold weight, upper and lower punctal plugs, tarsorrhaphy

ilsemor

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Re: Driving at Night
« Reply #3 on: December 04, 2009, 03:53:50 pm »
Thanks, I will put tape accross the eyelid just to bring the eye to its normal size, I noticed that if I press down my eye, it eliminates some of the glare.
Nickittynic, maybe you should try that too.

Ilsemor

Meagan

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Re: Driving at Night
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2009, 09:53:34 am »
When I cover my eye it is like total magic.  I would recommend the covering up that even though you lose peripheal (sp?) vision you are seeing everything better.  That is so odd that it happens....and going on 3 yrs post op and still no blink.....thinking it is not coming back :(

Meagan
5 cms, Surgery Jan 3 2007

epodjn

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Re: Driving at Night
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2009, 02:23:18 pm »
Same problem here but they didn't restrict my night time driving when i renewed my license. I'm not sure why, I would have, haha. But I restrict myself. I know I'm not all that safe at night. Closing one eye does help. I drive at night to near by places and hold that eye down and feel pretty safe but i wouldn't go very far doing that. I still don't have a blink but I'm getting closer and closer to full closure. I don't think the blink reflex will ever come back but if I can do it with effort that will be good enough for me.
Left side 3.2cm AN/FN removed 12/8/08 Dr's. Shelton and Reichman. SSD, facial paralysis,taste issues, lateral tarrsoraphy 6/25/09,scheduled for eye and nasal valve surgery 6/22/11 life is GOOD!

Debbi

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Re: Driving at Night
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2010, 04:43:10 pm »
I'm the same as epodjn - I don't drive much at night.  I have to keep my eye pretty lubed up with thick drops or gel, and it seems to cause the oncoming headlights to blur which makes me feel like I don't know exactly where on the road they are.  That said, I know people who drive all the time like this and say that you get used to it.  As for me, I feel better just avoiding night driving if possible. 

Debbi
Debbi - diagnosed March 4, 2008 
2.4 cm Right Side AN
Translab April 30, 2008 at NYU with Drs. Golfinos and Roland
SSD Right ear, Mild synkinesis and facial nerve damage
BAHA "installed" Feb 2011 by Dr. Cosetti @ NYU

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