When You Can't Fix the Tics, Fix Yourself
In an effort to get people connected, you can now find posts from this site as well as other inspirational T.S. related stuff, on Facebook.
Follow me here! Feel free to write me, also, at HappilyTickedOff@Gmail.com
Talk at you soon – and can’t wait to connect.
In my third video of a series of acupuncture pieces, Martina Eberhard discusses the difference between Chinese and Western Medicine. Hint: It’s not that one doctor’s office has Fortune Cookies. Though if one did, I would make sure yours read: “Focus on you child’s gifts today!”
Happy end of weekend.
Andrea
My last post about my tic resolutions (what I can change, what I can’t, and having wisdom to know the difference) generated quite a bit of buzz over at The New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome where my blog is syndicated. While many people 100% got my point of view, I got a couple pretty negative comments. I had a few reactions:
1. Wow, cool! I’m finally pissing people off! People are reading!
2. Ouch, ick. That stung. Poor me. Let me go cry to my friends on my “Twitch and Bitch” forum.
3. Logical schmodgical: What if I really am offensive?
#3 stuck to me for a variety of reasons. Let’s start a new list, shall we?
1. I’m not writing this blog just for me. I’m writing it for others. It’s my duty, as an “educator” to be sure I am communicating effectively.
2. There’s a fine line between being a narcissist and writing compelling, memoir-driven articles.
3. Most interesting realization of all: Insecure people, even among friends and family, will often skewer people they know as being narcissistic because of their preconceived views of who that person is and should be within the framework of their very own insecure lives. People have a much easier time extolling the virtues of “other” writers – you know, the ones with the pretty book jackets who end up on “The View” or “Huffington Post” – who already have stamps of approval by the public at large.
4. Referring to #3, once my book goes, said haters and cynics will suddenly tout me as being right all along. Yeah me!
5. As a Christian, I would be nothing more than a hypocrite to push any of this in their face, or respond to negativity with like. I must love them as Christ loves me, and if I can’t, enter Christ. For those in the #3 camp, this #5 statement makes me not only a narcissist but a self-righteous one at that.
6. This leaves me with #6: “If God is for me, who could be against me?’ Romans 8:31
I don’t just tout #6 as a fun inspirational flag-waving-attempting-to-accept-tics-and-not-ruffle-feathers-mama. I feel it. I care about people, but if people don’t like me, I don’t really care. It’s lovely living in this place! Come join me if you haven’t bought property yet. The neighbors are friendly, there’s lots of laughter and the wine is fabulous! (Being good on the wine, relax.)
I did write to Jeff Weber, New Jersey’s fearless web master, to be sure I wasn’t being offensive. He gave me the pass, so off I go to do what I do!
Acupuncture Update: In closing, Stink’s vocals are still gone. He was complaining of loose stools from the supplements he was on, so we backed it in half. Unfortunately, his head shakes came back full force. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that Martina, his acupuncturist, believes he just needs to adjust to it slowly and the tics will go back down.
Martina Does Acupuncture Phone Consultations: Want a consultation on how to find an acupuncturist for your child in your area? Martina is available for phone consultations. She won’t recommend specific businesses, but she’ll get a sense of your child’s symptoms and then tell you what to look for in the right person, giving you specific acupuncture terms to use in narrowing down the right professional for your child’s needs.
Martina’s Consultant Fees: She charges $40/half hour, $60/hour. She’s versed in nutrition and supplements and can lead you in the right direction. Look soon for a new video of her treating Stink!
Martina’s In-Person Fees: Martina is in the L.A. area. Consult her directly for prices. Rates go down if you buy a packaged deal which, honestly, is recommended as she will want to start treatment 3 days/week and reduce as symptoms wane.
Martina’s Contact Info: You can find info on her at the link above. For quick reference, call her at 818-378-4157. You can also look up her website or email her at Martina@YPIH@Gmail.com
Tell her Andrea from Happily Ticked Off referred you. I get absolutely no referal fee for this, but it does help her adjust her prices to you. (Pssst. I’m takign care of you!)
