What Essential Tremor Is Like For Me

Sheila belongs to a Silver Spring, Maryland Essential Tremor support group, and it has been a journey for her in terms of figuring out what she has. She has been diagnosed with Essential Tremor, Parkinson’s Disease and more recently another neurological condition for some non-tremor symptoms. She has tremors in her hands, legs and chin and most of her doctors say they haven’t seen a chin tremor before. If she’s standing she’s fine for a few minutes … it’s almost as if the tremor has to “warm up” before it gets active. It’s upsetting to her that doctors don’t know what she has, but she guesses they’re doing the best they can. Fortunately she usually forgets about the tremor when she gets talking with someone.

Watch video of Sheila discussing her ET.

 

Mary Lou is a part of a Silver Spring, Maryland support group for Essential Tremor. She has a tremor in her head and voice. The head tremor came later in life whereas her first indication of tremor came at age 16. As a teen she didn’t say anything to anyone because she thought it was something wrong inside of her. In her career, she had the good fortune of working where the people were comfortable with her tremor, but once computers came out it became more difficult using a mouse and different kind of keyboard, not as easy to control. Then her voice tremor started affecting her, and some people couldn’t understand what she was trying to say. At age 50 her eye doctor mistook her tremors as delirium tremens and asked her how much she had had to drink. She told him she had had nothing, and he believed her and recommended she see a neurologist for a diagnosis. She’s frustrated that there isn’t a medication designed for Essential Tremor.

Watch video of Mary Lou discussing her ET.

 

Lisa Gannon
Silver Spring Support Group Member