I’ve written a lot recently about how I’m adapting to experiencing chronic pain.

While this isn’t straightforwardly related to Tourettes, I’ve started to appreciate that my motor tics have put a lot of physical pressure on my body for a long time, so it’s probably not surprising that as I get older the cumulative effect of this could start to have longer term physical implications.…

I’ve been struggling to get comfy at night for the last few months and I’ve been resorting to precarious piles of pillows to help me reach the ever-elusive pain-free position.

Then, a couple of weeks ago after a particularly bad night I had a sudden realisation – I should call my Local Authority’s occupational therapy team.…

I’m taking regular pain killers at the moment because of the chronic pain I’m experiencing in my back and hips – they’re essential for helping me get through the day and feel comfortable.

But I’m not brilliant at remembering to take them, or more precisely remembering if I’ve taken them or not.…

I’m finding it increasingly painful to switch my bedside light on and off. My support workers have been doing it for me most of the time but in the middle of the night I prefer to do it for myself.

I’ve found a new solution now that I’m very happy with – it’s a remote controlled plug socket.…

What’s the best way to manage jet lag? Turn’s out that epic re-arranging of furniture’s what works best for me.

We landed back in the UK this morning following an overnight flight from New York where we’ve been for the last few days.…

I love flow charts. Since first encountering them as a child I’ve found them a really useful way to get information.

I’ve made lots of my own before, including playful tic-based charts about penguins or lychees:

… and one aimed at getting people to think about whether that ‘Tourettes joke’ they want to tell really is a joke:

A couple of days ago illustrator and fellow wheelchair user Hannah Ensor (AKA Stickman Communication) shared a flow chart on Twitter called ‘To Do Or Not To Do – A Pacing and Activity Decision Chart“.…

The last few weeks have been quite full on. We’ve been working hard on our new stage show, ‘Not I’, which we’re taking to the Edinburgh Fringe in just over a week’s time, and I’ve been experiencing lots of pain in my back and hips too, which is exhausting in itself.…

Last night I wrote with nervous excitement about my appointment with NHS Wheelchair Services this morning. We got off to a wobbly start because the taxi I’d booked was 45 minutes late and the longer we waited the tenser I got.…

It’s nearly midnight and I can’t sleep. A weird mixture of pain, excitement and apprehension has left me feeling the sort of nervous excitement you get before the first day at a new school. But it’s not that sort of life change that’s keeping me awake – it’s because in the morning I’m going for a wheelchair assessment.…

A week ago I had a minor operation. It involved a general anaesthetic and a small incision in my chest not too far from the spot where my chest-thumping tic hits it hundreds of times a day.

I’m generally mending well but because the wound on my chest was struggling a bit and hadn’t closed properly, I went back to hospital a few days ago where they dowsed me with iodine and re-sealed and re-dressed the wound.…