Shake, Rattle & Roll

I have a cousin who must be in her 70's by now. I noticed quite a while ago that her hands shake quite badly. I always wondered if she had Parkinson's (or, as my mother-in-law a"h used to call it, "Parking Disease"). I also felt sorry for her; she was a relatively young woman. Then about a year ago I noticed my own hands shaking. It was slight and it didn't really interfere with anything, so I didn't really pay too much attention. Well, since I came out of sedation, the shaking has gotten a lot worse. There are times when I can hardly write. My neurologist (I have soooo many different "ologists"!) decided that it's something called Benign Essential Tremor. My primary care physician is not so sure. He thinks it might have something to do with the myriad medications I'm taking. It comes and goes and seems to be worse when I'm stressed. Benign Essential Tremor can be treated medically but, ironically, a lot of the medications used are contraindicated for people with breathing problems. Wouldn't you know it? My neurologist told me off the record that alcohol helps, and he didn't mean rubbing alcohol. A bottle of beer, a glass of wine, or a shot of hard liquor. My choice. Almost worth the tremors, wouldn't you say? I've tried it and it might have worked; I don't remember because I woke up under the table in Richie's Clam Bar in Bayonne, drooling on a guy named Nunzio who woke me from my peaceful slumber with his infernal snoring.