anxiety

Being a mom comes with a heavy mental load. I constantly have a list of tasks running through my mind — all the work I need to do to manage my family’s life. I’m not just thinking about those tasks, but also making plans, remembering events, and carrying the tasks…

Parents face significant anxiety and uncertainty after their newborn screens positive for a lysosomal storage disorder (LSD) like Pompe disease, but these emotions usually resolve over time once families receive clear, comprehensive information, a new study finds. However, researchers warn that this anxiety often persists in parents whose children…

A woman in her 30s with severe respiratory failure and muscle weakness due to late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) repeatedly experienced misdiagnoses of anxiety attacks — with “multiple admissions in the psychiatric sector with anxiety disorder” — before genetic testing eventually led to a correct diagnosis, according to a Danish…

In my last column, as part of “The Pompe Community Diaries” series, I introduced 37-year-old Michael Thames, a behavior analyst from South Carolina who has Pompe disease. When he was younger, Thames was confident in his ability to be self-sufficient. But from the beginning of his training in…

Many folks don’t know what an implantable venous port is and what it’s used for. However, my 6-year-old son, Cayden, is very familiar with it and its purpose. Cayden received a port when he was just 8 weeks old, which is atypically young for a child. He was having…

Note: This column describes the author’s son’s experiences with Nexviazyme and Lumizyme. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy or changing its dose. My 6-year-old son, Cayden, has received infusions of enzyme replacement therapy for the entirety…

My 5-year-old son, Cayden, will soon be getting a new kindergarten teacher. While this will be a big adjustment for all the children in his class, it will be a bit harder for Cayden, who has some special needs. Cayden’s original teacher recently told us that she has accepted…

Typically, my 5-year-old son, Cayden, who has infantile-onset Pompe disease, has no problem going away with family for the weekend. He used to spend weekends with either my grandparents or his paternal grandmother. But that’s changed, as he now refuses to leave my side. It all started a few…

A few weeks ago, my 4-year-old son, Cayden, had a rare occurrence in which the implanted port in his chest stopped working. It was a scary situation and the first time it had ever happened. The port is necessary because Cayden receives biweekly enzyme replacement infusions of Nexviazyme…

My 4-year-old son, Cayden, had a routine checkup with his metabolic specialists during a recent Pompe clinic day. Although we always know what to expect during these visits, that’s both a blessing and a curse. After Cayden sees the doctor and completes a physical therapy session, we then…