Please join me in helping to spread the word about Essential Tremor. March is Essential Tremor month. My novel ‘A faded Cottage’ a South Carolina’, a love story is about a man with Essential Tremor. ‘A Faded Cottage’ is a powerful story blending fact and fiction. It is a story about a famous artist whose life is turned upside down when he learns he has Essential Tremor and begins to shake uncontrollably. He leaves his life in New York and buys a faded cottage on the beach of South Carolina discovering his teenage love after thirty years. This is his journal of only two weeks, a story of endless love, his tale of living with ET, and the strength and power of love. Essential tremor (ET) is a progressive neurological condition that causes a rhythmic trembling of the hands, head, voice, legs, or trunk. An estimated 10 million Americans have ET. A portion of the proceeds from each book sold of “A Faded Cottage” will be donated to Diann Shaddox Foundation to help find a cure. www.diannshaddox.com A Faded Cottage “Happy Birthday, dumb ass!” Brenton Quaid Witherspoon’s words echoed into the roar of the waves. His heart pounded in his chest as the cold mist circled and engulfed him. The wetness he mopped from his face with the sleeve of his jacket revealed the eyes of a world-renowned artist, known for his superb paintings of the sea. Quaid watched the dark, cumulus clouds as they grew in the threatening sky, showing colors of grey, black, dark blue and a hint of orange bleeding through from the morning sun. His trembling hands reached out in front of him tightening into fists. His throat constricted, anger grew, with the realization he would never bring the beautiful scene to life on canvas ever again, merely in his dreams. He reached in his pocket ••• click read more below Here are a few trials and tribulations of living with ET. These are real people dealing with a real problem. Don't forget March is Essential Tremor Month!
Using a knife to cut vegetables. Most of the time I end up cutting myself. Burning myself when I take dishes out of the oven. Signing my name at a register in a store. Dialing a cell phone. Cutting a piece of cake or pie from a dish. ••• Keep reading Living with Essential Tremor click read more below My Life with Essential Tremor Diann Shaddox is a Native American Indian and a member of the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma. She’s an author, book-lover, and she has Essential Tremor. Diann was born on December 18th in a small southern town of Nashville, Arkansas, the youngest and only daughter of William and Mary Ann Shaddox. But, fate had stepped in and William, a crop-duster, at the age of 25, died in a plane crash on November 20th, the month before she was born, therefore, Diann was never able to meet her father. Three years later, Mary Ann, her mother, died leaving Diann to live with her grandparents. At the age of 10, Diann’s Granddad died of a stroke, leaving her Mamow alone to see to her. When Diann was in her early twenties life changed for her, her hands began to shake when she would do tedious work. No one, not even doctors, could figure out what was happening to her and they, the doctors, believed she was nervous, and just needed to calm down. One day, standing at the post office window in Louisville, Kentucky changed her world. A simple form containing her name and address, she wasn’t able to fill out. That one day she had to find her answers. A neurologist finally made the discovery that Diann had Essential Tremors.
Not letting anything deter her, she continued life with the determination she had learned from her grandmother. Diann was unrelenting to do tedious work like counted cross-stitch on linen, and playing the piano even with trembling hands. It was as if her mind would relax letting her hands work without thinking. She learned how to hide her hands out in public, how to grip her drinking glass with both hands, and how to use her body for cover as much as possible. Things seemed to be working for years, but on her birthday, December 18th, 2010 her hands were shaking uncontrollably. 2010 had been a year when many people began to question and stared at her wondering why she was nervous or thinking maybe, she was just weird. Being out in public was difficult, the stares were tough, and once more, the simple feat of filling out forms was devastating to her. Even being in a doctor's office was difficult as they questioned why she was so nervous, giving her stares. That night of December 18th Diann sat in her office at home, anger grew watching her hands quiver, and for once in her life feeling sorry for herself. The question of why, a question without an answer played in her mind. Being a writer the words began to flow and Quaid Witherspoon, a famous artist, was born. A man who had everything or so he thought, but now his hands had deserted him and his life of painting had ceased, becoming a bitter man. The story of Quaid Witherspoon, the novel 'A Faded Cottage', became an incredible love story, one about strength of mind to fight fate and never accept what life throws at you. Even though the stares will forever be, she won’t give up. Now, Diann is determined the word will spread about ET and she is going to help make it happen. May the power of many voices bring peace to us all. |