upset about the upcoming movie

[faith]

Guys,

I hate to be a downer, but I am having alot of anxiety about the upcoming movie on Sunday about Brad Cohen's story. I don't plan on watching it, I just can't. I know it is going to portray what it may have been like for him as a child, (as I did see a clip on one of the entertainment news shows when they were interviewing Patricia Heaton), and it's going to show how people were probably ignorant of this twenty or so years ago. I feel like its going to set me back and bring back all my fears and horrors. Also, I'm scared that someone I know will watch this movie and, well, connect the dots, if you know what I mean. I'm even scared my mother will be at home watching this and may figure it out. she knows that my son has habits, but I have not explained that there is a name attached to it. I don't want to upset her, she is 85 and worries too much about my son as it is, and if she sees this, I know it will upset her a great deal and think that my son will be like that.

 

Is this going to be on CBS major network, or the Hallmark channel? Please say the Hallmark channel. My son is starting to tell me he is having a hard time writing and concentrating and thinks its because of the tics, I know he is sometimes frustrated and his demeanor towards me is not always pleasant, homework time is my worst part of the day. If I say anything with regard to his tics, he gets very indignant and I know he feels like this is all my fault for he has said during one of his outbursts that "you're the one who gave this to me", as I have tried to explain that its no big deal and that I had some habits as a child too.

 

I know this story does have a bright ending, but I just don't want this portrayal to be imprinted on the minds of people I know right now. You don't think kids in fourth grade will be watching movies on tv on a Sunday night , do you? Am I alone on this?

 

Faith

[ilovedogs]

I'm sorry Faith, that your son is blaming you for the tics! It's got to be hard! I had seen a quick clip for the movie while watching football this weekend and I think it's going to be on CBS. We don't watch much CBS and we don't have cable so I'm hoping to avoid the darn thing anyway. The subject makes me leery when I know the media might be portraying something and I know Brad Cohen had some pretty severe tics and was treated poorly when he was a child b/c of them. My ds doesn't even know what Tourette's is yet b/c we don't know if that's his diagnosis yet. So, I certainly wouldn't want to scare him. We control the TV watching here so I'm not concerned about it. Are his tics getting worse this fall?

Hang in there!

Bonnie

[patty]

Faith,

 

I am with you. I am not watching it. In fact, i boycott anything regarding TS on TV because it is usually portray in a negative way and often time w/o much solution, other than be on medications or live with it. Also, the media tend to sensationalize it with the worst TS symptoms. Frankly, it scares the cramp out of me and it is painful for me to watch.

 

Pat

[Toms_Mom]

I am with you all on this. My mother asked me if I was going to watch it and I told her " no I don't think I should" and I really don't think she should either. She is a worrier like me and I don't think she understands how bad ts can get. I hate that all you hear about in the media is the worst case ts and from what I have read about ts -in reality most cases are mild and symptoms can subside around 13 or 14. I would like to be positive and hope for the best, but its hard when these kind of shows and books come out.

[Chemar]

Have you read the book?

 

this is a wonderful and inspiring story!!!

 

if anything it would give anyone with TS, or associated with someone who has TS, hope and encouragement

 

TS isnt a death sentence

try visiting the forums for parents with terminally ill kids or those with severe incurable diseases and maybe then TS really wont look so bad

 

my son is 19yo now and has been through it all (tics that injured and hospitalized, bullies that tormented, teachers that punished and a whole lot more!) and come through as a well adjusted caring and compassionate young man with multiple talents and a soaring spirit. we have NEVER hidden from TS and instead have met the challenge head on. IMHO that paid the dividends we now are reaping.

[faith]

Oh, I understand, I really do, and I really enjoyed this story when I saw him on Oprah last year. But on Oprah, he was just a normal, intelligent young man who just happened to have a vocal tic every now and then, the rest of the story is quite wonderful, especially the principal who hired him being in the audience and singing his praises on what a wonderful teacher he is, and the kids being interviewed in the school and telling how much they love him and how he made them feel better about any of their shortcomings and disabilities.

