Part of Me

    There are times in everyone's life who has TS or any other disorder that is lesser-known and/or publicly visible, when one is faced with having to fend off ignorant comments or actions. I've been fortunate enough not to encounter many of these moments, but that doesn't make it any less hurtful. On one such occasion I had a run-in with a professor, in college, who thought that because I had asked for an extension on an assignment that I was using my disorder as an excuse. Before that I could never imagine a professor being so cruel and it took a while to get past it. I don't know about the rest of you out there who live with TS, but to me, it was one of the highest insults.
    What is my point in telling you this story? Well, last week I gave a brief description on what Tourette Syndrome is and got a lot of readership from it, so I thought I would follow up a bit. I don't believe people without TS and even some who have it realize what an integral part of your life it becomes. It becomes so much a part of you that, at times, you may not even notice light ticcing. You may not even notice others who are ticcing around you, because to you it's as normal as sneezing. Just like a sneeze it can be troublesome, but that doesn't mean it is the bane of your existence. Those of us who are born with it usually learn to look at the world with a different eye. Hopefully, in most cases, it is with a deeper perception and a big heart.
    I live with TS every day and every night. I would be a different person were it not for my TS. I'm not cursed or "doomed" to live a life with TS. I am blessed to have been given an open heart for people who are not the same as me and the ability to look at people with a more unbiased discernment - a difficult task in today's untrusting society. To get a deeper look at what TS is and looks like, take a look at this excerpt from HBO's I Have Tourettes, But Tourettes Doesn't Have Me.

This second photo is courtesy of Jackie Ruth Gold.

What is it?

    As I originally said in the beginning, I created this blog as a portal into the world of Tourette Syndrome. I planned it originally to be a follow-up to an informational lecture. However, said lectures will not be taking place until later in the year, so that being said I thought it would be nice to give everyone a general explanation of what TS is.
   Tourette Syndrome is a genetic neurological disorder characterized by involuntary motor and vocal tics including, but not limited to: shaking, jerking, pressing, squeaking, etc. No one case is the same. The tics are preceded by a premonitory urge. Attempting to suppress the tics only causes undue stress on the individual. In order to be diagnosed with TS, one has to have motor tics and at least one vocal tic for a period of more than one year. This does not mean that the tics stay the same. They are always changing in frequency, type, and severity. Coprolalia (involuntary swearing) is the most publicized part of TS. However, it is only one cheerio in the box. Less than 10% of the TS population has it and just because they get it, doesn't mean they'll always have it. As I said, tics come and go.
    I will say one thing about Coprolalia on my proverbial soap box. First off, it's offensive to the TS Community that that is all most people are shown about us. It gives a bad, limited image of an already lesser-known disorder. Secondly, it doesn't really reflect badly on us. It reflects badly on the narcissistic, single minded people behind all that bad publicity - that they would stoop so low as to make something serious into a joke to get a boost in ratings, get a laugh, etc. at others' expense.

Music To My Ears

    Good Evening! I got some great inspiration for my blog today and thought I would give my own spin on it. I was reading a comment on the TS FaceBook group I belong to and a boy mentioned how music helps him. I love music. I have noise-canceling headphones that I wear with MP3 player and I love it. It's like reading a good book in that it can feel like I'm in a whole new world. (No pun intended lol) When I put them on and I start singing and dancing, my tics don't bother me. They outside world takes a back seat and so do my tics.
    So, an update on Jazzercise. I love it! I took tap and jazz when I was little and it's so great to be dancing again. Then there's that great perk of getting exercise. I've been going every other day with little to no soreness. I was talking to a friend at Jazzercise the other day and mentioned that I had TS. Her reply was, "You must have them (my tics) really under control." However, I explained to her that when I dance, the tics take a back seat because I'm so focused on what I'm doing. Not to mention there's so much movement going on that I don't have time to tic! That's a good thing by the way. I have also noticed an improvement in mood and anxiety levels. It's so that I always look forward to going back.

Tic Replacement

    Has anyone ever been sitting in class, a business meeting, or a friendly  get-together and all of the sudden there's a sudden twinge in your foot and you feel like if you don't scratch it, you'll just scream? So you take your discreetly move your foot around pretending that nothing is going on, but that itch is still there and you cannot get it to stop. That is what some tics feel like. If you don't press, shake, sniff, etc. just right, not only will the feeling not go away, but it gets worse.
    I have a particularly bad pressing tic on my shoulder. Sometimes my muscles get sore and tense from it too. Unfortunately, when it's bad, no matter how many times I press, the feeling will not go away. I heard about this thing called tic replacement therapy or habit reversal.  A consultant of mine suggested getting a hand grip and whenever I have the tic, instead of pressing my shoulder, to press on the hand grip. Now for someone with TS, a regular grip wouldn't cut it, because there's individual fingers involved. While researching different grips, I found the Grip Master. It can work your fingers individually and has a number of uses. The best part is they're small and discreet and there's different strengths for different people. I ended up getting mine on Amazon and going with the extra light tension, which is 3lbs. per finger, which may sound like a lot but actually isn't. There's an xxlight too.
    So, I suppose you're all wondering what I thought of it. I was pretty hesitant about it at first. Would it work? Would it cause another tic? It's no miracle cure and it didn't help overnight, but I found that by working each finger individually and/or all at once (with the hand that did the pressing) that it did actually seem to help. It reduced the tic. The trick has been to remember that I have it and when I get the tic, to use my gripper.

Jazzercise

Good afternoon everyone!
    It's been a great morning. My mum and I spent the morning making carrot scones, cream of carrot soup, and eggy bagels. Mmmm, the house smells so good and everything came out so well. My first cream soup all on my own. :D Yay!
    So this week I started a new workout routine. During this time of year my anxiety levels are higher and in succession, so are my tics. I've been experiencing lots of grimacing, eye crossing, and muscle clenching tics. We had been look for a place for me for while. Something that would be interactive, easy on the knees, and had multiple classes a week. We found Jazzercise. It combines Jazz, aerobics, kick boxing, and yoga to make sure you get to work all your muscles. There are ladies in my classes ranging from their teens to their eighties - no joke! Each class is a little different so that you don't get bored and the instructors are fully licensed and tell you how to do it so that you don't injure yourself or if you have a sensitive area. So, far I've experienced minimal soreness the following days and I always feel good afterwards. I definitely don't have to worry about ticcing during Jazzercise. I'm going to keep it up and see how things go. I will let you know in a two weeks how it's going, so make sure you come back for an update! I'm off to peruse the isles of Books-A-Million (BAM).