Uber Proud Mom, Dad, and Boyfriend!

So the documentary project is going really well! I now have over 12 videos that I can use for the documentary, 10 of which are original videos that were made specifically for this documentary project! That's really exciting I think! The videos are from kids as young as 8, teens, and my oldest contributor is 21. I decided to tell my mom about the project because I'm really proud of it, but I wasn't sure what she would think. Turns out she was uber proud! She's so impressed by the project that shes been telling everyone she can. She even sent the link to our family friends and my grandparents. She even e-mailed it to me tutor! Hahahah! And now she is insisting that I tell some of my teachers about it and thinks I should e-mail the link to  my documentary trailer to my school counselor and college counselor. I probably will do that but I'll probably wait a few days to give them time to get back to school and such considering I start school in two days.  My dad is proud too. I think this is the first time we've been able to talk about TS openly like this. I asked my mom the other day what I should say if someone who doesn't know I have TS asks me why I'm making the documentary and her response was that it was really up to me and what I am comfortable with. This made me very happy because although I know shes already alright with me telling people about my TS this confirms that she is still alright with it. This documentary is turning out to be a fantastic thing for my family and for my own confidence and feeling of acceptance in my family.  My boyfriend is proud too and absolutely loved the trailer when I showed it to him. He's been texting me about how much he loves it and can't wait to see the final product.

Besides that I had a really fun New Years Eve with my boyfriend. We went to this really fun New Years Eve celebration downtown and we both had a lot of fun. We saw a great improve show, a trampoline show, and a magician. We also ate some great food and just had fun talking. We got lost a few times getting there but thank god I had my handy dandy iphone with me! I pulled it out and once we started using it we found our way. Got some stares throughout the night, but they didn't bother me because I'm used to it and my boyfriend was there with me. It always helps when your with someone because its like you can show that your a normal person who has people who love and care about them. Between this and my documentary, i'd have to say what a way to start the new year!

Out of Our Control: The Chronicled Lives of Tourette's Syndrome Documentary Trailer

So I spent pretty much all day yesterday making a trailer for the documentary that i'm making. I think it turned out pretty well! It took me a while to figure out the audio mixing which can get pretty complicated but it worked in the end and I was really excited with how well it turned out! I've been making my video's with adobe premiere elements and it's a pretty good video editing software in my opinion besides its few kinks that need to be worked out such as slowness and its tendency to crash. Good thing I save like every few minutes! Otherwise I could lose lots of work.  I think this is going to be a lot bigger than I originally expected because I'm getting multiple videos and messages daily from people who want to be a part of the documentary. Anyway so far I have about 7 videos that are finished and ready for the project already and I have heard from countless other people with TS who are in the process of making their own videos now. One of the things I'm most excited about is that Jess Thom, AKA Tourettes Hero e-mailed me today to let me know that she would be happy to make a video for documentary and be part of it! I cannot tell you how much his totally made my day! I'm so excited to get more videos and to get started on the documentary. Anyway here's the trailer that I made yesterday and Jess Thom's video from UK televison!

Tourette's Syndrome Awareness Documentary Trailer 

Jess Thom on British Television 

Taking Action Against Tourette's At Night!

Since i've been having so much trouble sleeping lately, my mom and I decided it was time to take action! Today I ordered my first ever weighted blanket and I'm really excited for it to come! Weighted blankets have been proven to help reduce tics at night for those with Tourette's, proven to decrease the time it takes to fall asleep, and proven to help you stay asleep.


Here is a part of an article from Tourette's Action about Tourette's and weighted blankets:
"Research into weighted blankets by the University of Southern Denmark has shown that they reduce the time taken to fall asleep by almost 40%, taking 15 minutes on average to drop off. The study also showed the tendency to wake up during the night was reduced. 

There are various types of blankets available - one example is a blanket that offers an even distribution of weight, stocked by Rompa. Another type contains silent plastic balls to 'help stimulate a sense of calm and feelings of safety.' We're told that an 11-year old boy from Preston, who has ADHD and Tourette syndrome (TS) has found that he can now settle easier at night thanks this type of blanket. 

Like many children with ADHD and TS, Harrison Stanley was unable to sleep or even stay in his own bed at night; a problem which caused stress and prolonged tiredness for the whole family." 

So anyway, I am hoping that the blanket will help me as much as it helped Harrison!!! I ordered mine in a pink color and it should come in 3 to 4 weeks or maybe even sooner. Lets hope it shows up soon because I need to be getting more sleep than I've been getting lately. The other night I woke up squealing, hitting myself, and jerking like crazy. I hate the full body jerking at night. Makes it so hard to go to sleep. I really need this weighted blanket to work, or at least just help. 

