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Essential Tremor

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To my host family,

There were so many things that I was never able to tell you when I was in India—so many things that I left unsaid but that you all deserve to know. Well, I am just going to jump right into in and tell you everything.

I assume that Kakoli ma’am told you that the shaking of my hands and head are from a condition called essential tremors. If she didn’t well now you know. But I think you need some back story to really understand my whole situation. I’ve had essential tremors for as long as I can remember. Really the earliest memory I have of someone asking me about it is in grade 2. So it’s not new and Iv’e had to live with it for most of my life. Actually I’m not the only one in my family to have essential tremor—my brother, …show more content…

Dystonia is basically a movement disorder that causes painful twisting of the neck. I tried medications but none helped and I tried botox injections but they also did not help. My only other option at the time would have been brain surgery and I decided not to opt for surgery. Before I came to India I didn’t realize how much it affected me. I lived my life in the USA making small adjustments and using coping skills that I didn’t even know I was using. So once I got to India it was shocking to see how much it really affected me and others around me. I though I was over it before I came to India, I really did. But as it turns out having a chronic condition isn’t something I can just get over—it’s something I have to continually deal with. I am thankful for seeing this now and will be going back to the neurologist to hopefully improve my quality of life. There is more though to the whole situation than just being diagnosed with essential tremor and dystonia. No one in my family except my mom knows I was diagnosed with dystonia. You see in my family it’s shameful to have these conditions so my mom never told anyone and neither did I. Not even my brother or dad know I have dystonia. My mom and

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