Overview

A memoir of the unique challenges, and treatments, of Tourette Syndrome

An inspirational tale of personal struggle with and triumph over Tourette syndrome, this is the story of Jeff Matovic and the radical treatment he sought to cure himself. After suffering from Tourette’s for years—with his tics and outbursts getting progressively worse and with no results coming from drugs or physical or spiritual therapy—Jeff was able to convince his doctors and his insurance company to try a risky deep brain stimulation treatment, a surgery that involves the implantation of a pacemaker for the brain into his skull. Penned by a journalist who is also afflicted with Tourette’s, this is the incredible story of a friendship that blossomed under their common experiences with this bizarre brain disorder. A complete discussion of the latest medical research of and treatments for Tourette’s, written in accessible and easy-to-understand terminology, is also included.

Reviews

“An extraordinary and inspiring account of personal courage in the face of unimaginable adversity. Emotional shock waves live on every page of this book” —Hal Friedman, coauthor with James Patterson of Against Medical Advice: One Family’s Struggle with an Agonizing Medical Mystery

“Ticked is inspirational, well-written, and surprisingly witty.” —Lowell Handler, author of Twitch and Shout: A Touretter’s Tale

“The people who make a difference in our world are the ones with courage. This is a wonderful story of the daily courage of two men with Tourette Syndrome. Ticked is vivid, wrenching, funny, and, most of all, inspiring. I trust it will notch up the courage in everyone who reads it.” — John Rosenow, founder and CEO of the Arbor Day Foundation

Author Biography

James A. Fussell is a feature writer for the Kansas City Star who has struggled with Tourette’s from childhood. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri. Jeffrey P. Matovic is the first person to have his Tourette Syndrome controlled through deep brain stimulation. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio. Jeff Foxworthy is a comedian, an author, and a television performer.