IT BEGINS WITH ''BUTTERFLIES'' IN THE
    TUMMY

    TOURETTE Syndrome is an inherited disorder of the nervous system that shows itself in
    repeated tics and uncontrollable vocal sounds.

    In rare cases, these vocalisations can include socially inappropriate words and phrases. These
    outbursts are not intentional or purposeful.

    Involuntary symptoms can include eye blinking, repeated throat clearing or sniffing, arm
    thrusting, kicking movements, shoulder shrugging or jumping.

    These and other symptoms typically appear before the age of 18.

    The condition occurs in all ethnic groups – with men affected three to four times more often
    than women.

    If Miss Goh were to have children, there is a 90 per cent chance that the child would inherit
    the syndrome if it were a boy, and a 70 per cent chance if it were a girl.

    Another symptom, apart from the erratic spurts of tics, is that the tics "morph" after some
    time.

    Said Miss Goh: "I used to hit my womb area when I was younger.  Then I started to bite my
    tongue.”

    "The body is weird with Tourette Syndrome - it can contort itself in such a way that you can
    never predict what you would do next."

    The tics are like an earthquake, sudden and violent.

    And the only warning she gets are the tremors that feel like butterflies in her stomach.

    Luckily, although the symptoms can range from very mild to severe, the majority of cases are
    mild.
    Associated conditions can include impulsiveness and learning disabilities.

    The disorder was named after a French neuropsychiatrist, Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who
    successfully assessed the disorder in the late 1800s. – From The New Paper, Singapore
Living with TS
Tourette Syndrome Awareness
Malaysia