Latest / Living with Parkinson’s | Bryce Perry / 5 Warning Signs It’s Time to Stop Driving with Parkinson’s

Transcript

5 Warning Signs It’s Time to Stop Driving with Parkinson’s · Living with Parkinson’s | Bryce Perry

• 0:00
  You know, one of the hardest conversations that we have with
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  Parkinson's isn't about meds or symptoms or even exercise.
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  It's about driving. When is it the time to stop?
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  How do you know when the risk is too high?
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  Nobody ever tells you exactly. But today, I'm going to share
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  the five biggest warning signs that might be time to give up
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  the keys and stick with me until the end.
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  Because not only will I share the changes that I personally
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  noticed on my own driving, but we're adding something brand new
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  to the podcast, a surprise segment that we've never done
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  before. And you trust me, you do not
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  want to miss it. Welcome to Living with
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  Parkinson's, The Good, the Bad, and the Reality.
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  Real talk, real life, real community with Bryce Perry.
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  Let's begin. Hey friends, I'm Bryce and this
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  is living with Parkinson's. The good, the bad and the
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  reality. Now, I was diagnosed with
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  Parkinson's back in 2010 when I was just 40 years old.
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  So when I talk about symptoms and the pain and even things
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  like driving, I'm not reading from a brochure.
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  I'm living it every single day just like you.
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  If you've been here before, thank you.
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  This community means the world to me.
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  And if you're brand new, welcome.
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  This is a place where we keep it real.
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  The laughs, the frustrations, and the little winds that get us
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  through. And if you're sitting there
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  wondering if it's getting close to your time to giving up
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  driving or maybe you've already had to stop, well, stay with me
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  because I'm going to give you not just the five warning signs,
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  but also some practical tips to help you deal with that
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  transition. So if that sounds like the kind
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  of support you need, hit subscribe right now if you
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  haven't already. Because none of us should have
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  to figure out Parkinson's on our own.
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  OK, now let's get into this. The first winding warning sign
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  that it might be time to give up driving is slowed reaction times
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  right? With Parkinson's, Hesitation
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  sneaks in where we didn't used to be.
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  You see a yellow light and instead of instance instantly
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  deciding to stop or go, you freeze for a beat.
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  Or you come up to a stop sign and your foot takes that extra
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  second to hit the brake. On the road, those little delays
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  can mean everything now. I've even caught myself
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  hesitating more than I used to, even at simple green lights.
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  And I'll admit, sometimes Carmen will say, hey, Bryce, are you
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  waiting for an invitation? If you're noticing the same
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  thing, drop a comment below. Your story might meet.
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  Your story might help somebody else who's going through it too.
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  And it also helps me know that I'm not alone in this.
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  Now, if reaction time is one part of it, the second warning
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  sign is even bigger. And that's coordination, just
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  handling the car itself, turning the wheel, staying in your lane,
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  even parking. Now for me, you know, I still
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  drive and I drive at night, but I notice I move a lot slower and
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  so does the car. And when I park my death depth
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  perception, it isn't what it once was.
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  There's not even a little bit of what it once was.
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  You know, the other day I thought I nailed a perfect
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  parking spot straight perfect between the yellow lines, right.
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  Carmen looks out the window and she's like Bryce, you are two
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  feet into the next base. Now, if you ever had your
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  copilot call you out, let me know in the comments so I know
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  that I'm not alone in this and and then that way too.
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  Or if you haven't, if I don't get any comments, then I can
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  give her some, some, some, you know what?
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  But I just don't like being alone, do I?
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  Anyway, give this video a like, if you're ever had one of those
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  oops parking moments, please, please do.
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  Anyway, another red flag is getting lost or disoriented.
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  Now that's number three. You're driving somewhere you've
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  been 100 times and suddenly you second guess where you're going.
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  Now that's unsettling. I remember pulling into a
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  grocery store lot once and then completely forgetting why I was
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  there. I laughed later.
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  But if it happens on the road it could be very dangerous, right?
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  So brain fog and cognitive changes can sneak into your
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  driving? Have you ever had that happen?
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  If you have, please share it below because I know there's a
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  lot of people that struggle with this and your comment could
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  really help someone else feel normal about it.
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  Now. The 4th warning sign.
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  The 4th warning sign is close calls and mistakes.
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  No, maybe it's clipping A curb or drifting out of the out of
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  your lane or rolling through a stop sign.
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  You swear that wasn't there, right?
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  But we've all had those oops moments.
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  I had one recently. I clipped the curb.
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  Don't, please don't tell Carmen. I would, you know, if she saw
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  that I would like try to like, don't worry.
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  The the curb zigged, you know when it should have zagged and
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  whatever. She probably wouldn't laugh, but
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  it reminds me that these little things, they add up, right?
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  And here's the truth, if you're noticing more close calls, it's
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  this. Not bad luck.
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  It's a warning light flashing on your dashboard.
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  And I don't want to be the one to tell you, but I will be.
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  And finally #5 what other people notice.
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  Now, sometimes family and friends see things before we do.
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  If your spouse, your kids, or even your buddies say maybe you
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  shouldn't be driving as much, that's worth listening to.
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  That doesn't mean they're attacking you.
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  It means that they care. And if you're watching this as a
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  care partner, let me know in the comments.
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  Have you ever had to have that conversation?
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  I'd love to hear how you handled it because many, many care
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  partners have to handle and have the same conversations.
