Ever since he was an infant, my son Cayden, who’s now 7, has needed to use orthotic devices. He was diagnosed with infantile-onset Pompe disease via newborn screening, and these devices seem to be common among that community. His journey with orthotic devices started when he was a few…
Mobility aids
“The Pompe Community Diaries” is a series that follows the journeys, musings, and challenges of those in the Pompe disease patient community. This week, I’m introducing Katy Arvidson, who is the current Ms. Wheelchair Alaska USA. Katy is wheelchair- and ventilator-dependent because of Pompe disease. She lives in…
A few weeks ago, my grandparents and I purchased a wagon for my kids. I have a 5-year-old son, Cayden, and a 7-month-old son, Kyree. I’ve wanted a wagon for them for quite some time now, and we were finally able to make it happen. While this may not seem…
I have this recurring dream where I’m driving a sublime green 2015 Dodge Challenger down the Pacific Coast Highway toward the beach. I call it my “I have no muscle” muscle car. It’s trimmed out in light blue with “Pompe Champ” and “Smashing Pompe” printed on the sides and hood.
Awhile back, I donated my 4-year-old son Cayden’s used adaptive equipment. He’d outgrown his old stander, so we no longer had any use for it. While I was sad to see these things go — because it’s a reminder that he is getting older and bigger — I was…
A recent Hawaii vacation I took with my wife and friends was incredible, as I wrote in my last column. I’m enthusiastic about sharing even more about my experiences traveling while living with late-onset Pompe disease. I consider myself to be semi-ambulatory and can walk for short periods…
Age and the use of an assistive device like a walker may tell how well a patient with late-onset Pompe disease will do in a six-minute walk test (6MWT), a small study suggests. The 6MWT is considered a gold standard for determining, through difficulties in walking, the severity of…
A few weeks ago, during my 4-year-old son Cayden’s physical therapy session with his home-based therapist, we had a conversation about mobility devices. Cayden has infantile-onset Pompe disease, which has caused him to have very low muscle tone. He is unable to walk or bear any weight…
One of the symptoms of Pompe disease is muscle weakness. Due to this, many children who have been diagnosed with infantile-onset Pompe disease will be required to wear some type of orthotic braces that are specially designed by an orthotist. When my son, Cayden, was about 15 months old,…
Most people love the beach. Whether it’s your first time going to the beach or not, seaside vacations, and traveling in general, are almost always enjoyable. But what if you can’t get to the ocean once you’re there? Disabled individuals must find other ways…
Recent Posts
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- New GAA mutations destabilize key enzyme in Pompe disease: Study
- The things people say when they don’t know what to say
- Combination therapy helps control allergic reaction to ERT for Pompe
- Pompe disease hasn’t changed my desire to have a friend and be a friend