”Life itself is a privilege, but to love life to the fullest-well that is a choice.” – Andy Andrews
In this blog I’m going to discuss before and after I’ve had DBS surgery and how I felt about going out in public. Some of the things I did that may or may not help someone reading this going through the same thing. Whether it’s Essential Tremors you or someone have these suggestions may help you. You also may be able to fit it to other conditions you or a loved one has.
Before getting my DBS surgery the biggest thing I worried about was being stared at. I hate it and am always feeling like everyone is looking at me. I know deep down that’s not true, but some of us can’t help but to think that. I wondered what do they assume is wrong with me. Do they think I am a drug addict, or maybe I have Parkinson’s as a lot of people do not even know about essential tremors, or maybe they think something else. Back about 20 years ago when I first was diagnosed I remember being in Target and writing a check (which thank goodness very few of us still have to even do this anymore) and I was shaking so bad I was worried the clerk thought I was detoxing or something. I was so embarrassed, but at that time didn’t say a thing. I went about my business. Another time my young son and I were out to eat and I remember him saying mom I thought you were going to throw your food at me as I was shaking so much. Now today I can laugh at that, but then it upset me as I didn’t want him to realize at age 4 his mom was dealing with this.
About 6 years or so ago I was working part time at the local movie theater for some extra cash. A fellow coworker (whom mind you was a teenager so we know they do not care what they say for the most part) saw me shaking while I was filling popcorn containers and said are you nervous or something is that why you shake so much? Finally she was the first person I said no I have a condition called Essential Tremors and they are not going to get better but only worse over time. After that if I felt like someone noticed I’d say I’m sorry I have a tremor. I didn’t care to share that with just anyone now and it felt good. So my lesson here is if you have Essential Tremors or anything else that people either make a statement to you or stare at you just share with them you have a condition called Essential Tremors. If they want to know more then educate them on it. In my time working at the theater I was serving drinks to a couple ladies whom were there to see a movie and one of the women said excuse me, but do you have Essential Tremors? I said yes I do, and nothing I have taken is helping them. She encouraged me to seek another opinion. I did, but was not impressed.
Before getting the DBS I limited my foods to easier to eat foods. I would almost always drink with straws. Now I can add soup and drink out of a glass. I don’t worry about if once and awhile I shake. One of the first places my boyfriend took me after my DBS got turned on was for Mexican. I was able to eat chips and salsa without wearing half of the bowl of salsa. I am sure there are others who understand that. Before I barely ate the chips and salsa. Now I enjoy every bite.
So life is too short to worry about what people think. Share your condition with those who think you are nervous or whatever and more and more people will be knowledgeable about the condition. Until next time.