Folks...
 

hi there TS folks...

the forum seems a bit empty as of late...just wondering how everyone's doing?

I hope everyone is doing well...

:)

I went to a TS convention in Washington DC back in 1998. It was one of the highlights of my life. I've met some really awesome folks and when I got home, I told my mother, I felt like I went to a TS buffet: All you can tic...

:D

anyways...I know this may sound weird, but I am thankful for my TS...it's helped made me and shaped me the person that I am today. No, it's not much...but it's made me a better person....I truly believe that...

anyways...

:)

That is a great attitude you have.

So who is the awesome person you met?:)

Lyn

Sorry, I just re read it, I thought you meant you had met someone, when you were really saying you'd met awesome people in general.

It has been very quiet here lately, I keep popping in though.

Still think your attitude is wonderful. :hug:

I just wanted to let you know that although I live in a smallish city, the main television network here has recently started running advertisements about TS.

The ads explain to the general public what Tourette Syndrome is, what tics are and how they manifest themselves. How great is that?

I'd never seen an advertisement about TS on our televisions before, and this one has given me the oportunity to discuss the condition with my DH. I've now given him some basic education about it, and if every family were to do the same thing, just imagine how many more members of the public would be educated about TS.

I noticed a few days ago that they're now doing the same thing with multiple sclerosis. :D

Wow, that's great. :) TS awareness. If you don't mind me asking, what country are you in? I'm in Australia.

There really needs to be so much more of this.

Does the add show that there are different degrees of TS?

One of my main concerns has been that the media always portrays the extreme cases, and people come to believe that is the way it is.

No wonder parents are so scared when they get a diagnosis like that for their child.

I'd love to see that add, just to get some idea how they've done it.

Take care,
Lyn.

hi lyn,

i'm sure moi will be back and tell you who he met. yep..some special people. :D

ts is out in the open where i live. especially in the schools. it's expalined to the kids. their reaction..oh..ok. then it's like no big deal.

it's sad when kids aren't told. then their imaginations wander. they accept things like this.

one of my daughter friends in choir has ts. her tis are just part of her. it's not distracting to the kids. never been an issue at concerts.

i'd love to see that commercial too anne. awareness is the key.

:grouphug:

here is a link to the ads:

http://www.tourette.org.au/television.htm

Do I count Muwah?? I'll be gone until Sun, but wanted to pop in and say Hello to everyone!

Thank you so much for adding those links Curious, and yes....those are the ads that I meant. My DH had never heard of TS, so when the ads started airing I was able to explain to him what it was all about.

I live in Tasmania lynnie1264, so hello from a fellow Aussie.:D

great adds!
 

:) Hello everyone...

Thankyou so much for the links to the adds.

I'm in Aust and had no idea about Tourettes awareness week. :(

Wish these adds were Australia wide. They are very tastefully done too. They even included the twirl in the second one , my son has that at times.

I'm tossing up if I'll show him the adds, because sometimes he says that to see others tic make him want to do it. Does anyone find that?

Isn't the boy in the add adorable? Good on him for doing it.

Curious... you say it's out in the open where you are... how was this acheived?
Over here not much is known, and when shows like 60 mins have extreme cases on their shows and no real explanation of the different degrees of it, people think TS is just that.

If you mention TS people either have never heard of it or see it as portrayed on TV.

Thanks again,
Lyn.:grouphug:

{really do wish those adds were here too. lol}

hi lyn,

my daughters school distict strives to "main stream" all kids. they want all kids in the regular class rooms and not put in "special education".

to isolate kids from their peers does more harm than good.

so from a young age, kids are taught. it might be a child with ts, or cp, downs syndrome or something else, who is in their class. the kids are educated on what makes these kids who they are. it takes the scare factor and the guess work out of it for the kids. if they guess, boy can they make up wild stories. :wink:

one of her dearest friends since 1st grade has severe aspargers and other dx's. if this girl had never been put in regular classes, they wouldn't have met and made such a special bond.

my own daughter, known on this forum as lil'monkey (pictures in my profile :)) was born with a hemengioma that grew, turned gangrene and almost killed her. it was on her neck. very noticable. HUGE, in fact. she had surgery right before starting school.

even when she still had it, if she was asked what it was, no big deal. it was those, especially adults :rolleyes:, who didn't asked and stared or made rude comments.

her scar, that is the funny thing. it still has some of the red of the hemegioma. cracks her up when people think she has almost had her head chopped off. :p she is good about it. doesn't make up wild stories about how she got her scar. she was warned about no pirate stories. :D

education. these kids will grow up and make the change for future generations and hopefully the make the ignorance go away.

