Living with Essential Tremor

My sister was finally diagnosed several months ago with ET [essential tremor]. She has suffered with the “shakes” and been “nervous” nearly her entire life. I could not imagine how many times in our life, she or my mother has said “she’s been nervous all her life”. I am online searching information again tonight due to a couple of incidents that have happened to her just this week and it has infuriated me, the ignorance that people have when it comes to conditions that they know nothing about.

While I know nothing more than what I have read online and how it has affected her life, she is now 43 years old, it gives no one the right to assume she is problematic in any way.

In my browsing I have found that an estimated ten (10) million people suffer with this disease/condition (I haven’t found out which it is) yet there are only three postings on this site.

A doctor visit for her daughter ended up with a Police visit there and a Child Protective Services investigation following a day later, because she was shaking uncontrollably. And as with all I am learning, we now know why the symptoms get worse as situations become more stressful. It was an assumption that she was on drugs and she even submitted to a drug test in the hospital she was seeking treatment for her daughter from.

I have printed out information for her to carry with her in the future in case another incident occurs, and this might be helpful to anyone who suffers to the degree that she does.

It has gotten worse in the last few years and is affecting her life in greater ways than ever before. She tried medication, but it caused other problems, so she goes without it.

My heart goes out to any of you living with this condition on any level. To Glenda, who said she was “in good company” with Katherine Hepburn, you most definitely are!