My Benign Essential Tremor started when I was about nine or
ten years of age. I used to build model planes out of plastic as opposed to
wood because I experienced difficulty carving the balsa to the desired shape. I
don’t recall if I had tremors when working with wood. I do recall having
difficulty putting the small sails and thread-like webbing on the Nina, Pinta
and Santa Maria, my first models when I was a boy. Plastic pieces that fit into
each other with a male and female connection were easier to assemble than
playing with wood.
My tremor was dianosed as a neurologic movement disorder by Dr. Michael Stuparyk in 1983. He referred to it as a benign essential tremour, It is characterized by involuntary fine rhythmic tremor of my left arm and hand. It has affected my head slightly, and as I entered my senior years it has affected my voice, tongue, and the roof of my mouth (palate), which at times makes it difficult to articulate speech. In retrospect, when I was in Grade 5, I had to attend a special class after school for an hour. My teacher told me that I wasn’t articulating my words clearly. It was referred to as Speech Class, or that’s what I remember it being called.
My neurosurgeon, Dr.Andres M
Lozano of Toronto Western Hospital simply
calls it an Essential Tremor. Benign is usually associated with person s who have a
growth that is non-cancerous. That may be why the word 'benign" was dropped.
Unlike people with Parkinson’s disease, the Essential Tremor is non-life
threatening. Tremors increase in amplitude with age, usually starting in the forties.
In my case, manipulating utensils and drinking liquids from a glass is a
challenge.
I was in a restaurant one time and the waitress asked what
we wanted to drink. I replied, “I’ll have an apple juice with a straw.” The
other three of my colleagues ordered coffee. She looked at me funny and said, “Would
you like the kiddie’s menu as well?” I replied with no facial expression and
looked her right in the eyes, “I’ll have an apple juice with a straw, please.”
I didn’t get upset with her. She didn’t know. I wasn’t offended at all. Some
people are ignorant of the disabilities of others. Besides, to put the scene
into context, we were joking and laughing before she popped the question. As we
ate our breakfast and she noticed my tremors, as I spotted her in my peripheral
vision, she had a hurt look on her face bordering on remorse. Poor woman.
Before my deep brain implant to control my tremors, I
stopped going out to restaurants. It was just too embarrassing. I changed my
attitude with the implant. Although my tremors have come back, I still go to
restaurants. If it’s a buffet, I get the person in front of me to put food on
my plate People are genuinely nice. They have made my life easier and I am
grateful.
This piece about my tremor is an introduction to what is to
come. I am going to post videos on YouTube with me building my pneumatically
controlled Canadarm, piece by piece. It will be a mini-how-to-series especially
for people with tremors. We have to feel useful and that we can contribute
something. I am fortunate. I have conducted science workshops for children and adults on how to build my Canadarm. It is great fun.
I have a workshop coming up on Saturday, November 15, 2014 from 2:15-3:15 pm. The following is posted on the on-line flyer: " Pneumatic models such as: Front end loaders, Hickory Dickory Dock clock, Brakes and Tow Truck models will be demonstrated. Participants will build a miniature pneumatic controlled Canadarm to take home." (Resource: www.stao.ca/program).
I have a workshop coming up on Saturday, November 15, 2014 from 2:15-3:15 pm. The following is posted on the on-line flyer: " Pneumatic models such as: Front end loaders, Hickory Dickory Dock clock, Brakes and Tow Truck models will be demonstrated. Participants will build a miniature pneumatic controlled Canadarm to take home." (Resource: www.stao.ca/program).
