The Animals Inside Me
I have a spider inside me.
It makes my lips smack.
I have a spider inside me
and it makes me feel black.
His name is Tourette's.
I have a kangaroo inside me.
It makes me jump up and down.
I have a kangaroo inside me
and it makes me feel brown.
His name is Tourette's.
I have a frog inside me.
It makes me warty and mean.
I have a frog inside me
and it turns me green.
His name is Tourette's.
I have an eel inside me
and it makes me slither.
I have an eel inside me
and it makes me shiver.
His name is Tourette's.
I have a wild horse inside me.
It makes me feel like prancing.
I have a wild horse inside me
and it's always dancing.
His name is Tourette's.
I have a tiger inside me
and it makes me growl.
I have a tiger inside me
and when I get mad, I go "r-o-w-l!"
His name is Tourette's.
I'm going to shoot those animals.
I'm going to bring a banana.
I'm going to shoot those animals.
I'm going to wear a bandana.
And then the puppy inside me
will make me happy and play.
And then the puppy inside me
won't ever run away.
His name is Justin.
This was written by a 9 yr old girl suffering from Tourette's Syndrome.
We know a lot about Tourette's. In the fall of 2006, my son Ryan (now 6) was diagnosed with the disorder. He starting blinking... a lot. Then he started contorting his face. Next, he starting sticking out his tongue often, usually when other people were talking to him or when he was trying to maintain eye contact or focus his attention. I knew. I walked into the doctor's office and told him Ryan had Tourette's. He said, in the way a parent would scold a child, "no, no, I am sure you are over reacting, let me watch him play while we talk and ... I am sure it's nothing." Thirty minuted later he looks at me and says, "Your son has Tourette's." Thank you for wasting 30 minutes of my life, now what are we going to do about it?
How many of you know Ryan? Did you have any idea he has TS? We medicate him twice a day with a blood pressure medicine that has been proven to reduce the urge to tic, though how they figured this our I will never know. He is so much better, but this disorder has changed the person he is. He was a funny, outgoing child. Once he starting with the tics, he knew what he was doing was different, but he couldn't control the compulsion to do the things he was doing, the way his face moved or the sounds coming from deep in his throat.
I have to say, we have come a long long way in the last 2 years. I think it is only now, we are learning who Ryan really is because he is able to get through periods of time without worrying about what he may or may not do or say ('say' may be the wrong word... he just makes noises, no "boobies" or anything like that).
You are probably wondering why I chose to bring this up now. Well, Sunday, December 7 at 7:00pm on CBS there is a movie airing called "Front of the Class." It is about a man who dreamed of becoming a teacher... but he had TS and it took nearly 30 interviews before someone would hire him. Ryan is 6. We haven't had to face obstacles of this magnitude, but we may and I do whatever I can to educate myself on TS and am very interested in this movie. I am also encouraging anyone in the field of education to watch. Thirty years ago there were 'good kids' and 'bad kids,' but now there is ADD, ADHD, OCD, ED, OHI, TS, and that is just what I can list in 10 seconds.... I have seen all of this come through my classroom over the years. It is my JOB to know how to service these kids and how to make them successful.
Yes, this would be a less than acceptable college paper and I am fully aware this is the blog version of a 'rant,' but it's late, I am tired and just really wanted to get this out before the show aired. If you got this far, thanks for sticking with the post :)
Rustic Tuscan Bean Soup
4 years ago
2 comments:
Hi Charly,
You asked if we knew Ryan and if we knew he had TS. I had no idea. And neither of my children that have played with him on the soccer sidelines have said a thing to me that maybe something was different about Ryan. I knew a boy in highschool that had it, so I know exactly what it looks like. Ryan's medicine must be working well. What a wonderful mother and teacher you are to write such a sensitive and thoughtful post. It did not sound like a rant to me. I am glad the disorder is recieving recognition in the up coming movie, so others that have never experienced it can better understand those that suffer with it. And hopefully more research can be done to find a cure.
I was with Ryan every day that summer he was diagnosed and I had no idea Ryan had TS!
I felt so bad for getting annoyed with him in 2006 for the clicking noise he wouldn't stop making. When I asked him to please stop, and he said "I can't help it", I thought he was just being an obnoxious 4 yr old!
Once you pointed it out to me, at times I can tell, but it really seems under control with his medicine, and it's great that you caught it that early. He is still such a CUTE and sweet kid and I can tell that y'all love him to pieces!!
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