Life with The Leivas: Whew!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Whew!

Last week was a busy week! I'm glad it's over and this week seems to be a little more relaxing....

Monday was Olivia's first time going to her new daycare. She got a little upset when I left but she had a great time. She made a new friend and she fingerpainted.

Tuesday was Olivia's first time to go to Language Playgroup. Playgroup this week consisted of toddler gymnastics. I'm really not sure what this had to do with language development at all but Olivia had a good time.

Wednesday consisted of a session with Olivia's Speech Teacher and a trip to the grocery store.

Thursday included Olivia's regular Speech Therapy session and then the rescheduled Christmas party at Chuck E Cheese.

Poor Peter, he's been carted around all over the place!

No comments:

Post a Comment

MPS/Sanfilippo Syndrome

In October, 2008 Olivia was disgnosed with MPS III or Sanfilippo Syndrome, type B. MPS stands for: Mucopolysaccharidoses. It is a genetic lysosomal storage disease (LSD) caused by the body's inability to produce specific enzymes. Normally, the body uses enzymes to break down and recycle materials in cells. In individuals with MPS and related diseases, the missing or insufficient enzyme prevents the proper recycling process, resulting in the storage of materials in virtually every cell of the body. As a result, cells do not perform properly and may cause progressive damage throughout the body, including the heart, bones, joints, respiratory system and central nervous system. While the disease may not be apparent at birth, signs and symptoms develop with age as more cells become damaged by the accumulation of cell materials.

Babies and young children with Sanfilippo Syndrome appear normal, but symptoms begin to appear with age as more and GAGs build up in the cells of the body. There are 3 stages to the disease. Stage 1 the child begins to lag behind peers and begins to display difficult behaviors. Stage 2 the child losing his/her language, becomes hyperactive, chews on everything, and has sleeping difficulties. Stage 3 the child slows down, becomes dependant for all mobility and loses the ability to chew/swallow. There is no treatment or cure for Sanfilippo. Life expectancy varies.