Saturday, March 26, 2016

Happily Ticked Off by Andrea R. Frazer

Tourette's Syndrome was something I had heard about but really knew nothing about it. This book is a good one to learn about the condition and how it affected one mom.

Frazer's son was diagnosed with the syndrome and her perfect world exploded. She looked for books with support, hope, and a little humor. Not finding any, she wrote one herself.

This is a very enlightening and informative book. I'd heard about the swearing outbursts but was surprised to find that less than ten percent of the kids uncontrollably curse. Her son had tics, twitches, coughs, etc. There is a great section where Frazer defines terms. That will help parents of newly diagnosed children know what the professionals are talking about.

Frazer is very honest about her experiences, especially how her son's diagnosis affected her. She tended to be a wreck from time to time. She and her husband tried to find out what caused their son's symptoms and what helped alleviate them. They were informed about drugs but tried some alternative treatment. She writes about their experience being told they needed an IEP. They entered a clinical trial.

Frazer herself went to counseling, trying to deal with her own insecurities. She tells great stories, giving a delightful sense of humor in the midst of this serious topic. Part of her honesty includes some swearing and vulgar language.

I learned a great deal about Tourette's, including how much research as to its cause and treatment is inconclusive. I liked that ultimately, Frazer found strength in her faith to make it through her experiences.

I recommend this book to those who want to know more about Tourette's and how one mom made her way through the experience. You can find out more about the book and follow her blog at http://happilytickedoff.com/.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Andrea R. Frazer is a former Hollywood sitcom writer. She and her family live in Los Angeles.

Armonia Publishing, 239 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through The Book Club Network for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

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