u/bad_at_blankies

US parent here!

For those of you who have used a Neupulse, do you find it comfortable? For instance, is there anything about the wristband, or gel pads, or anything that has taken awhile to get used to, or that was a deal-breaker?

My daughter tried the Emeterm, and her biggest complaint is that it felt "itchy."

Also, just curious -- what are the settings/controls like? We have a TENS unit, and it has ALL THE SETTINGS, whereas the Emeterm you can just control intensity.

My daughter is a teenager with TS. She's under the care of an excellent doctor, and the meds she is on (particularly topamax) have been helpful in reducing tics.

I know that there is no cure for TS, and I don't subscribe to the belief that tics are caused by food intolerance. That being said, on some facebook groups (particularly the more granola ones) there's been some chatter about​ different foods making tics worse.

Anecdotally, have you noticed any foods impacting your tics? Have any dietary changes made tics more manageable?

For background, my teen daughter has Tourette Syndrome, with loud vocal tics. Her teachers and the administration have been wonderfully supportive.

I was hanging out with a couple band parents, and my daughter's condition came up. One parent said she'd heard from her kids that "Mrs. X", a band teacher (there's four at the school), was often very mean to my daughter in response to the tics. I responded that I'd be sure to ask my daughter, but from what I'd heard, Mrs. X is one of her favorite teachers, and to the best of my knowledge had always been very kind, supportive, and accommodating. I also pointed out that my daughter's 504 outlines tic management ​strategies, such as breaks. So if Mrs. X said something like, "why don't you take a minute and walk around?" she was not kicking my daughter out of the classroom, she was just offering a break. I asked my daughter about Mrs. X, and she confirmed that Mrs. X has always been super kind and she's had zero problems with her.

This rumor bothers me. It's not true, for one! I also don't like that my daughter's condition is somehow part of a narrative to attack someone who has been amazingly supportive. The way rumors work, if it got back to the band teachers, it would sound like my daughter or I had a problem with the teacher, which we don't! At all!

I drafted a brief email to the head band director (coincidentally Mrs. X's husband) saying essentially, this is what I heard, I talked to my daughter and she confirmed it couldn't be farther from the truth. I'm hoping this was an isolated conversation and not an active rumor, but should it get back to you, please know that it is not at all how we feel. (I'm leaving any clues about who said it out.)

Is this the best way to handle it? I know if I ignore it it will probably go away anyways, but hate the thought that the band teacher might hear it and think she's done something to hurt my daughter.

Our daughter is 16. She lives with me, but sees her dad twice a week. Her dad and I have been divorced for 10+ years, and both of us have remarried. Our daughter is an only child with both sets of parents. My ex and I aren't each others' favorite person, but things are civil.

When we got divorced, my understanding of state law was that each parent was responsible for the equivalent of 1/3 the cost of attending an in-state university. In the past couple years, laws changed so there is no obligation for either parent.

I'm not asking for financial advice. We've got money tucked aside for college, and regardless of his situation or willingness to chip in, it is important for me that our daughter attend college or vocational training that is aligned with her interests and goals. I am asking, though, how do you open up that conversation, not just about costs, but also about expectations, options, etc.?