Hi all. I'm 53 and was just diagnosed in July, 2015 but I've had symptoms pretty much as long as I can remember. My tremors were finally diagnosed because they got so much worse this summer and the docs thought I had Parkinson's. Thank God I don't but ET isn't any picnic either. I'm on 40mg of Propranolol (sp?) twice a day and my shaking is still disabling although much improved. Most of the twitching is gone from my face (nose, lips, tongue, chin) but not my jaw (teeth) and neck. My hands are bad, especially my left. Luckily I'm right handed but my right isn't too steady either. I notice that brushing my teeth is one of the most challenging tasks right now, with my hand, jaw and neck all going in different directions it's almost comical. I've switched to an electric tooth brush and that has helped. I don't even attempt to eat soup with a spoon or drink out of a glass or hold things with just one hand, always two. It's interesting how people learn to cope when we have to.

I noticed someone mentioning cognitive aspects of ET and I certainly do have cognitive deficits compared to the way I used to be. Although I don't like the physical aspects of this condition, it's really the mental impairment concerns me the most. I feel like I'm losing my mind. Actually, it's not a feeling, I really have lost a lot of "brain power". I'm also Bipolar and I don't know if it's one condition or the other or a combination. Or maybe it's the meds. In any case, it's very frustrating and demoralizing. I think of a word to say but the wrong word comes out of my mouth (like saying or typing "mortgage" instead of "morning"), it just doesn't make sense. Or I can't say anything at all, because I draw a blank. When I type anything I have to proof read it many times and each time I find elementary mistakes that I would never have made before. I used to be a legal secretary and my typing now is like night and day compared to before. Even my vocabulary, spelling and grammer is disappearing. My memory is severely affected.

So.... I feel like I'm emotionally handling the physical aspects of ET fairly well but not the cognitive ones. My family acts like they think all of my problems have to do with my medications and I think they believe that I cause my symptoms myself because I choose to take them. Of course I don't have a choice. Both the ET and Bipolar symptoms would be out of control if I didn't take them. I don't appreciate their attitude, it makes me doubt myself and feel weak. Oh, I can't believe I'm whining like this but obviously I need people to talk to who understand.