Julie Cox is the mother of all PANS PANDAS therapists and she has been working with these children and families for the last 20 years after her daughter got the illness. She has poured her personal and professional knowledge and compassion into her therapy work with sufferers. A big part of that is also coaching parents and families on how to survive when the going gets tough - as it frequently does due to the waxing and waning nature of the illness. Sound familiar?!

In this warm chat, Julie weaves in her personal experiences and professional expertise. Explaining how validation for parents is important, emphasising how therapists must work with these children differently and recommending lots of resources (Stephen Porges, Deb Dana, Dan Siegel and Dr Ross Greene).

I loved chatting with her and was sorry we ran out of time as we had so much to say. The good news is she has promised to come back later in the year. Thank you, Julie! For more information on her therapy practice in NY https://www.juliecox.org/pandas-pans-therapy-westchester-ny and her global 1:1 parent coaching sessions at www.parentingwithpans.com/coaching She is about to start a membership with video lessons and group support.

Amy Joy Smith is a legend in the community, and one of the first practitioners to help children heal from PANS/PANDAS. She has helped hundreds of families, and her compassionate, rigorous approach ensures that children get better.

In this episode she talks about mould - or more specifically the mycotoxins that certain moulds release, that can be so damaging to health. She talks about her personal journey with mould, how to treat it, and the most important thing....."getting out" - leaving the mouldy environment.

I've known Amy for many years and loved speaking with her.

She mentions Dr Shoemaker's survivingmold.com website as a good resource.

Her website is here but she has a long waiting list.

Hope you enjoy it!

Lucy McDonald here,

This conversation was mind-blowing for me. I have long known of the rheumatologist Jennifer Frankovich's work, but in this chat, she taught me so much about PANS. Well specifally PANDAS. She treats children with sudden onset in The Bay Area of California, and her team of experts are so in demand they only take one in ten referrals. They have ultrasound experts trained to look specifically for inflammation, and Jennifer is passionate about uncovering what is causing the inflammation, so that can be treated and recovery possible. It is cutting-edge work, and she is collating information on patients so there will be a body of research.

We briefly talk about the potential connection between PANS/PANDAS and IVF. She also wonders why doctors no longer screen for Strep when its link to inflammation and mood is long documented.

She also shares symptoms parents can either look out for, or alert doctors to, which suggest underlying inflammation. These include a rash, unexplained aches, and delayed reflexes. She will come back to PANS/PANDAS Stories later in the year, with a guide to help parents advocate for treatment.