{"id":2832,"date":"2013-07-31T07:30:20","date_gmt":"2013-07-31T11:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/njcts.org\/tsparents\/?p=2832"},"modified":"2013-07-31T07:30:20","modified_gmt":"2013-07-31T11:30:20","slug":"book-review-no-2-welcome-to-biscuit-land","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/njcts.org\/tsparents\/book-review-no-2-welcome-to-biscuit-land\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review No. 2: “Welcome To Biscuit Land”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Biscuitland\"<\/a>As I mentioned in a previous post<\/strong><\/a>, I had the opportunity review a book by the very talented and funny Jessica Thom called “Welcome to Biscuit Land.”<\/p>\n

Not unlike the other Tourette book I had the honor of reviewing<\/strong><\/a>, “Welcome to Biscuitland” left me feeling both grateful and protective all at once — grateful for brave women like Thom who aren’t afraid to fearlessly write about their experiences with severe TS, but also protective of parents who are new to the confusing syndrome of this disorder.<\/p>\n

As I mentioned in my last post, there are some people with Tourette who absolutely jerk, shake, curse and wind up in wheelchairs for their own personal safety when their tics become unmanageable. But there is a much higher percentage of folk who live with medium to mild TS (like my own child) and simply do not fit the stereotype of the shrieking, flailing ticker who illicit stares and insults from the public as ruthlessly as nonsense talk over Kate Middleton’s post-pregnancy belly.<\/p>\n

The above disclaimers stated, the absolute facts are that I adored this book — not just for Thom’s honesty, but for her humor. Thom has a way of writing that is so outrageously funny, she immediately put me at ease about her condition. It’s clear from the very beginning of her book — written in the style of a one-year diary — that there is a big difference between Thom inviting us to laugh about the more humorous aspects of her Tourette and having ignorant people laugh at her.<\/p>\n

Example 1:<\/strong> Thom Inviting us to Laugh at TS: “For the last five years I’ve kept track of my regular tics, the ones I say or do over and over again (for months or even years on end).” … “The vast majority of my tics tend not to be triggered by events or my surroundings at all, and a lot of them are completely inoffensive:<\/p>\n