ET is not confined to the elderly. Children and middle-aged people can also have ET. No matter the age, people with ET lead active lives. They use their intellect, gifts, innate talent, and cultivated interests to make the most of their life. The IETF is proud to share their stories with you.
My ET is Not a WeaknessMarch 11, 2022
Irem Sara’s Story My name is Sara. I’m 21 years old and I was diagnosed to essential tremor two years ago. The first time that I heard this I felt exhausted. The first medication I started caused complications with my heart. After I took my medicine, I was feeling like I was fighting with a […]
The Process of Accepting My ET DiagnosisMarch 7, 2022
Jennifer’s Story “You have essential tremor (ET). It’s a neurological movement disorder that has no cure, and is progressive.” This is what my doctor told me. How does one process that at 34 years old or at any age? The fact is it may take time. It has taken me two long months and hours […]
Accepting and Managing My ET
Judy’s Story Sometime in the 1970s my sister asked me, “Why is your arm twitching?” Since I had always seen her as a bit of an alarmist, I shrugged it off and forgot about it. Whether that was a precursor to my essential tremor (ET) I would never know as I was not diagnosed for […]
Getting Used to the Stares
Andrea’s Story My hands started to shake when I was in high school, earning me very colorful nicknames like “palsy” and “coke head.” I tried to laugh it off, making jokes and trying so hard to ignore the stares. As my disease progressed, small things became more difficult. But it wasn’t until I had kids […]
ET Affects Eating, Cooking and Many Other Everyday ActivitiesMarch 3, 2022
By Sue from Australia, I have had essential tremor (ET) as far back as I can remember. I don’t suppose I could miss it really as I have inherited it from both parents. My other five siblings have fine slight tremors, but my ET has been a very different journey. At 16 years old I was […]
I Never Lose Sight of My Joy, Despite My ET
Sebnem’s Story My struggle with essential tremor (ET) started in childhood. My hands have been trembling since I was little. It was initially thought to be a social phobia. I was diagnosed while I was in college and I started taking medication. Life was tough until I found the right medication. Sometimes it still challenges […]
A Sense of Humor is Very Helpful When You Have Essential TremorMarch 2, 2022
Donna’s Story I started seeing signs of essential tremor at the age of 44. It started in my hands. I would have a day with shaky hands and then the next it was gone. I could go a month easily without shaky hands before it happened again. I didn’t think too much about it, though I was curious. I figured if […]
How Meditation May Be of Value for TremorsDecember 30, 2021
By James Keolker,Certified Master Meditation Teacher I am a retired professor standing in front of my class of some 75 seniors at a senior education center. And until recently, I have tried to hide the fact that I have essential tremor in both my hands. I can’t put my hands in my pocket as I […]
Essential Tremor Played a Huge Role in Shaping Who I Am TodaySeptember 21, 2021
Each semester, the IETF awards four $1,000 college scholarships to students who have essential tremor through its Catherine S. Rice Scholarship Fund. As part of the application process, students are asked to write an essay on the topic, “how essential tremor has affected my life.” The following essay is from one of our fall 2021 […]
My Experience with ET Has Humbled Me
Each semester, the IETF awards four $1,000 college scholarships to students who have essential tremor through its Catherine S. Rice Scholarship Fund. As part of the application process, students are asked to write an essay on the topic, “how essential tremor has affected my life.” The following essay is from one of our fall 2021 […]