tremors

[Guest guest]

I had tremors start in my hands when I was around 19 or 20 (same as

you, Gretchen, I noticed). I was really nervous about it at the

time, because even though they were mild, my friends started to

notice and comment on it, so I would get a bit embarrassed and try

to hide it. I was applying for Vet school back then, so was afraid

there was something wrong with me that would affect school. Anyway,

the tremors have stayed mild, but I found when I was working in a

very busy small animal clinic my first year out, the tremors would

get pretty bad if I was stressed, doing a difficult surgery etc. I

found it very frustrating. Also, I found when doing simple things,

like vaccinating an animal, I would have to really concentrate on

what I was doing, even though activities like that are really so

simple. To me, it felt like I had to put so much effort into what i

was doing, and concentrate so much. Of course, after finally being

diagnosed in February, I have a better understanding of what's going

on....the small muscles in my fingers are weak, according to the

neurologist, so he thinks this is causing the tremors. Especially,

like Gretchen said, if I'm stressed or really worn out.

My husband is away at Vet school now, I work full time, we have 2 kids, age 4

and 18 months, and we just had company visiting. I noticed when I sat down for

a little break at the kitchen table on Sunday, the tremors were pretty bad.

Sometimes, I don't even notice them anymore. My husband points it out sometimes

when they're bad, and I hadn't even noticed it!

Now I'm not in private practice anymore, but working as a Vet with the federal

gov't, so I don't feel the same worry and stress over it....I'm thinking about

going back to do a shift a week at the small animal clinic though, just to keep

in touch with clinical work, so we'll see how that goes, now that I've been away

from it for 4 years....my CMT has progressed since my youngest was born, so I

don't know how my hand-on skills will be affected.

Karla in Newfoundland