EDITOR’S NOTE: Every Tuesday, noted Tourette Syndrome advocate Troye Evers shares his “52 Weeks of TS” blog journal with the TSParentsOnline community. In cased you missed any of the first 19 weeks, you can read them here. For more information about Troye, please click on his name or visit his website.
So this week I’m going to start off talking about today. I’m a person who tries to think of my glass as half full — today it was filled to the rim. I just returned home from the TSA national walk for a cure, and I just don’t know how to describe my feelings. I’m so overwhelmed with joy at the great turnout and the support we have out there. It was so great to be among more than 200 people walking for this cause.
I felt free to let my tics out and not feel as if I had to suppress them and or be judged by them. It was also great to meet so many new friends, and families and fellow supporters. I do have to say I’m in a little pain because I did let all my tics out, and as we know we feed off fellow ticcers, so my tics were having a field day. I took a Klonopin to try to calm myself and hopefully calm the tics a little bit and some Tylenol for the headache and neck pain from the tics.
Overall, this has been a good week. I did hurt my wrist and am wearing a brace because of one of my tics. I have a tic were I squeeze my wrist and stretch it, and I think I might of strained a muscle. This is just another thing I have to deal with, having this strange disorder.
I think this tic is like a cover-up tic. I do it on the train, or when I’m somewhere that I’m trying to suppress my other tics. I think many of us do this, we have cover up tics. Even though we try to suppress our tics, we are still doing something to feel the release. I do this a lot at work too, because I’m trying to suppress my tics there and also I constantly have the handshakes.
There have been a few times that clients have notice my hands shaking, as if I drank too much caffeine, and I tell them it’s part of my TS. I actually discussed this with one of my clients this week. It might bother a person at first, but then they see I still do a stellar job on their hair. Who knows, maybe the shaking makes me better. :)
I did have a funny thing happen to me this week.
I was at a bar with a friend having a couple drinks and ticcing away as usual. Another one of my tics is touching my face usually my nose. Most of the time I do it three times, or until I feel it has been done right. I’m still not even sure what right is. As were sitting there, I notice a guy looking at me from across the bar. Eventually he came over, sat down next to me, and tried to start a conversation. It wasn’t long before he asked me if I had any more, or if I had a number.
At first I was confused, but caught on fast. He thought I was doing coke. I guess with my look it could be a common assumption seeing as I’m covered in tattoos, and sitting In a bar, but I explained that I wasn’t on any drug, but I had TS. I started to try and do a little education talk, but he wasn’t too interested. I think he thought I was lying and didn’t want to share, but he quickly got up and walked away. Well bye then. This makes me wonder, how many other people think I’m a cokehead instead of having a neurological disorder.
A Facebook friend shared an article with me this week saying that the enzyme that makes yogurt actually can help calm down tics. He just shared this with me a couple days ago, but I’m going to do a self-study. I love yogurt, and I’ve gone through phases of eating it but never really paid attention to it helping my tics. This week I’m going to eat a yogurt every morning and just see if it does help at all. I’m sure yogurt isn’t the cure for TS, but hey, if it will calm down my tics, I’ll try anything.
I’m getting excited about leaving for Martha’s Vineyard for a couple months. I leave in a couple weeks and I just can’t wait to get out of the city, mainly for the sake of my OCD. I know I’ll still deal with my germ OCD in the vineyard, but not as much as in NYC. I’ve been here for 17 years, and it really has to be one of the worst places to be if you’re a germaphobe.
So many people and everyone has to touch you, but the city has its ups and downs. With my inability to drive, NY has one of the best public transportation systems, but that’s just the thing, It’s public. It’s just something I have to deal with, life can’t be perfect. Hell, if it was, I wouldn’t have TS and neither would the millions of other people.
Nevertheless, it’s not perfect, so we deal with what we’re given, and we support each other in any way we can. We have walks, we have groups and we have each other, what else can we ask for? I know I’ll be excited to actually get to Martha’s Vineyard, but I will also be excited to come home when the time comes. Plus I’m really not sure how well bubble boy will deal at the beach. He can’t go swimming, he’d probably just float away. :)
Well it’s been a long day and a long week, and I think I’m going to take a nice nap, watch a movie, and have some yogurt. I’ve had a great week, and have such a great feeling of pride for what I’ve done. Remember we all have to get involved. The more we get involved, the more connected we become and hopefully one-step closer to a cure.
Until next week, “I’ll tic to you later.”
