I want to share something with you that’s really exciting, but REALLY scary at the same time.
This year in April, there’s a European conference about Tourette Syndrome in Athens, Greece. It’s for doctors and therapists that specialize in TS to learn more and keep up with new changes in TS research. It’s kind of like the conference that the American TSA holds every 5 years, but then just for Europe.
But this year, I get to speak on the conference!!!!! I get to stand up in front of all those people who have gone through years and years of college to get where they are and tell them about my life with Tourette and really give them an inside look on how it really is to have TS instead of just looking at it from the outside!
And I get to share my opinions and ideas about Tourette and about their work! I really can give them my view, as a patient, on how I think they can help people with Tourette!
I know I’ll speak about the special relationship people with TS have with the persons that treats them (which is different than with other people because of the lack of experience at the side of the specialist and the knowledge we have ourselves), and I’ll speak about behavioral therapy and how it’s — in my opinion — better than medication.
But the most important thing is that I’ll speak about their job being to help people with TS stay positive and help them get the life we all deserve.
That’s actually all I know right now! To me, it’s still a bit abstract and vague, but later today I have a meeting with two of the therapists that helped me in the past, who are actually organizing the conference! So hopefully I find out more and I can start writing my speech!
I’ve got to say, I’m SO scared over it! I’ve been wanting to do this for such a long time, and now it’s finally here!!!! That’s SO crazy to me!!! And I’m nervous and scared. I now really get the chance to take the steps I’ve been dreaming of for such a long time! :)
I’ll blog about it all the way through preparations and of course in Athens itself! Hope you’ll enjoy reading about my journey!
Oh, and by the way, this Saturday I’ll be in the biggest newspaper of The Netherlands in an article about behavioral therapy, together with one of the therapists I’m meeting today! It’s not a very big article, so I’ll try to translate for you.
Lots of excitement here, as you see!!!!
You go girl. I hope all of Europe listens to you. You should come over to speak to the doctors here in America. A lot of them are really ignorant about TS.
Thnx! I’d love to!!! I was in NYC in 2009 for the TSA conference and I would LOVE to go back, fell in love with New York! :D
I am making plans right now, btw, to go speak to future doctors (at colleges) about what TS is and the diagnosis- and threatment guidelines!
wow this is so exciting!!! i guess this is like the tsa ambassadors we have here. how did ur meeting go?
Thanks! It went great! I just e-mailed a blog about it, it should be up soon! :)
I’ve always wondered how that whole ‘TSA-ambassadors’ thing works! Can you explain that to me, I’m currious!
Hey Laura! Thanks so much! We will be putting it up Friday afternoon, which will be around 6 p.m. your time we think. Keep up the great work across the pond! :)
This is awesome. Best of luck to you today.