My doc says I have an essential tremor!

[Sheiila]

My doc says I have an essential tremor. I have never had any trouble at all doing anything delicate. But she says this will mean no surgical specialty... is this true??

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[UHS2002]

I think that whether you can go into surgery or not it is for you to decide. If your hands do indeed tremble, it is probably not the greatest idea. Just try to look at your hands and ask yourself: would I let myself or a loved one be operated on by someone with similar hands?

You must keep in mind that if what you have is really an essential tremor, then it will get worse as you get older. If your hands are steady enough now, so that you can perform task which require a steady touch and fine coordination, then you could be a surgeon now. If you have essential tremors, that can mean that you might not be able to prectice surgery 10 years down the line, though.

Essential tremors are different than just the natural "unsteadiness", if you will, that some people have. Essential tremors have an inherited basis and are progressive, although not at a fixed rate.

 

[Sheiila]

Do you happen to know if I can be diagnosed for an essential tremor?

A friend of mine asked about my caffeine consumption, which is pretty high these days. My internist never did ask me about that. I wonder if caffeine could be the cause of this shaking.

Originally posted by UHS2002:
I think that whether you can go into surgery or not it is for you to decide. If your hands do indeed tremble, it is probably not the greatest idea. Just try to look at your hands and ask yourself: would I let myself or a loved one be operated on by someone with similar hands?

You must keep in mind that if what you have is really an essential tremor, then it will get worse as you get older. If your hands are steady enough now, so that you can perform task which require a steady touch and fine coordination, then you could be a surgeon now. If you have essential tremors, that can mean that you might not be able to prectice surgery 10 years down the line, though.

Essential tremors are different than just the natural "unsteadiness", if you will, that some people have. Essential tremors have an inherited basis and are progressive, although not at a fixed rate.

 

[gower]

The Anericans with Disabilties Act bars medical schools from asking about that on applications. If accepted and matriculated, however, most if not all med schools will require a physical exam by their own medical office. However, there are blind, deaf, hemiplegic, dyslectic and other such students with disabilities in medical schools; medical schools are expected to provide reasonable accomodation.

It is unlikely that surgery is a reasonable expection for you. If I were a patient undergoing surgery, and if before I was anesthetized I saw my surgeon's fingers trembling, I would jump off the table. As a hobby, I made model airplanes, ships, trains, etc. I was fairly good, but I couldn't hold a candle to expert modelers, partly because I did not have the patience to rework until my models were up to a high standard, and partly because I just did not have the skill. Surgery: no way! Life is often full of compromises with reality. But go for it if that's what you want.

 

[Sheiila]

Thanks for your reply. They are very helpful. I can't imagine anyone noticing my hands tremble --I'm not THAT bad. I spoke with a surgeon, who said that if I can embroider, I can do surgery. Everyone has some degree of tremor. He also said that he does know surgeons who take beta-blockers for tremors. So I suppose that *if* I do go into surgery, and *if* what I have is indeed an essential tremor, and *if* it does worsen before I retire, I can take beta blockers.

You make a good point though, and thank you for helping me out!