Ticked : A Medical Miracle, a Friendship, and the Weird World of Tourette Syndrome

When Jeff Matovic burst into the office of Dr. Robert Maciunas, he had very few options left. Matovic had suffered for years from Tourette Syndrome, his full-body spasms and outbursts getting progressively worse, to the point that he saw suicide as a viable option. Drugs, physical therapy, prayer—nothing was working. But Dr. Maciunas was a pioneer in deep brain stimulation (DBS), a new therapy that had worked to correct other brain disorders. Could it fix Matovic’s Tourette’s? All Matovic had to do was convince Dr. Maciunas that he was a perfect candidate for the procedure. That, and have several electrical leads—a “brain pacemaker”—implanted into his skull. Author Jim Fussell is uniquely qualified to tell Matovic’s story—he suffers from Tourette Syndrome as well. Fussell’s job as a feature writer for the Kansas City Star brought him in contact with Oprah Winfrey, who first told him about Jeff Matovic, the “Miracle Man.” As Fussell learned about Matovic’s remarkable journey, he vowed to seek him out. This is their story. Where's My Miracle? Second Chance Umm ... Are You Taking My Clothes Off? The Hand of Satan The Tic Explosion Dr. Dream Crusher Jumping Out of My Skin My Search for Relief I'd Rather Have Cancer I Know How to Kill My Tourette's Butter and Salt on Your Neurons? "I Need You to Cover Oprah" Hope in the Mail I Have a Bazillion Questions "What Are You, Stupid, Matovic?" Comfort from Katie A Teenager with Tourette's Come on, Jesus, Time to Spill Corn Flakes Saved by Sports "God Bless You, Jeff Foxworthy!" John Carroll University Deep Brain Stimulation Cemetery Man Luvox, Klonopin, and a Suit to Be Buried In "Get in Here and Take Care of Me!" "Nice Boots!" "Jeff, It's Deb. Where Are You?" "How Much Do You Love Me?" A Little Beige on the Side Debra's Dilemma Learn to Live with Your Pain Take a Chance on Me A Real Kick in the ... Pants Testing, Testing Quarter-Million-Dollar Insurance Dance The Story of Medtronic Dr. Robert J. Maciunas Keep Calm Last Rites Tic Tic Tic The Pre-Op Comedy Hour Turn Me On, Tina "Welcome Back to Your Life" Telling the World Oprah and Good Morning America Shining Star "What Do You Mean I Won?" Revenge of the Weirdos. "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"-- Provided by publisher