Check out more posts about Tourettes at the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome where this blog is syndicated.
* Picture is “Woman in a Purple Coat” by Matisse. It always inspires me to live a life of purpose, joy and love. She just looks so relaxed, yet confident. I’ll take some of that, and a back scratch. Thanks!
Keeping this short as I’m at work. (Unless you’re my boss reading, in which case I am diligently coming up with 75 Examiner Headlines.)
How was your holiday season? How are the tics? How are you dealing with them?
One dear friend of mine from my private group keeps a Victory journal. It’s a faith-based writing memoir in which she shares her struggles and hopes for her son with God. By writing down verses and scriptures, she has an automatic go-to way to release some of her fears. I love that!
As for me, I am a pray-er and list maker. Here are my goals for dealing with Tourettes this year. Would love to hear yours.
Fantasy Goal
Not let tics bug me in the least!
Realistic Goal
Find the courage to accept the tics I cannot change, change the tics I can, and have the wisdom to know the difference.
Vocal Tics Gone
Thanks to acupuncture, Stink’s vocal tics are gone. I mean GONE. Given how much crap he ate over Christmas, combined with video games and lack of sleep, I don’t believe this is just coincidence or part of the tic cycle. Acupuncture is the reason, so I’m grateful. (Stay tuned this week as I video tape the lovely Martina speaking on this subject!)
Still Shaky Shaky
Unfortunately, my son’s head shakes/nods are at an all time high. I mean, NON stop. (How they don’t bug him is amazing. I honestly get so drained being around it sometimes. I swear, it’s ME who needs some kind of hyno-therapy for this. Still, not depressed like I was years back. Just working on acceptance. There is hope!)
Martina thinks that the supplements will kick in after six weeks and to be patient until then. If the constant shakes don’t go away, it’s time to reconsider how much time he spends on the computer.
NOTE: I pray that he does find relief via the herbs she is prescribing, because he SOOOO loves his gaming. He is not playing all day. He plays weekends only. During vacation he plays 1 – 2 hours/day. This might seem like a lot, but as a kid, I watched TV 1 hour-2 hours/day. I also biked and ran and hung out with friends, just like Stink. We’ll have to see.
Realistic Plan for 2014 for Tic Treatment
* Gluten free unless a birthday party in which he gets pizza and cake. (Similar to me and wine. It’s all moderation.)
* Computers weekends only except 10 minutes/during week to feed some virtual plant in some game. (I know, it’s dumb)
* New sport introduced for daily exercise
* Dog for him to walk daily! (Stay tuned! He got a promise for a dog on New Year’s Day which was also his 11th birthday! Tics increase in the tween years, so I’m keeping this in mind.)
* Acupuncture 3 days/week + supplements
More Hardcore Plan if tics don’t decrease by Spring
* No 10 minute virtual plant feeding during week
* Going dairy free again
* Revisit the idea of Brain Balance now that I’m working and might be able to swing the 5K
* Consider some kind of Lens Treatment for tics
* Revisit an environmental doc to guide me on pros and cons of letting a kid be a kid (video games) and supplementing with good stuff I’m already doing
For Me
* Daily exercise
* No wine during the week
* Church on Sundays with family
* Bible Study daily (just ten minutes)
* Life Group (small groups of people thru church) to connect with once/week and remind me that my life is not based on tics but something so much greater than myself
I pray that 2014 brings you peace that transcends understanding. I pray that you (and I) remember that all kids have something. We can’t always fix the tics, but we can encourage the gifts our kids are born with. Personality trumps Tourette Syndrome. Love you all!
Check out more posts about Tourettes at the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome where this blog is syndicated.
Good news! This post is not as long as Sunday’s “War And Peace” expo Stink is seeing relief already from one treatment of acupuncture yesterday. I am so relieved. He came home calmer, with a 75% reduction in vocals. He still sported major eye rolling and head shakes/head butts, but his acupuncturist says it’ll take a week or so to really get suckers subdued.
