I woke up in the middle of last night having a ‘ticcing fit’. It was the type in which my muscles become very tight and I can’t move at all. Going from being asleep to waking up rigid in the middle of a painful fit is very unnerving.…

A few weeks ago we had a couple of beautiful sunny days which made me think summer had come. Enthused, I bought a new outdoor table for the castle’s garden and some crash mats so I could sit out there safely.…

A while ago I did an interview for the Express newspaper about what it’s like living with Tourettes and about my book Welcome to Biscuit Land. The interview wasn’t published immediately and as the months wore on I’d almost forgotten about it.…

I’ve got up every morning for the last week in a cheerful upbeat mood and then, somewhere between the shower and leaving the front door, my heart’s sunk. There’s a very tangible reason for this and it’s not stress at work or the overcast weather.…

Last night I searched for the word ‘Lychees’ on Twitter. I don’t know if it’s a word that’s normally tweeted a lot, but yesterday it was repeated thousands of times across the Twittersphere when my tic, “Square cheese is the cousin of lychees” became part of #SurrenderYourSay.…

It’s Surrender Your Say day today, which means that if you don’t have Tourettes but you do have Twitter, it’s your chance to experience one aspect of the most frequently misunderstood syndrome on the planet. When you sign and surrender here, a neat little app sends real tics at random times throughout the day from your account.…

Earlier this week I wrote with excitement about test-driving some new, powered wheelchair wheels. They could potentially give me much greater independence because I’d be able to push myself around much more easily.

An unexpected turn of events on Friday afternoon made my existing chair almost impossible for anyone to push when the frame and the handle on one side snapped clean off!…

Here’s twelve-year-old Dylan’s third post (you can read the others here and here). It’s a moving and thoughtful account of his transition to secondary school. Please do share your thoughts and experiences by commenting below.

This week’s blog is more serious than my first two – this time I’m leaving the jokes to Jack Carroll (Britain’s Got Talent runner-up).…

About two years ago when it was first suggested I should have a wheelchair, I found the whole idea upsetting to think about, let alone talk about. Now though, I love thinking and talking about my chair and how it can be improved so I can do even more for myself.…

There are an estimated 6.5 million unpaid carers in the UK. They’re people who support a family member, a friend or partner who’s ill, frail or disabled.

Today’s the start of Carers’ Week, an annual week of campaigning which aims to:

• Draw attention to the role of carers and celebrate the contribution they make
• Help people recognise that they are carers and help them access support
• Highlight the need for sustainable funding for services, both for carers and the people they care for

This year’s campaign focuses on the fact that every day 6,000 people take on new caring responsibilities.…