A Pompe patient shares his experiences with diaphragm issues

In my last column, as part of “The Pompe Community Diaries” series, I introduced 59-year-old Steve Bersani, who lives with Pompe disease and served in the Boston Police Department for 30 years before retiring in 2018. In recent video chats with Bersani, we discussed the issues he faces…

A Lesson Learned About On-the-Job Medical Training

Every doctor, nurse, and respiratory therapist has to start off somewhere. They don’t just jump right into their position. People trained in these occupations must complete years of medical school, and undergo extensive training at a medical facility.  Over the years, my son, Cayden, 3, has…

Problems with Diaphragm Evident in Lung Function Tests of LOPD Patients, Study Reports

People with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) have lower dynamic diaphragm function and altered endurance and strength during inhalation, but they show some compensatory mechanisms to preserve air volume, according to a recent study. These findings, which were achieved using dynamic — rather than the standard, static — lung function…