Living with Essential Tremor

I was in my late teens when I noticed my hands slightly shook….I remembered my grandfather’s hands shook so bad he couldn’t drink from a cup….I was noticing my dad’s shaking worsening…then he couldn’t write so after I married and had 5 children I decided I would go to neurologist. I owed it to my family….I have been diagnosed by 4 neurologist with ET…it is progressive….it has effected my life but it could have been so much worse….when I couldn’t write anymore, I had a signature stamp made and sign all my checks/CrCards etc with it…it is legal….I found holding my arms close to my body and using both hands to hold something really helps….wearing heavy jewelry and using heavy glasses when drinking helps but a straw is better….

I am now 75 and zippers/buttons/all those things are hard/impossible for me, my legs are weakening…I have used a lot of coping skills I developed over the yrs but I am now fixing to drink a glass of wine and take some mysoline…but I made a very important decision a few years ago…I read that ET was the most common movement disorder and they believed if they could make a breakthrough with ET it could be a big step in helping Parkinson’s patients….they needed brains….I thought, “hey, I have two children with some of my symptoms and I would love to be a part in helping them and people with Parkinsons so I have donated my brain.” The place I chose has 250 brains and need 500 to do the research they need to do…..please consider donating your brain.