I’m lucky as my son’s healer (and the source of my new found hope) is the incredibly talented Martina Eberhard who just happens to live across the street from me. She practices out of a darling 3 bedroom, wood floored, 1950’s cottage home. Her treatment room smells like heaven. It’s about about as clean and professional as any first-rate office park salon. In fact, it’s easier to relax in as the whole house is flooded with a personal warmth. Parking structure and cement? No thanks. I’ll take curbside service and a brick patio.
A few years back, she had come up with a treatment plan and supplements that she was convinced would really give Stink 90% relief. (Video and post here.)We ended up not seeing her plan to fruition because, despite only 20% of her treatment being executed, we saw such drastic improvement. Stink was tired of doing it, also, so we took a break.
Um, the above statement? It’s kind of akin to a bipolar person going off their meds because they “feel so much better!” Suddenly there are freak outs, manic screaming, and all around “What just happened?” despair. Pretty stupid, but let’s not berate ourselves with the past, shall we? Moving on.
As fate would have it, just when I started to lose my brain with tics, Martina mentioned that she saw this article on a teen Miss America who had severe T.S. and was “cured” through acupuncture. The formulas and treatment used on her were the same as Martina recommended for Stink two years ago, inspiring her even more to work on Stink again!
So, with my heart in my hands, tears in my eyes, I said “Yes.”
Full Disclosure: Martina’s rates are more than reasonable for her high level of skills. Check out the above video – she is sticking needles into my kids head and shins! She knows what she’s doing. That said, because of my professional writing background, we are trading service for service. I only mention this because if trades were not an option, I’d pay anyway. She’s that much of a healer. Eberhard did not pay for this review.
Big Take Away: Where there’s a will there’s a way, and sometimes we must get creative to make things happen. We all have gifts – why not use them to benefit one another?
Stink will begin acupuncture three days a week, then taper to two, then one.
Last night we had an impromptu bbq in the back yard. My sweet hubby cooked for us all, including Miss L and Martina. Connection and friendship out trump tics every time.
I’ll keep you posted! Meanwhile, is something working for you?
Check out more posts about Tourettes at the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome where this blog is syndicated.
Many times in the early days, when Stink’s tics seemed awful, I’d say, “God, I’ll trade in x if you take Stink’s tics away.”
When things were calm, I’d say, “God, I’ll trade in x if you keep the twitches mellow just like they are.”
My prayer request was not granted, but as the Rolling Stone song says, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.”
Apparently what Mama needed was her life back – a life that didn’t consist of worrying about Stink 24 hours a day. It didn’t mean I didn’t have to try to suppress the tics and keep him healthy, but as the motto for my website goes, I had to work toward “Accepting the tics I couldn’t change, change the tics I could, and have the wisdom to know the difference.”
After some careful prayer and consideration, it was pretty obvious I had to get back to my writing, hence this blog and my book. (The book… I’m so behind. I’m going to have to stop talking about it and just do it.)
While doing what I love didn’t change Stink’s tics, it helped me stop focusing like a laser light on what I couldn’t change and try a few new things. One of those is acupuncture with the talented Martina Eberhard.
As you can see, needles in Stink’s ears left him highly traumatized.
Stink will be seeing Martina 2 days/week for at least two months. I’ll keep you informed of his progress.
Meanwhile, Martina will be working on his “wind” to create better digestion. Apparently his tongue is an off color, indicating that he is not processing food as well as he could which doesn’t help with tics. Given he’s eaten more gluten than a truckload of Webby’s bread this vacation, I’m shocked his tongue hasn’t transformed into a oblong ball of white spongy flour.
What about you all? What kind of treatments have you pursued either for yourself or your kids?
Until next time, enjoy the pleasant visual of needles being placed into my kid’s shins and head. The irony that just 12 hours earlier I was using sewing needles to hem his pants did not escape me.
Happily Ticked Off 