My Symptoms

When I was in my early 20’s, I developed a tremor in my right hand. The tremor didn’t bother me, because it didn’t interfere with my daily activities. I had once been told when I was a teenager that I had borderline low blood sugar. Since sugary drinks aggravate and make blood sugar issues worse, I assumed that the shakiness in my hand was related to my blood sugar being low. I dismissed it. I’m not a hypochondriac, and I don’t like to go to the doctor, so I rarely would see a doctor unless something was really bothering me.

I also began having incontinence issues in my early 20’s. Since I had not had a baby yet, there was really no reason for me to be having issues like this. Besides, this was not an “I sometimes wet myself when I cough” type of issue. This was an “I’m too young for adults diapers, right?” type of issue. This was a big deal, so I saw an urologist. I had a cat scan and other tests done, and my bladder and the surrounding areas showed no damage or reason that I should be having incontinence issues. I took incontinence medications that provided no relief. I even had my bladder inflated to check for problems and size issues. My bladder is on the small side of normal, but the urologist said it wasn’t small enough to be causing issues. After taking medication for overactive bladder for a couple of years, with no results, I gave up looking for answers and just dealt with it as best I could.

When I was pregnant with my first child at age 24/25, I began falling, mostly when walking up or down stairs. It happened often enough that a friend at work started insisting I take the elevators. I thought it was just a pregnancy balance issue. But the issue continued after the baby was born and on into my second pregnancy. I learned to hold onto handrails and be more careful, especially when carrying the babies up and down the stairs.

I developed achiness in my arms, especially my right arm, which was blamed on carpel tunnel. I was tired a lot, but I had two young children, worked full time, was very active in my church, and was going to school online. Who wouldn’t be tired?

By the time I was 30, the tremor in my hand had become more prominent. Everyone around me noticed it. There were a few comments made by people around me about Parkinson’s disease, but it was always as a joke…and I never seriously considered that something might actually be wrong with me.