I spoke to Laura on the phone earlier. She said she was finding the new way I say “Bye, bye” (in a low and raspy voice) quite disconcerting. She said I sounded like a sex pest.

We talked about my new transport arrangements to and from work. I’ve just started getting taxis funded by Access to Work. My tics make travelling by public transport difficult and I often have to get off one bus and onto another several times because of people’s reactions to my tics. This can mean even simple journeys take a long time and are stressful and expensive.

I discussed this with my Access to Work advisor and he said they could help with the cost of cabs. I was initially unsure about this and worried that I might become dependent on them. I was also worried about what other people would think and felt a bit guilty about accepting this help. But I do need a reliable way of getting to work, and using the cabs has made a big difference.

This was the first time I’d mentioned it to Laura and I asked her if she thought it was silly. She said, “No way, I think it’s great. You shouldn’t have to take a full day’s worth of hassle before you even get to work.”