Having a brain tumor can throw a monkey wrench into many different arenas, but an Acoustic Neuroma diagnosis seems to impact driving in a variety of ways.

Often, right after treatment, you are not allowed to drive at all. The first step is to be off of pain medication before you are contemplating driving again. Also, many folks find turning their head quickly to be disorienting. It can take both time and vestibular therapy to get to a point where the needed neck movement for safe driving is possible. For some people, that is a few weeks out from treatment, and for others, it can take months or longer.

Many people report that they find driving more fatiguing after an AN diagnosis. I definitely found that true in my own life. I have read research that with our reliance on our vision for balance (since we are missing a balance nerve), we work harder to orient ourselves while driving. Both the oncoming headlights and the overall motion of the car can be disorienting and make your brain work extra hard. I often hear that night driving is the most tiring for folks, and it makes sense that the challenge presented by headlights would be exacerbated in the dark. I know just walking in the dark is more difficult for me.

Also, there is a lot of noise associated with driving. Hearing fatigue is very draining when you have hearing loss. Sometimes, the auditory stimulation from driving is overwhelming. I also have small children, and I find their noise level in the car is almost always too high for comfort. I have started wearing ear plugs often while driving, and that really helps with hearing fatigue. Having some quiet while I drive means my brain doesn’t get as overwhelmed.

I used to listen to audiobooks and podcasts for longer trips, and I have made some changes since my single sided deafness. At first, I found that trying to pick out the words over the road noise was too much work, and I would either get tired or frustrated. Now, when I want to listen to audio while driving, I will wear an earbud with noise canceling activated, and I find I can hear the dialogue over the noise of the automobile.

When I first started wearing ear plugs and earbuds, I worried a little about safety. But then I saw an awesome post by someone who is deaf describing how they rely on their eyes and staying aware to be a good driver. Plus, with single sided deafness, things like honking don’t give me any useful information anyway since I can’t sound locate. So I feel reasonably comfortable making sure I stay aware even if I am blocking some sound.

Since diagnosis and treatment, I still put on plenty of miles in my vehicle, carting my children around. I just plan that a full day in the car will result in feeling worn out. My very kind husband will often offer to drive when we travel as a family, so I don’t get tired. If I were to plan to drive a long road trip, I would likely break the trip up to keep the travel time from being too long. I plan out my listening energy and make sure to bring my ear plugs.