Curious... that sounds like a great school. Why can't eveywhere be like that? It's the ideal way to make kids grow up with the understanding that though we may all be different, we're still humans with feelings.

I wish those adds had been shown all over Aust, I'm wondering if they were only shown in Tasmania? I've given the link to a few others whoses kids have TS.

I agree that we need to start with the kids to change the future as far as accepting others is concerned. Generally I think most kids are accepting to start with, but the adults can sometimes change the childs perspective.

My eldest son {he'ss 22 now} made me so proud when he was in gr 5. He had made friends with a new boy at the school and he'd always come home talking about him. About 3 weeks later he brought him over to our house. My son had never mentioned that his friend had had a stroke 4 yrs earlier that had left him dragging one side of his body, his hand bent and slurred speech.

After his friend left I asked my son why he had never mentioned his friends problems before. My boy just looked at me dumbfounded and said "Why? He's no different to anyone else." I felt my heart swell.

Even now they are very good mates, and my son MADE his group of friends include this boy in their group. His mother has said she will always be grateful to him for that.

Just thought I'd share that.

Thanks,
Lyn.

Hi All

Just thought you might be interested to know in 2006 in the UK: Pete Benette won BIG BROTHER..He was voted to win by the public, and was the bookies and publics favourite from the first day.
http://www.tiscali.co.uk/events/2007...ners/browse/11

He did more for TS than anyone or thing has ever done in the UK.

David

thanks for starting this thread Moi :hug:



I think the TSA really has done a lot in the USA to bring TS to the public awareness, especially by backing things like the HBO documentary and of course pushing hard enough to finally get the education classification under Americans with Disability Act

lots of advocacy, activism and funding of research from them too

http://www.tsa-usa.org

Well I think you turned out pretty wonderful but then again I am prejudiced cause I happen to wuVVVV you and Moss!

Moi, you and my son would get on really well:)

we once had a thread at the old forum where I met Lara (sure miss ya Lara:hug: ) about all the positives about TS and it was always amazing to read through and go yeah ! yeah! yeah!:p

my son realized early in his life that living with TS was going to be an enormous challenge and like you, he chose to have humor as a foundation to help him thru that challenge and began to build on all the plusses that TS brought, not just those artistic and intuitive ones, but also the compassion that it can open up toward others.

My son was so astonished at the ignorance that abounds about neurological disorders in general. as well as TS in particular, and from sometimes having to endure ridicule for the tics from kids and misunderstanding by adults. He started advocating at a young age, especially amongst his peers and spoke at a couple of TSA meetings over the past 8 years. (proud mama :circlelove: :D)


he knows it has made him a better person too.

LOL one reason he dint keep going regularly to the TS meetings is that he "catches" tics:winky: I know a number of TSers who say the same. One girl we know volunteers for the TS summer camps as a counsellor and always joked how she comes home with all these new tics.

I loved your "all you can tic" buffet bit hehehehehe

I'm really pleased now that I thought to mention the advertisements, and I thank you Curious for posting those links.

I don't know where you live Linnie, but why don't you contact the Australian TS Society and ask them about the ads? I'm in Launceston so you can tell them that they're being aired here. They're probably running in Hobart as well, as we usually get the same ads unless it's advertising about local businesses or events.

I was going to suggest contacting your TV networks, but they can only show what they've been directed to show.

Good luck!

hi folks,

thanks for all the replies and links and suggestions but most of all, awesome friendship....

am going through some personal depression right now so have been feeling a bit of lost for words....

but wanted to come in here and thank you all because I truly DO care about you guys so very much...

will be back and catch up and post....

((((BIG HUGS))))

(((((((moi)))))))

:hug:pretty cool you will have some catch of reading to do here huh? :D

before I leave for the day and now that I've caught up in reading. :)

I do want to say that YES, a lot of TSers can pick up other TSers's tics.

After the convention of 1998, I came back with some really cool tics...LOL

But they are not permanant...the ones that are MINE stayed, the ones I picked up, went away after a short stint...I guess my main tics treated them as fleas...;)

you all have made me feel "normal"

I know there is no true definition of "normal"

but I know that I do feel that way, whenever I visit you guys. :)

Alrighty, will be back to catch up...

