Hi folks. This thread has just reminded me about all the drama I've been through, a few years ago now (thank goodness!). I had a heart attack and a stroke (TIA) back in 2009 and I was banned from driving for 6 months afterwards. Fair enough too, because I was still in a daze for several months afterwards. Once I got my drivers license back you'd think that was the end of the story. BUT NO, that's when the (Australian) Motor Registry (or your DVLA) in my state discovered that I also had diabetes - which I'd had for several years before this - and that's when the trouble started for me. Every year I had to renew my license and every year, that involved a full medical check by my GP, at a cost of about $A 99 each year (NOT covered by Medicare/NHS), plus the license fee (normally you only need to renew and pay every 10 years, and you don't normally require a full medical). As a retiree living on a small pension, that all became very expensive - not to mention extremely frustrating. I couldn't understand why people with worse medical issues, such as my mate with Parkinsons Disease, did not have to do this. This nonsense went on for several years until a new GP wrote a letter to the Motor Registry saying that my diabetes was well controlled. Only then did they finally back off. What a drama! So I can understand and sympathize with people on this thread, and what you've gone through. Cheers, DB1.
