{"id":2511,"date":"2013-04-30T07:30:09","date_gmt":"2013-04-30T11:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/njcts.org\/teens4ts\/?p=2511"},"modified":"2013-04-30T07:30:09","modified_gmt":"2013-04-30T11:30:09","slug":"athens-day-5-following-in-some-big-footsteps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/njcts.org\/teens4ts\/athens-day-5-following-in-some-big-footsteps\/","title":{"rendered":"Athens Day 5: Following in some big footsteps"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"LauraAthens4\"<\/a>Saturday was the most bizarre and amazing day yet. Looking back on it, I don\u2019t even know where to start, so I\u2019ll just start with the morning.<\/p>\n

So I was at the conference at 8:30 a.m., a bit early, but I wanted to see the first speech. I almost fell asleep, so it\u2019s good that my sister got me a coke. Starting this day, as you know, I didn\u2019t know when I would speak during the day, either 10:20 a.m. or 1:45 p.m.<\/p>\n

The president of the European Society for the Study of Tourette Syndrome (ESSTS) asked the keynote speaker if it was OK for me to go first, and they talked a little and decided that I would go right AFTER the keynote — which is even better (read: more nerve-wracking) than before, because all the people would still be there, instead of being late for my speech (because they wouldn\u2019t have known about it before).<\/p>\n

So I sat there for more than an hour just waiting for the keynote (Dr. Robert King of Yale University, who frequently works with the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome<\/strong><\/a>, which lets me write on this awesome blog!) to end his speech. He named me a couple of times during his speech, to announce my speech, which was pretty cool.<\/p>\n

About an hour into his speech, he said for the first time “to close,” so I thought I would be on soon and I started to get nervous. He then continued for another TWENTY minutes while I was getting more nervous and nervous, because I didn\u2019t know when he was done. My heard was racing, and I actually got light in my head and I tried to do some breathing exercises which, of course, didn\u2019t help.<\/p>\n

\"LauraAthens5\"<\/a>When he finally was finished, I got up there and just started talking. The only memory I have of that is really a blur and a couple of faces, like Prof. Mary Robertson, a doctor from the Netherlands and a couple others. I didn\u2019t look at my sister and my therapists because I knew they would probably have tears in their eyes of some sort, and I didn\u2019t want to cry myself (and it turned out I was right, and they weren\u2019t the only ones with teary eyes).<\/p>\n

There were about 100-120 people in the audience, and ALL the big people in the European TS world (and a couple from America as well) were there. My sister took a picture from the audience, so you can imagine what it looked like (and the picture doesn\u2019t include a lot of full lines).<\/p>\n

When I was done, I walked back to my sister, took my phone and the camera she used to make pictures and walked to the back. I felt like I was either going to faint or cry. I was shaking so hard, I thought I was going to drop everything on the floor. I went to sit on the side of the pool, just to calm down and relax a bit.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t put anything on Facebook or Twitter yet because I didn\u2019t know how to put it in words. I still don\u2019t know — nothing I write covers the feeling I had. I texted a friend, but I guess that was all random words, but luckily she understood what I said.<\/p>\n

I got a lot of reactions, of course from Mary Robertson, but even from Dr. King, which was quite funny because he asked for my e-mail address to get me in contact with NJCTS and the Youth Ambassador program<\/strong><\/a>. But of course I\u2019m already in contact with NJCTS, because that\u2019s why I write this blog! I gave him my card anyway — can\u2019t hurt right!<\/p>\n

In the afternoon, we had the meeting with the different patient organizations, which was very inspiring! We have a lot of great ideas, and hopefully Europe will know them very soon! I love to be in a meeting where there\u2019s been taken action and I know we are going to carry out these idea\u2019s very soon, plans are already made!<\/p>\n

June 7, the birthday of Mary Robertson, will — from this year on — be the annual European Tourette Day to create awareness and such. We made plans for this year and for next year as well, and I really love them!<\/p>\n

Later, we went to dinner with a lot of Dutch therapists and doctors, and some non-Dutch as well. With the Dutch professionals, I discussed June 7 a bit and what we wanted to do that day. And we made great plans again! It\u2019s a shame I can\u2019t tell you everything, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s right to put it all online. The important thing is that we are going to join together in making the most out of June 7.<\/p>\n

Saturday was a turning point. I don\u2019t even know of what exactly, but it started with a dream coming true and it ended in creating other dreams, making them into plans and getting some action!<\/p>\n

I really think that from now on, we can achieve a lot of great things. And I\u2019ll be in all the plans. I now know so many people who all like me very much (which is quite humbling, I must say!) that I know, one way or another, the work will be done and the plans will be turned into action.<\/p>\n

They keep thanking me for my contribution to the conference (I even got a really nice handbag from my therapists!), but really, I have to thank them for giving me the opportunity to for fill my dreams and to go beyond them to the point I couldn\u2019t even imagine.<\/p>\n

Now, my sister and I will finish off the trip with some sightseeing, shopping and sunbathing, so there won\u2019t be a blog anymore, just the occasional picture on Facebook and Twitter to make you all jealous. ;)<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know what the future holds, but I know now it\u2019s a lot, so this certainly won\u2019t be my last blog on the NJCTS website! I hope you\u2019ve all enjoyed my road to the ESSTS Training School and Meeting, and I\u2019ll post some pictures later this week to round it all up!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Saturday was the most bizarre and amazing day yet. Looking back on it, I don\u2019t even know where to start, so I\u2019ll just start with the morning. So I was at the conference at 8:30 a.m., a bit early, but… Continue Reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":417,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[34,38,212,237],"yoast_head":"\nAthens Day 5: Following in some big footsteps - Teens4TS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Saturday was the most bizarre and amazing day yet. Looking back on it, I don\u2019t even know where to start, so I\u2019ll just start with the morning. 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