It’s a week until Fat Sister and King Russell’s wedding and tonight I finished writing my speech. I’m maid of honour and although it’s not standard for the chief bridesmaid to speak, Fat Sister wanted at least one speech from a woman.…

Sometimes the sensation of my tics is so strong that when people are holding onto me I find difficult to imagine they can’t feel it too.

My mum’s just emailed me, asking if I’d like to be nominated to carry the Olympic torch when it travels around the UK next year in the lead up to the Games in London.

I was touched that she’d thought of me but said I reckoned the combination of a naked flame and my compulsive behaviour could end in something a bit too spectacular.

Sometimes when I get on a bus it feels like every other passenger is disgusted by my tics and it makes me feel really uncomfortable.

Several times recently I’ve been rescued from situations like this by friendly greetings from people I know.…

This afternoon I went for Habit Reversal Therapy (HRT). The treatment has helped me feel a lot more in control of my body as well as my thoughts and emotions. I’ve learnt strategies that have made everyday tasks like eating or brushing my teeth easier.…

“Grout your doorknob and spin around.”

I’ll be very busy both days this weekend because the organisation I work for is undertaking an ambitious and unusual project. We’re dismantling, moving and re-assembling a bolt-together Walter Segal building which would otherwise would have ended up in landfill. We got started today, helped by a large group of volunteers.…

During my physio appointment this afternoon I was fitted with the new ankle supports that the orthotics department prescribed recently. They fit inside my trainers and are made of hard moulded plastic, which runs up either side of my ankle, held in place with Velcro.…

This evening Leftwing Idiot and I went to see an exhibition organised by Laura and her students in Sutton. They’ve been using my tics as creative inspiration for over a year. The exhibition tonight was part of Sutton Arts Festival and showcased work made during a photography project using the tic, “Tailor made in Sutton” as the starting point.…

The squatting or dropping-to-the-floor tic I mentioned last week is happening more often and I’m finding it much harder to get around. It’s left me feeling stranded and frustrated.

I know that however tricky tics are, once I get used to them it gets easier and I find ways of living with them.…