Saturday, November 15, 2008

When life says NO ...

I needed to renew my license - as you do on your birthday divisible by 5 in the ACT. I had a pile of questions to answer - you know the usual - do you have epilepsy?, do you have diabetes?, are you taking illicit drugs? - NO NO NO. Do you have a heart condition / disease or paralysis? Ummm YES. If you have answered YES to any of these - you are required to obtain a medical statement from your own doctor stating you are a medically fit person etc...

So off I go with confidence - picking up the most lovely cards from Lester and Mum on the way - feeling really good about life.... I ask him for a statement, and he hesitates... and eventually says No Janet, I can't give you that.
Ohhhh Come on - I am not that bad, and I really don't drive when I am feeling sick.. Come on...
No Janet - you could black out and be a danger to yourself and others. You would never forgive yourself if you hurt someone else...

Geez - I lose my license BEFORE Mum does. NOT FAIR.... Just as well Bob still has his, even though he can't do too much driving. It is just stressful for him. So no more long trips up to Queensland for us.

There is a chance that when I go and see another specialist in Sydney in December, that an ablation may (or may not) fix it all up, and I will be able to drive again. In the mean time, life changes again...

  • Time to adapt to new circumstances.
  • Time to be grateful for living so close to everything we need that we can walk there.
  • Time to be grateful for a reasonably good bus system which leaves from my front door, and goes most of the places around Canberra.
  • Time to remember that no matter what life throws at me - God is still with me, and there are a lot of people worse off.
  • Time to remember that you can adapt to anything in life - and here I am complaining about not being able to drive.
  • Time not to have my sense of identity and purpose wrapped up in a little piece of plastic giving me permission to use a lethal machine regularly

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh - not a nice birthday pressie at all.

But you are lucky to live right at the shops.

All the best with it.

and Happy Birthday!!!!!

Melinda said...

Oh I'm so sorry! I hope the specialist can fix it!

I know we don't know each other irl, however I'm only in Jerra so if you need a hand with transport please do give a yell!