:grouphug:

i noticed the same catch a tic phenominon...heheh..correct my spelling ok moi? on a tv show that had ts kids at a camp.

maybe it's kid thing. they pick up other kids speak patterns and habits very fast. we know moi is a kid at heart. :D :hug:

i have to add, my husband picks up new slang type words fast too. so does lil'monkey. i make sure i never say yadda yadda. lil'monkey said it so much that grandmonkey still calls her yaddie.

well, since you asked... ;)

fanaminon. It is when one is cutting an onion and started to cry then decides to grab a fan to to blow away tear gas only to make it worse...LOL

and I don't think it is a kid thing. LOL

I think a lot of TSers there picked up a few tics here and there

a lot of TSers went to the chatroom afterwards to discuss what fun tics we picked up during the convention...LMAO...and all of us were adults 25 yo or older...LOLOL but I AM a kid at heart ;)....I still watch cartoons...:o

but it is interesting that you've pointed out that some folks such as your hubby picks up slang faster....

Not saying he has TS..LOL

but I remembered when we used to BS at the TS forum and I remembered asking or doing a poll to see if TS is a part of augmentation of certain part of the brain...

that perhaps we are one of the steps of evolution (don't want to get into Theological discussion so please bear that in mind, folks. LOL) that had gone wrong. (I use the word, wrong loosely, nothing wrong with TSers)

and that TSers may be presenting of what is either wrong OR right with the next step of evolution?

It can get deeper but I can't think straight right now...but if anyone wants to give me any input, I am really a very open person...I am like Sponge Bob...LOL I soak up everything...imbrue by imbuing.... ;)

do want to say this:

Lynn, it is very nice meeting you. I will come back and post about the convention some day...it was simply awesome. :)

k77, thanks so much for telling us about the ads in Australia...those are so well done and I wish they would be able to do that all around the world one day...

DM, of course you count!! All I have to do is take away the "M" in your MS and put a "T" there...there, you are now honorary TSers. LOLOL

Dmack: dude, you know I highly respect you and thanks so much for posting that link...I think that was awesome...I hope his singing career takes off. :)

Cheri: I would love to meet your son one day. I wish I had the insight that your son has at his age. I am only coming into being the past few years and I felt like I have wasted all the other years dwelling...

your son serves as a FINEST example and I hope you'll tell us more and more about him....and I think it will help others, myself included...

but I must say this also, it is better late than never and I am so glad I finally got my head outta my (_!_). LOL

Nae, thanks, LOLOL You just want to butter up to us GeeChee people...LOLOL
but you are honorary Geechee... ;) and we wuv you too!

monkey: I have to say something nice to you, don't I?? LMAO......
you know you rock. OK, but that's all you're gonna get ;)


Alrighty, need to get my butt off here...

:grouphug:

I do want to apologize for not coming to the TS forum since I've been to NT..after talking about TS for a few years I just didn't know what to say anymore...

I did some search to see where a lot of the members of the TS forum are...and it seems that a lot of them haven't logged on for a while....

I want to apologize for not being more supportive to them here...*sigh...

I hope if anyone new comes to the TS forum to know that there are a lot of caring folks...and if anyone shall return, please send a holler.... :)

and if anyone needs me, please give me a shout out or PM me...I'll be glad to help in any way that I can...I might take awhile sometimes....but I will always try...

I do have to admit that I have NOT updated myself with the latest researches and such...so, I don't have the answers to those questions.

what I can offer, is another POV of someone who's lived with it and still am....

:hug:

Koala77...:)

Just thought I'd mention that those TS ads are being shown in Brisbane, Qld. I still haven't seen them but my daughter came back from Grandmas today {she's been there for the 2 week school hols} and asked me if I'd seen them. I was so happy they're showing them.

I haven't been able to watch much TV since the kids have been home, the playstation is always plugged into it, or there's a DVD on. :mad: Oh well, keeps them happy.:rolleyes:

Just thought I'd let you know.
Lyn.

Thanks Lyn, that's excellent news!

You wouldn't believe this, but yesterday when I watched some TV I watched All Saints, which is an Aust. hospital drama, and they had a patient with TS. (the vocal type with the bad language.....well .. it was a drama show ! )

Later I watched Boston Legal..... and they have a character on staff with TS as well. He has a whole heap of different tics, maybe some-one else has seen that show?

All the time those TS ads are still being shown. :D

I'm so sorry that I'd never picked up on this before, but I'm so glad that I have now. My DH is much more informed and I think he understands now, and I hope to be able to spread some education amongst others that I know.

Wouldn't it be good if everyone who saw these ads and/or programs, were to do the same?