On another note I am now on 10mg of Lexipro and am completely weened off of Zoloft for my OCD meds. Hopefully I will have more success with Lexipro than I've had with Zoloft. So far i've been on 10mg of the Lexipro for three days and I've had no bad side effects just yet! I hope it stays that way because the last thing I need right now is side effects. 

Also just got back from another date with my boyfriend, Speed Racer. We ate dinner, went to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie, and then went to get ice cream later! During the movie I had quite a bit of trouble with ticcing. My strong head nod which somehow gets my entire body involved was really acting up along with my hand tics where I shake and flick them at the wrists. After the movie my boyfriend told me he thinks there is one thing I could never be in my future: a human statue. One of those people who dress like a statue and stand still for money in Paris and New York and such. Haha, I had to agree with him on this one. He sure knows how to make me feel better :) 

Out of our control: The Chronicled lives of Tourettes Syndrome Documentary Project Start

Hey guys! So I've decided to make a Tourette's Syndrome awareness project video in honor of the upcoming TS awareness month! So maybe TS awareness month isn't until May....but hey I want to get started early so I can get as many video's gathered up as possible. Anyone who has TS or who has a child, friend, or cousin with TS can help! Here's how!!!

Basically I'm going to get a bunch of video's from different people with TS telling their stories and answering questions about TS and I'm going to put them all together to make a special awareness video. All you would need to do for this project is make a video answering these questions and then send it to me via the inbox, youtube, or my e-mail, jspershing93@gmail.com. I made a video to tell about the project so feel free to check that out. I already have video's from two different people for the project saved on my computer and all ready to go! I've had responses from more than 5 other people telling me that they are going to make video's very soon for the project! This is going to be pretty great I think!! I can't wait to get more videos! But I need your help! Please watch the video telling more about the project and submit a video of your own to be included in the final project!!!! :) 


Here's the video telling more about the project: 

Here are the questions:

Say your name, age, and that you have Tourettes
When were you diagnosed?
Explain what it was like being diagnosed.
What are some of your tics?
Did you tell people? Did you hide it?
How did you choose to tell others if you did?
What's the hardest part of having TS?
Do you think they're a positive side to having TS?
What do you want others to know about TS?
What associated conditions do you have? OCD?
ADD? ADHD? SPD? Etct..
Do you take medication? Has it helped?
Have you ever been bullied or teased?
What would you say to someone who was just
diagnosed?
When do you tic the most? the least?
What do you like to do? are you an
artist? a musican? do you like to
cook or act in plays?
Anything else you want to tell people!

Hanukkah Party!! Happy Holidays!

Hey guys! So last night was my Hanukkah party and I have lots to tell! I can't believe its already over. I had so much fun and I wish it wasn't over. Anyway so my cousin Kitty and her mom came over at about 2:00 to help us get ready for the party. My mom just had shoulder surgery so she needed help with a lot of the cooking and such. We also had a party helper so that helped a lot too. Kitty and I didn't end up doing much helping really, because everyone seemed to have it under control. We did end up wrapping some presents at one point though. We went up to my room and hung out for like 5 hours. Lol, the party didn't start until 7:00. We played with her new phone, the iphone 4GS and Cerie, which I'm going to get as one of my Hannukkah presents later. We talked about a lot of stuff and we also watched a very bad movie about a church cult that killed homosexuals. We didn't feel the need to finish the movie so we turned it off, lol. We knew it would be a different scene when my other cousins Lipstick and Twitch showed up though. Lipstick and Twitch hadn't talked or even been in the same room for 6 months because they got into a giant fight about a boyfriend that Twitch started dating after Lipstick had broken up with him after dating him for 3 years. I thought they would at least be civil to each other, but nope I was wrong.

Twitch showed up about 10 minutes before Lipstick did and immediately came up to my room to hide. It took me about 10 minutes after Lipstick showed up to convince Twitch to go downstairs and that if she did Lipstick wouldn't attack her. Well I was right, she didn't attack her, but Twitch and Lipstick didn't say a word to each other the whole night! They avoided each other like the plague but from what I heard that was a better alternative than Lipstick actually approaching her because boy did she have some nasty things to say. Drama, Drama, Drama.

