Penny’s World

    There are a few things to know about me.

    I’m the youngest of six siblings. I have a very cute dog named Texas. I enjoy playing video games, like Stardew Valley. English is my favorite subject in school, and I love writing poetry. One day, I hope to be a writing teacher. 

    I’m pretty much a regular teen. But there’s one thing that makes me a little different: I have Tourette syndrome, or Tourette’s for short. 

    Tourette’s is a neurological disorder. This means it affects my brain. It makes me say or do things that I can’t control. These are called tics. I have motor tics, like shaking my head, and vocal tics, like whistling. 

    Tourette’s can make everyday tasks, like brushing my teeth or eating dinner, challenging. It’s something I’ll have for the rest of my life. And it’s something that makes me who I am. 

    There are a few things to know about me.

    I’m the youngest of six siblings. I have a dog named Texas. I like playing video games. English is my favorite subject in school, and I write poetry. One day, I hope to be a writing teacher.

    I’m a fairly average teen. But there’s one thing that makes me different: I have Tourette syndrome, or Tourette’s for short.

    Tourette’s is a neurological disorder. This means it affects my brain. It makes me say or do things that I can’t control. These are called tics. I have motor tics, like shaking my head, and vocal tics, like whistling.

    Tourette’s can make everyday tasks, like brushing my teeth or eating dinner, challenging. I’ll have it for the rest of my life. It’s part of who I am.

    There are a few things to know about me.

    I’m the youngest of six siblings. I have an adorable dog named Texas. I enjoy playing video games, like Stardew Valley. English is my favorite subject in school, and I love writing poetry. One day, I hope to be a writing teacher.

    I’m pretty much a typical teenager, with one exception: I have Tourette syndrome, or Tourette’s for short.

    Tourette’s is a neurological disorder, which means it affects my brain. It causes me to say or do things that I can’t control. These are called tics. I have motor tics, like shaking my head, and vocal tics, like whistling.

    Tourette’s can make everyday tasks, like brushing my teeth or eating dinner, challenging. It’s something I’ll have for the rest of my life, and it’s something that makes me who I am.

    When I was about 10 years old, my mom noticed that I nodded my head—a lot. It seemed involuntary. Months later, I started getting really bad headaches. It became hard to focus in school. 

    My mom took me to see a neurologist. The doctor said that 80 percent of kids who have tics outgrow them. But mine didn’t go away. By the time I was 12, I was diagnosed with Tourette’s. 

    What is having Tourette’s like? Before a tic happens, it feels similar to when you’re about to sneeze: You can feel it coming, but you can’t stop it. One of my tics is throwing things. Once I threw away an ice cream cone that I was in the middle of eating! 

    About 1 in every 10 people with Tourette’s also have something called coprolalia. I have it. This causes me to swear without meaning to.

    Sometimes, a tic can turn into a tic attack, or a series of tics. This can last a few minutes, or even a few hours. Fortunately, I don’t get tic attacks very often. 

    When I was about 10, my mom noticed that I nodded my head a lot. It seemed involuntary. Then I started getting bad headaches. It became hard to focus in school.

    My mom took me to see a neurologist. The doctor said that 80 percent of kids who have tics outgrow them. But I didn’t. By the time I was 12, I was diagnosed with Tourette’s.

    What is having Tourette’s like? Before a tic happens, it feels similar to when you’re about to sneeze: You can feel it coming, but you can’t stop it. One of my tics is throwing things. Once I threw away an ice cream cone that I was in the middle of eating!

    About 1 in every 10 people with Tourette’s also have something called coprolalia. I have it. It causes me to swear without meaning to.

    Sometimes, a tic can turn into a tic attack, or a series of tics. This can last a few minutes, or even a few hours. Luckily, I don’t get tic attacks very often.

    When I was about 10 years old, my mom noticed that I nodded my head—a lot. It appeared involuntary. Months later, I started getting really bad headaches, which affected my ability to focus in school.

    My mom took me to see a neurologist, who said that 80 percent of kids who have tics eventually outgrow them. But mine didn’t go away—and by the time I was 12, I was diagnosed with Tourette’s.

    What is having Tourette’s like? Before a tic happens, it feels similar to when you’re about to sneeze: You can feel it coming, but you can’t prevent it. One of my tics is throwing things. Once I threw away an ice cream cone that I was in the middle of eating!

    In addition, I’m among the approximately 10 percent of people with Tourette’s who also have something called coprolalia. This causes me to swear without meaning to.

    Sometimes, a tic can turn into a tic attack, or a series of tics. This can last a few minutes, or even a few hours—but fortunately, it isn’t something I experience especially often.

    Some things, like feeling stressed, can make my tics worse. But there are also things I can do to calm or even avoid them. For example, if I’m feeling overstimulated, I wear my sensory headphones. These can make loud noises, like a fire drill at school, sound much quieter. 

    I also decided to give my Tourette’s a name. I call it “Steve.” This has become a way to remind myself that my tics are not my fault. Saying things like, “Ugh, Steve made me throw my ice cream!” can help me feel less frustrated. 

    I’ve also found hobbies that help me manage my tics. I love to sing and act in musicals. Recently, I was Ariel in The Little Mermaid. When I’m all dressed up and performing as someone else, I focus less on my tics. Onstage, I hardly have tics at all!

    Crafting is another one of my favorite activities. I taught myself how to crochet, and I’m obsessed with it. The repetitive motions feel really calming. 

    Sometimes, I sell my creations at local craft fairs. I donate some of the money I make to the Tourette Association of America. It does research and helps educate people on Tourette’s. 

    Some things, like stress, can make my tics worse. But there are also things I can do to manage them. If I’m feeling overstimulated, I wear my sensory headphones. These can make loud noises sound quieter.

    I also gave my Tourette’s a name. I call it “Steve.” It’s a way to remind myself that my tics are not my fault. Saying things like, “Ugh, Steve made me throw my ice cream!” can help me feel less frustrated.

    My hobbies help me manage my tics too. I love to sing and act in musicals. Recently, I was Ariel in The Little Mermaid. When I’m performing, I focus less on my tics. Onstage, I hardly have tics at all!

    I also like crafting. I taught myself how to crochet. The repetitive motions feel really calming.

    Sometimes I sell my creations at craft fairs. I give some of the money to the Tourette Association of America. It does research and helps teach people about Tourette’s.

    Some things, such as stressful situations, can make my tics worse. But there are also strategies I can use to calm or even avoid them. For example, if I’m feeling overstimulated, I wear my sensory headphones. These can make loud noises, like a fire drill at school, sound significantly quieter.

    I also decided to give my Tourette’s a name. I call it “Steve.” This has become a way to remind myself that my tics are not my fault. Saying things like, “Ugh, Steve made me throw my ice cream!” can reduce my feelings of frustration.

    In addition, I’ve found some hobbies that help me manage my tics. I love to sing and act in musicals. Recently, I was Ariel in The Little Mermaid. When I’m all dressed up and performing as someone else, I focus less on my tics. Onstage, I hardly have any tics at all!

    Crafting is another one of my favorite activities. I taught myself how to crochet, and I’ve become obsessed with it. I find the repetitive motions really calming.

    Sometimes I sell my creations at local craft fairs and donate some of the money I make to the Tourette Association of America, which does research and helps educate people about Tourette’s.