I voluntarily stopped driving a few years ago. I wanted to make the decision.....not be told by someone else. And I didn't want to risk injuring someone else or myself. When my vision deteriorated and my drop foot got worse I just didn't feel like it was safe. And, being a Mom, I surely would not have wanted my own kids driving around with someone like me on the road!!

It was a little hard to get used to but now.....I love it. No car payment, no insurance, no gas, no repairs or upkeep. Not that I could afford it anyway but it's nice not to have to worry about it. My kids take me to family get-togethers and doctor appts. That's about all the "going out" I do and that's fine by me. By the time I get ready to go somewhere I'm exhausted and I haven't even left the house yet!

I get everything I need delivered and what can't be delivered my kids get for me. Plus I have friends who always call and tell me when they're going to the store and offer to pickup items for me. So......I figure I'm doing my part for the environment and the safety of my fellow citizens!!

I wish I could get everything delivered. I don't have kids to go get the things I can't get.

I do have relatives, but they all have given me the impression that they think I'm faking the MS. And for some reason, they don't seem that willing to help me with my elderly parents very much. You'd think they'd at least go get stuff for my parents, even if they're not willing to get things for me. Nope.

My relatives seem to have abandoned us, and my friends are now non-existent. I have to be the one who drives.

That's sad that they won't help. I wonder who they think will help them if they ever need it? You know what they say about karma........

My dad has pretty much given up on asking my sibling for help, because they always act so put out that they're being asked. I had to beg them last week to help me change the light bulbs in my room. I had four bulbs out. It was really dark in here.

and of course, I had three more bulbs go out in the past week, so it's almost as dark as it was last week when I managed to get them to help change the other bulbs.

I'm going to buy LED bulbs, if they're hopefully bright enough. They'll last longer, and I won't have to go to the store as often to get a light bulb. I can get our Orkin man to change the light bulbs. He's a heck of a lot more helpful. (he offered to help, we've never had to ask him)

I'm just glad that I can still drive. I can take my dad to the store, and he can go in and get stuff for me if I give him a list. It's just almost as hard on him physically as it is on me to go inside the store. This is why I'm so peeved that I have MS. I'd love to be able to go to the store to get stuff for my parents.

My parents and I have both noticed that people (other customers) in the stores are jerks. They act as if we're in the way. And then they also seem to stand in our way, and don't notice the big lumbering store scooters coming towards them.

I'm so bored at the moment, I'm almost willing to ignore the pain of spasticity, and see if my parents want to go to the store. I think I'll try to go in. I want cookies, and a magazine. (sibling just called to say they're not coming over, so we have to try to go to the store ourselves)

I know what you mean.

Me, too. I'm usually very patient and don't say anything if someone acts a little perturbed that I dare to get in their way.

But lately, on the rare occasion I go to a public place like the grocery store I'm not as complacent as I used to be.

I did find somewhat of a middle ground, though. I go on Senior Citizen discount day!! The store is packed with older folks (I'm 54 so I'm well on my way to officially being a senior!) and there's not a scooter available within fifty miles!

Anyone who wants to act impatient with this disabled girl has gotta answer to a bunch of older ladies who could probably whoop your behind before you could say boo!

The big thing I miss about driving is just being able, at the last minute,
to jump in my car/mini and go go go, anywhere, I choose, when I choose..
I do still have, at the ready, a fully charged minivan in the garage, with a
fully charged scooter. So that makes it all the harder not to be my impulsive
self.. I know, I'm 70s but, in my mind, I'm still my DD's age -44.

Enough of my blubbering...on with the show.

This is kind of where I'm at.

I actually don't think I'll miss driving all that much. I think I'm deciding to maintain my license for one more year, but not driving like I usually do...like every other day will be like once a week for this next year. That will save me mega money for myself since my income is half of what it was.

Thanks everyone.

In my youth I was a street racer and a truck driver almost all of my working career, I am 63 and gave up my license when it expired last year. Perhaps because of 30+ years of driving an 18 wheeler around I look at driving as not just a privilege but a responsibility, know when to say enough is enough? I no longer felt I was safe enough to be driving around.

Do I miss it? LOL there is a lot of things I used to do that I miss, but then there is the reality of my illness, and a lot of things no longer make sense attempting! I can still find plenty of things to do that keep me occupied and happy, so it's no problem for me.

My 26 year old son and his buddy live with me also, they handle anything that needs to involve driving with no complaints, so it's all good!