My son, with his gorgeous shroud of copper hair, a smile of an angel and a heart of gold. He makes the best cup of coffee i've ever tasted (bar from costa coffee). He lights up a room. He is also a genius.... not Mensa genius but getting there. He came top of his class in his recent exams, and uses words that you have to get a Thesaurus out to understand what they mean. He challenges himself and isn't happy with second place. My son, is also living with Tourettes Syndrome.
Most of the time he just gets on with his life the best he can, never letting anything get in his way. His Tourettes was always mild, little motor and vocal tics until recently.
Over night, he developed Corporalia (swearing), this was always my biggest fear ever since he was diagnosed at the age of 6. many nights were spent worrying about the possibilities that this illness could cause. When the Corporalia began, it was full on. He was coming out with some extremely vulgar and disgusting words, words he didn't even know. And even though we laughed at some of his tics, mostly from shock I think and because they can be damn right hilarious that you can not help but laugh. I spent that night in tears wondering how my gorgeous, kind and placid little boy was going to deal with this new version of his illness, we even cried together as he had the exact same worries as me. At first his school didn't really know how to deal with the new version of him and he was sent home as @what he is saying isn't right for the classroom" I was furious, he cant help what he was saying and doing any more than you can help breathing, and he felt like he was being punished. His class teacher was amazing though, she knew the boy behind the swearing, and she knew just how amazing he actually is and she made the last 6 months in school, along with his best friend, easier. she gave him pencils to throw, so he wouldn't throw his work, she ignored his outbursts, she gave him lots of jobs to keep him busy, and got him his own room to do his exams in so he was comfortable, she even made him up a little sleeping corner for when his pain medication sleepy, but most of all she treat him like an equal.
Now, he is moving on to a new chapter in his life. High school, and with that comes all the normal worries of a parent whos child is growing up and becoming a young adult, but I also worry as to how he will grow with this illness. children can be cruel, and I fear that because my child is not what they deem as "normal" that he will be a target. all they are going to see is this little red headed boy who walks about swearing and making strange noises and I worry he will be a target. I don't want him to lose the person he is, the academic, the footballer, the beautiful soul.
I know we have a long journey ahead of us, and I hope my fears and worries will be of no significance but I know whatever happens in the future, we will deal with it together. and I just want to say to my amazing young man, I am proud of you. Every single day. You teach me so much and you bring me so much happiness. Tourettes is a part of you. It is not who you are.
