I have just finished reading ‘Welcome to biscuitland’ by Jessica Thom – it is a hugely entertaining and heart-warming account of a year of Jessica’s life and I defy anyone not to be totally moved by it.

I first learnt about Jess whilst watching Stephen Fry’s BBC2 programme all about language. Jessica was featured as she has Tourette’s Syndrome, a neurological disorder which means she has a variety of movement and language tics, which she is totally unable to control. Bizarrely, one of the words which she seems to tic most often is ‘biscuits’ with quite predictably funny consequences. A friend actually discovers that she says ‘biscuit’ about 16 times a minute as well as a whole host of he most extraordinary phrases, including ‘Keith Duffy has a peanut allergy’, ‘Norma Major’s in your mouth take a bite’ and ‘I’ve got a Blue Peter badge in pig porn’.

The diary charts our Touretteshero’s progress through the year, and the numerous challenges she faces on a daily basis – these include having to explain herself to other people as she is one of the 10% of Tourettes sufferers whose tics include swear words as well as the constant and sometimes very dangerous arm and leg tics she has.

What is so wonderful about the book is that Jess chooses to embrace her condition in a hugely positive way, seeing how it can be funny and bizarre, but also how it sometimes bring out the good in people, and especially her own special support network, including Fat Sister, Leftwing Idiot and King Russell (these are all ‘tic’ names). She acknowledges how difficult her life is, but is determined to live it to the full as well as educating young and old about her condition.

Do read the book if you can, and you can also link to her site www.touretteshero.com.

Best wishes,
Wendy x