Hello From Washington State

[TuRbOcHiK]

Hey I'm Ana and I'm 16 years old soon to be 17 in November. I was recently diagnosed with TS about a year ago. I never really noticed my tics or anything until about a month before I got diagnosed. I had severally hurt my neck due to one of my tics. Now that I think back to that day I realize that my tics had been triggered by my stress after finding out my dad had brain cancer.

I'm a normal teenager I would say. I play games, hang out with friends and everything. I graduated school early last year and am now going to college to be a computer programmer and for video game design. I have realized how hard it can be living with TS especially in society where everyone is constantly judged for the way they look and how they act. But i would have to say being who I am has made me gain great friends who understand how hard it can be. Ahha its even gotten to the point where I got a nickname that I myself actually like, "Twitch".

I try not to let those who think that just because i have torrettes I'm different and what not. I have even gotten comfortable in telling people straight up I have it so they don't freak out or something when I have one of my worse tics, throwing my head back and making a gargled noise. And in doing that I think it had helped people get to know me better. I have ton of friends and hell, I even have a boyfriend who understand just as much. He's partially deaf and has tourettes as well. Which makes me feel like I'll always have that person to support me in everything I want to do.

~Ana