Health issues/Essential Tremor

[Animalnutty]

Hi,

I have some fairly big health issues - I have tried to tailor my life over the years so that I can still keep having purpose and doing some of the things I love, even if I can't do the things I used to. However, one of my conditions causes dislocations/part dislocations, I am working around that by using splints but another issue is that I have an essential tremor that is getting worse, as they usually do.

I have two big things in my life that keep me going, my animals and my jewellery and really don't want to lose my jewellery making as it keeps me going and keeps me having purpose etc.

Does anyone else have an essential tremor that they have found a way of working around. Things like piercing, I can actually manage fine, but things that require me to hold something with a pair of tweezers, or placing something in the right place for soldering, or placing two ends together for making a bezel for example are becoming quite a struggle, as is drawing. It's quite a shake on some days, I have to drink out of a travel mug to avoid my clothes drinking my tea instead of me, often. Picking things like that up is when it is worst.

I am about to start trying various medications, but the neurologist thinks they may interact with other meds and the usual ones aren't available to me due to asthma. If anyone else takes meds for it and wouldn't mind sharing the success of them that would be great.

Can anyone give me any ideas please, I just don't want to lose this, any tips or ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[Tabby66]

This must be very frustrating for you and I can understand your desire not to lose the pleasure you get from jewellery making.

A couple of things spring to mind, though, I'm not sure how useful or realistic they are....firstly, think about the techniques that you're using, particularly on the bad days (I'm sure you have already), are there techniques you can manage better on those days or new techniques you could use, for instance, reticulation may require less steadiness. Can you clamp the work to the peg, and use thicker saw blades to reduce constant broken blades when piercing? Use a drill press for drilling? A honeycomb board and binding wire for soldering.....though I can imagine getting the pieces wired in to place could be a nightmare!

Just a few thoughts, not sure that they are very helpful though Hope you find some good solutions

[Animalnutty]

Hi Tabby,

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, I am guessing the fact that there are no other replies maybe is not a great sign, maybe because jewellers just don't work with this, who knows I'm really struggling with this at the moment so was hoping maybe to hear some success stories or, something!

Thank you so much for your suggestions, piercing is the one thing that I can manage OK generally, as holding something firmly with pressure against another thing is that is held firmly is usually OK, I do have to use more pressure than one normally would, but that just goes through a few more blades which is fine. It's drawing my design on the metal to pierce in the first place I struggle with in that area. I had been thinking about a honeycomb soldering board but unfortunately holding things in place with clamps and binding wire is a bit of a night mare, binding is a little easier than clamps but still difficult.

Thanks so much for your ideas and taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it.

Karen