The creator of Downton Abbey and The Gilded Age, Julian Fellowes, has issued a health update after being diagnosed with an “incurable” diagnosis. In a new interview with Insightec, the Oscar-winning screenwriter, 76, gave fans an insight into his private health battle. The writer has been privately struggling with essential tremors for years, which has left him unable to do simple tasks without shaking, including holding a cup and writing by hand.
The new interview documents his health journey before, during, and after undergoing a “revolutionary” procedure. Recalling when he first became afflicted with the condition, he revealed: “It started for me around my mid-60s.
“At the beginning, I was in denial and I sort of said, ‘Oh, wonder what’s the matter with me today’. But gradually, I realised it was a condition.”
After speaking to a specialist, Fellowes said he was diagnosed with essential tremor [ET], a neurological condition that causes rhythmic shaking that the person can’t control, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The condition can affect any part of the body, but the trembling typically occurs in the hands. He went on: “One of the losses is handwriting. That is now impossible for me.”
Before the condition, the award-winner admitted that he had also become less social due to his condition. Fellowes added: “[The specialist] proclaimed it more or less incurable. So I am, of course, curious to see if that proves to be true.”
The writer connected with neurologists Dr. Peter Bain, Dr. Dipankar Nandi, and Dr. Brynmor Jones at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in the UK.
They would lead the “revolutionary”, non-invasive procedure, which concentrates ultrasound energy on a target without harming the healthy surrounding tissue.
In May, Fellowes underwent the MRI-guided treatment and later shared his experience in the tell-all interview. He revealed that he had to remain conscious during the procedure so that he could answer the doctor’s questions.
Because of this, the scriptwriter confessed he had to endure “a certain amount of pain” throughout. Thankfully, the procedure was a success and doctors say Fellowes’ tremor in his right hand was “greatly reduced” with “no adverse effects”.
Later in the interview, Fellowes is shown after the procedure demonstrating its effects. He is seen easily drawing circles on a piece of paper, showcasing his significant improvement from his previous state.
He admitted, looking at his steady right hand next to his trembling, untreated left hand: “That’s quite strange, actually, because I haven’t trusted myself to do that for some time.”
One month on from the procedure, Fellowes said that he now regained his ability to write as he encouraged others with ET to consider the life-changing treatment.
He explained: “I’ve had the treatment and I’ve, in a sense, cured the tremor in my right hand. And I want people to know that. When I lost the tremor in my right hand, and once I'd got the pleasure of being able to write again, which I now can, that was a big step for me.
“For me, my life is much more normal again because it worked. For me, at least, this was worth it and I haven’t regretted it for one second.”
