10/15/2007
A Letter for a Grateful Mother
A letter surprised me from my inbox this morning. I got pretty excited again to think that TAWM site and my drive for TS awareness in the Philippines (PTSA) has been serving its purpose.
Here goes my reply:
Hello Ms. Cynthia. I am very grateful that there are people like you who are appreciating the work that I’m doing here in TAWM site and in behalf of all the PTSA heads and members. I may not be able to relieve your pain of dealing with TS eversince your child has been diagnosed to have it but by understanding and believing in it, I hope I can make it possible for you to bear it. Your experiences and struggles are the same as those people who are also dealing with TS themselves. You are not alone. Being a parent of a kid with TS is truly not a simple task. The confusions and assumptions before the diagnosis are already challenges. Moreover, upon diagnosis and the managements after the diagnosis are great challenges furthermore.
I admire you for educating yourself about the disorder. This is what we all need prior, during and after diagnosis. Everybody needs to know if not a lot, even a little about the disorder. This will help us understand the facts instead of placing our judgements on misconceptions. I would just like to remind you to keep doing that and learn about TS in all perspectives (medical, psychological, behavioral, etc.) In that way, your ideas will not be single-focused. It is important for the TS- diagnosed to be understood in all levels.
Please continue to be an active member of PTSA network. Although, we are buds in this endeavor, through yours and the other members’ help, the possibilities are endless.
Regards to you and your family, and I’m looking forward to see you in all of PTSA’s future activities.
Here goes my reply:
Hello Ms. Cynthia. I am very grateful that there are people like you who are appreciating the work that I’m doing here in TAWM site and in behalf of all the PTSA heads and members. I may not be able to relieve your pain of dealing with TS eversince your child has been diagnosed to have it but by understanding and believing in it, I hope I can make it possible for you to bear it. Your experiences and struggles are the same as those people who are also dealing with TS themselves. You are not alone. Being a parent of a kid with TS is truly not a simple task. The confusions and assumptions before the diagnosis are already challenges. Moreover, upon diagnosis and the managements after the diagnosis are great challenges furthermore.
I admire you for educating yourself about the disorder. This is what we all need prior, during and after diagnosis. Everybody needs to know if not a lot, even a little about the disorder. This will help us understand the facts instead of placing our judgements on misconceptions. I would just like to remind you to keep doing that and learn about TS in all perspectives (medical, psychological, behavioral, etc.) In that way, your ideas will not be single-focused. It is important for the TS- diagnosed to be understood in all levels.
Please continue to be an active member of PTSA network. Although, we are buds in this endeavor, through yours and the other members’ help, the possibilities are endless.
Regards to you and your family, and I’m looking forward to see you in all of PTSA’s future activities.
Micronesia Update
1st Picture: Marlon and I posing together with Leske's Mom and Grandfather2nd Picture: Leske and his mom with the two registered nurses of St. Lukes Medical Center
3rd Picture: Leske and Family
I had a previous post about my new friend from Micronesia. I just want to share the pictures that we had at St. Lukes Pediatric Suite where Leske, the kid who was diagnosed with TS, chose the Philippines to have medical assistance regarding Tourette. They were surely taken cared of with all the assessments and lab works they underwent. They went back to Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia as satisfied foreign customer last September 24.
To leske and family, thank you for choosing the Philippines. You guys are always welcome to come back.
10/14/2007
TS is Not a Hindrance to Success
Being a proud friend that I am, I would just like to share with you some insipring experiences of Marlon, a filipino with Tourette syndrome. Marlon went through the usual challenges as a kid, teenager and now an adult in dealing with tourette syndrome.
As a kid, sometimes he was being reprimanded for doing the tic. As a result, he would often suppress to please his parents. It became more difficult for him as the suppression just worsen tic occurences.
As a teenager, he would feel shameful about doing the tics in public. He felt like most of the time, he was forced to explain the reasons behind the tic just so other people could understand and not judge. That scenario became usual that he came to a point where he got tired to just let other people know that he was suffering from a disorder called Tourette syndrome.
As an adult, he understood the disorder even better because of his drive to read more about TS. But as years passed by, managing his own disorder just reached Marlon's limit. He stopped taking medications in 1993. But from that time on, Marlon did not let his disorder stopped him from where he wanted to be.
Truly TS is not a hindrance to success. Marlon is already a band member of a popular band called 3rd avenue. They have been having Mall Tours, radio and tv shows, bar gigs and others. Marlon may be an inspiration to kids who are just beginning to discover their condition. This is just a reminder that TS is never really a hindrance to your dreams. Don't stop dreaming!
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Article appeared in www.marlonbarnuevo.multiply.com
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