I Can't Stop Shaking

Book excerpt: I Can't Stop Shaking, Over 10 Million People are Affected By Essential Tremor, provides important medical information, tips on living with Essential Tremor, as well as personal accounts of people living with Essential Tremor. In the medical section Dr. Peter A LeWitt, a neurologist who sub-specializes in movement disorders, answers questions about Essential Tremor. Dr. LeWitt has been practicing neurology and been involved with Essential Tremor since 1980. Dr. LeWitt explains in simple terms what Essential Tremor is, how it affects people, and medical treatments for Essential Tremor. In the personal stories section people who have Essential Tremor speak candidly and openly about what life is like living with Essential Tremor. Each person has their own way of dealing with it, some with great optimism, others with equally great frustration. Readers who have Essential Tremor will no doubt see bits and pieces of themselves within these stories. There are also dozens of tips on better ways of living with Essential Tremor that will help the sufferer to better cope with their handicap. Some of the tips inside the book are: .Use an electric toothbrush. .Tell the people at your bank that you have ET .Use credit and debit cards instead of writing checks. .Use eating utensils that have large handles. .Use a 1 in.-deep dish that has vertical sides. .Hold your drinking glass in the palm of your non-dominant hand and steady it with your dominant hand. .Eat with the utensil pointing toward you with as much twist to your wrist as you can manage. Sandy Kamen Wisniewski was diagnosed with ET when she was 14 years old. During her childhood she hid her tremor by tucking her hands in her pockets or up her sleeves. She also avoided many social situations where eating in public was necessary. She spent her young adulthood unaware the so many people had Essential Tremor so she struggled alone. Then in 1999 she learned that a group of people with Essential tremor were meeting at a public library and were having a neurologist as a guest speaker. After the meeting she realized for the first time she wasn't alone. In 2001 Sandy found the courage to finally speak out about Essential Tremor and wrote a personal essay titled I Couldn't Stop Shaking, which was published in Woman's Day magazine in May 2001. Since that time she has written numerous articles on Essential Tremor, spoken to groups around the country about Essential Tremor, in addition to being interviewed on Chicago's WGN news and WLS News. She also appeared on the Debra Duncan Show, a Disney sponsored talk show, about ET. Sandy is a freelance writer, business owner, mother and wife. She resides in Libertyville, Illinois.