 

That is not the part that bothers me, it is the portrayal of the young years and how they will try to duplicate what the tics were, and for a movie they will make it more pronounced and show how he was treated by teachers and others who were ignorant of what was going on with him in those days. This is all to create a moving drama, and I don't need to see that being acted out for me - it is the very stigma that we are hoping to dispell, and for the most part, I think we are all doing a good job of. My son's life is not like that at all, and I am so thankful for that, but who needs those fears to be reimplanted?? I did watch the video clip and it was heartbreaking the way the child did the facial/head tic. I could see where those who have a child with mild tics that just started could get terrified that something more could be possible in the future. I just don't like the portrayal and I am not up to the pain I would feel for what he may have gone thru. I know my son would be rocked to the core if he saw that, this is not for kids, its more for older teens. I had fears all week that the school would make some sort of announcement for the kids to watch this movie for some reason. Well, the competition is Sunday night football, Family Guy, and Desperate Housewives,

 

Faith

[Ronnas]

I read the book a few years ago and I thought it was a great book. Looking forward to the movie. I think I saw him in some interviews also...Oprah?

 

I live by the quote..."if this is the hardest thing you have ever been through then it just is and it doesn't matter if someone is going through something worse"...but having said that, let's keep things in perspective...

 

Although TS is debilitating in the most severe cases and my heart goes out to those with severe TS and the parents...really I am here to tell you...my son had severe tics...he use to BEG me to make them stop when his neck was so sore he could hardly stand it anymore, we use to get stared at when we walked through the mall...he was just a little guy at 7 years old and my heart really broke but really the tics have been the LEAST of my worry in hindsight. My son's learning disabilities have been much more of a challenge.

 

There are so many interventions you can do for TS...Shiela's book is awesome...the amount of information online even compared to 5 years ago is so much more. There is so much you can do to feel empowered as a parent.

 

We enlisted the help of ALL of our family. Not for one second has any of our extended family been anything but completely understanding of my son...as a matter of fact I have to encourage them to be a bit harder on him.

 

When a movie or documentary is on TV I email EVERYONE to watch...the more education and understanding about TS the better for my son!

 

For everyone that worries so much, years ago, I read this quote and I have kept it in mind ever since...

 

"You can worry all you want but for sure the thing you worried the most about will not be a problem but it will be something completely out of left field that will land you on your butt"...so I guess I am trying to say...stay in the moment...there is nothing you can do about the future but there is lots you can do now as a parent. My son is going to be 13 soon, life is good, and he is happy!

[Chemar]

always so good to read your balanced posts, Ronna

 

for anyone who does want to see the movie Front of the Class based on the book of the same name by Brad Cohen....it will air on CBS at 9pm on Sunday night 12/7/08

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/02/...in4642661.shtml

[Guest]

I don't usually watch shows about TS, but I do plan on watching this one. I can always shut it off if it's too intense as I don't want to catch any tics. I know Brad from past conferences, and I'm really hoping that this focuses more on the positive experiences that Brad has had as a teacher, etc.

 

Carolyn

[CSP]

Hi Faith,

 

I wanted to let you know how much the book I mentioned in the other post helped me. (Against Medical Advice.)

 

I thought I would not be able to read it because the beginning was very heartbreaking. This book was a real healing for me, not only did it help me to understand how my son was feeling, (because he does not share) but also I got to see how much this young loved his mother. (He had outbursts at her too.) But deep down he adored her and everything she did to try to help. He loved all the little things both parents did to make him feel just like any other child. Yes, there was a lot of times he was so upset at how bad his TS was, but he also was a very kind young man who when he saw other people who had some kind of problem, what ever it may have been, he had so much compassion for them.

 

I do think we have to get to a point where we are over the shock of TS. That is when we move forward and see TS through new eyes.

 

I'm so glad I finished the book because I can sit back and let him be the teenager he is, and I'm going to be the mother I vowed I would be, focusing on teaching him that his morals are so much more important to me then his ticcing.

 

I'm not sure if it is something in the his age too. He is looking forward to getting his drivers permit.

 

I'm so sure your little guy loves you more then anything. (nothing against your hubby, thats just the way things go with boys and their moms)

 

CP