I think you're right VFR, and I was also pleasantly surprised at how open the CAA were. When I first walked in I always assumed it was a case of its either a yes or a no, and if its a no its a goodbye thank you for your money. I couldn't have been more wrong. Perhaps I just got lucky?
Yes, its cost a lot of money, so far I've spent £650 with the CAA for my "initial", and a lot more via my medical insurance for further testing, but in the grand scheme of things that is not a lot of money if I do get to be a pilot, and no amount of money can substitute health.
However I did find them all at the CAA to be very helpful, and Professor Joy was exceptionally good in my case, offering different options, trying to find all possible causes and explanations and then helping me understand my problem in English rather than "medical talk". Certainly the door was not shut in my face, and I was given the impression that they actually wanted me to pass, or maybe they just liked the contents of my wallet a lot more than I did!
I think in any case like this, getting "outside" opinions about medical issues is important. My plan is to get as much info about my condition as possible and try to present it to whoever I can to try and become un-restricted.
I met a guy when I was at my original appointment who had tunnel vision, the Irish governing body told him not to waste his time, never try to become a pilot. Three years on and he got his JAA Class 1, just shows it is possible to do these things, it just requires a lot of determination.