We all still had fun and Twitch and I actually spent a lot of time talking and hanging out one on one. I felt closer to her last night than I really ever have. When it started getting late I mentioned that I was getting tired, but only because i've been waking up at like 5 in the morning not able to go back to sleep for over an hour. Twitch seemed concerned and asked me why that was happening and when I told her I didn't know but my body just told me it was time to wake up she gave me some advice and told me the same thing was happening to her a little while ago and that I should ask my doctor about it. You know you're at my family's gathering when people can relate to waking up at 5am ticcing with your body telling you its time to wake up. You also know you're at my family's gathering when passing through the crowd you head "Oh yeah, I have lots of twitches, like I have to raise my hand a 5 times before I go in a room". So this is how I found out that my older 22 year old cousin also has some sort of TS/OCD combo. And you also know you're at one of my family gatherings when the presents consist of car vacume cleaners, my grandmothers nuts, and ice scrapers for wind shields.

Anyway, all in all it was a very fun night! I ate lots of Latkas and Brisket, talked lots about college, and got some good presents. A really cute key chain for a key to my moms car was my favorite present. Hope everyone else had a good Hanukkah/Christmas/ Holiday season!


Daily Video's:

Happy Hanukkah! Dogs Celebrate Hanukkah Tooo!! 
My Doggie is having fun too! Although I haven't taken a 
video of it. Lol! 

Day Before Hanukkah Party

Lately I've been irritated because I've been waking up at exactly 5 in the morning, rolling around, rubbing my feet together, tightening my muscles, squirming, and doing the fish out of water tic. I've had trouble sleeping since I was young but lately this waking up at 5 in the morning thing has been getting on my nerves. It'll usually take me over an hour for my body to calm down so I can go back to sleep which is quite annoying. So far I've tried getting some water, putting my dog in my bed, and getting up and walking around, but not much is helping. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated on this front! Also today I ran into my cousin, Kitty, at the super market. I was excited to see her there and we talked a lot about our Hanukkah party that we're having tomorrow. She was also happy for me to hear that  Speed Racer and I are officially dating. She gave me a hug and said "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!?". Lol, I guess I was just waiting for the right opportunity.

I'm excited for the Hanukkah party but i've had to help out a lot in the house to help get ready for it. I have to help out even more than usual because my mom just had shoulder surgery and can't do very much. There are a lot of things I can't do because of my OCD right now such as cooking, doing dishes, doing laundry, and most types of cleaning which means I can't help out a lot. I wish I could help more but most of the time I just can't. Worst of all is that most of the time I'm too ashamed to admit that I can't do something because of OCD. Most of the time i'd rather be considered lazy or defiant than crazy or helpless. So I am just the "bad" daughter right now pretty much. My mom and dad understand I think but my brother just thinks i'm awful right now. I keep trying to think "this too shall pass". Anyway at least tomorrow I'll get to be with my cousins. Twitch will be there and it always makes me feel better when I'm not the only one ticcing.


Daily Video's:

Hospitalized for a TS diagnosis? (It only took me a 30 min Neuro visit! Took 10 years to get to the neurologist tho!) 

Another Marc Elliot Vid

Daily Links:

Exploring TS through Dance

At Random TSF Canada Documentary Project Article

At Random TSF Canada Site 

Quick Winter Break Update

Well there's not much to report on today. I've been sitting around at home roaming around the internet and youtube. I've been filling out some scholarships for college and that's pretty much it. How exciting! Not really, lol. Today is my 5th day of taking 25 mg of Zoloft and 5 mg of Lexipro for my OCD and on Monday I'll stop taking zoloft completely and just switch to 10mg of Lexipro . Lexipro itsn't officially FDA approved for OCD but my doctor says that's because the drug company didn't want to pay the extra money to get the approval but it still works just as well as other medications that are FDA approved for OCD. Maybe it will even work better than other approved meds for me. This is what I am hoping. Well not much more to say unfortunately. I am getting excited for our Hanukkah party that my family is hosting for my dad's side of the family on Sunday! A Hanukkah party on Christmas! Haha, it just happened to be the day that everyone was free. Anyway I get to see my three cousins who are my age, Twitch, Kitty, and Lipstick, and hopefully we will all have fun!

Daily Video's:

Newest DBS case for TS-- Jayne Bargent (UK) 

A 16 year old suddenly presenting with tics and spells of passing out

Follow her story here

Meet Twitch's Friend from Camp Twitch and Shout, Lena! 

Follow her story here

Daily Links: 

My poem on the Teens4TS NJCTS Site

Jayne: The Newest DBS Patient for TS

Teens4TS Blog Uniting Teenagers with TS