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  And guess what? That brings us to the surprise I
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  teased earlier. We're going to start something
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  new here, and it's called the Carmen Care Partner Corner.
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  Carmen's my wife and my care partner.
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  Wife first, care partner second. Now it's a quick reflection for
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  care partners, right? Because I know so many of you
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  watch these videos too. Now here's what Carmen wanted me
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  to share today. If it's time to talk about
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  driving, don't dance around it. Be clear, be firm, and be kind.
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  No, she always says giving up the keys isn't weakness, it's
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  wisdom. It's about safety, not pride.
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  And if I'm worried about your driving, I'm going to tell you,
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  I'm going to tell you straight because I love you too much not
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  to. Now that's Carmen.
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  She negotiates for a living, right?
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  So she doesn't mince words. Her advice for care partners is
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  this lead with love, but don't tiptoe.
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  If you come at it with honesty and heart, the message will land
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  and they'll know it came from a place of love.
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  Now that's pretty tough. But thanks, Carmen.
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  I appreciate those times. And we're going to we're going
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  to do this from a care partners corner every, every, every
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  episode. And if you like that, say it in
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  the comments, let me know that that was a good, that was good.
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  You'd appreciate it and you'd like those little, little
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  segments that we're going to have.
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  But before we go any further, let's talk for a moment about
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  the science behind all of this, OK, Parkinson's effects,
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  dopamine, right? We know this.
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  And dopamine isn't just about movement.
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  And hopefully you know that by now as well if you've been
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  following the podcast. Now, it also plays a role in
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  processing speed, spatial awareness and multitasking.
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  Dopamine. Did you know that that's why
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  reaction time slow down and why judgement feels a little off
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  now? You add in fatigue, stress and
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  meds wearing off and suddenly driving becomes a whole
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  different challenge. But here's the hopeful part.
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  Researchers are making progress on cognitive treatments and even
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  technology like assisted driving systems and down the road, self
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  driving cars. So while it's hard now, the
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  future looks brighter. And if you believe that's good
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  news, hit the share button and let someone else know that, hey,
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  there could be hope about driving again, or not losing it
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  or not having to give it up. But in the meantime, let's get
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  practical. What do you do if it's time to
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  stop driving? OK, here's some tips.
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  First, don't wait until it's an emergency.
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  Keep a little journal of your driving experiences.
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  And if you notice more close calls or hesitations, write them
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  down. And that way, when it's time to
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  talk to your doctor or your family, you've got real
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  examples. OK.
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  Second, plan for alternatives. This is huge.
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  Think about rideshares, community shuttles, or even
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  carpools through your local Parkinson's groups.
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  You know, losing the keys doesn't mean losing
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  independence. It just means reshaping it.
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  Third, for care partners, don't bring this up mid drive.
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  That's a recipe for disaster. Do it calmly at home, with love
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  and patience. Carmen's told me more than once,
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  if I have to talk to you about something serious, I'm not doing
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  it while you've got the wheel in your hands.
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  And she's right. 4th For those of us living with Parkinson's,
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  reframe it. Instead of thinking I'm losing
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  independence, think I'm choosing safety.
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  That mental shift makes a world of difference.
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  And finally, stay social. Sometimes giving up the keys.
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  It feels like isolation, but this is where friends, family,
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  community, the inner circle, if you're in it, that's where they
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  come in. So if you're watching this and
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  you've already stopped driving, share in the comments how you
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  stay connected. That advice might change
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  someone's life. OK, here's today's Bryce ISM for
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  those of us living with Parkinson's.
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  With Parkinson's, giving up the keys doesn't take away your
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  independence. It proves your strength to
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  protect it. And guess what?
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  You made this far, You get a bonus.
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  Bryce ISM and this one's for the care partners.
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  If you're the one, if you're the one having the driving talk,
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  remember this. You don't need to wrestle the
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  keys out of their hands. Just remind them.
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  The car insurance will probably do it for you.
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  Ah, there you go. Now I want to hear from you.
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  Have you noticed any of these warning signs in your own
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  driving or maybe in a loved one? Drop your story in the comments
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  and remember, I read everyone and I reply to everyone and a
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  lot of people read the comments. So your words might help
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  somebody else. And if you found this helpful,
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  please hit that that button, that like button so YouTube
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  knows to share it with others who might need it.
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  And one last time, if you want to go deeper and where we can
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  actually talk about these tough things, like in real time, like
• 10:06
  back and forth and have a talk about it, check out the inner
• 10:08
  circle. We meet live once a month and
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  the conversation goes on every day in between.
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  My phone's always lighting up as people are making comments and
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  talking about things and helping each other.
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  The link is in the description below.
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  I promise you, you'll love it and we'd love to see you there.
• 10:23
  You know where we are until next time.
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  You keep showing up, you keep being real, and you keep doing
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  life today. Parkinson's may be part of your
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  life, but it doesn't get to define it.
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  Thanks for listening to Living with Parkinson's, the good, the
• 10:41
  bad, and the reality. If this episode moved you,
• 10:45
  helped you, or reminded you you're not alone, share it with
• 10:49
  someone who needs to hear it. Want to go deeper?
• 10:52
  The Inner Circle is waiting. Monthly Zoom calls. 24/7
• 10:55
  community and a Direct Line to Bryce.
• 10:58
  You'll find the link in the show notes.
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  Until next time, keep showing up and keep doing life today.