During our son Hudson’s toughest days (“tough” doesn’t touch just how excruciating most of the bad days were), sadly, the only thing that brought him comfort was me getting online and finding other horrifying stories. It wasn’t the old expression “misery loves company” so much, but more confirmation to him that he wasn’t crazy or a bad person and that other kiddos, just like him, were going through this stuff, just like him. He especially wanted other children afflicted with the “bad thoughts” to know that these did NOT make him/her a bad person. Hudson is extremely risk-averse, thoroughly enjoys knowing what the rules and guidelines are (so he can follow them), and often is the first to offer a helping hand, sincere apology or a thoughtful idea. So, his bad thoughts did more than just scare him, they tormented him and made him question his very character. This was, without a doubt, the absolute most difficult part of his PANDAS flares for my husband and me.