Athena Merritt,  —

Athena, a former journalist and Pennsylvania native, was diagnosed with sarcoidosis in 2002. She’s admittedly addicted to books, Marvel, and football. She tackles life with humor, passion and curiosity, and hopes to reach others through her writing.

Articles by Athena Merritt

Savings Are There if You Know Where to Look

If you have become disabled as a result of sarcoidosis or another health condition, searching for ways to save on medical and prescription costs is often at the top of your mind. But there are numerous other discounts, ranging from travel to lodging, that you may be overlooking. Travel…

Physician Burnout: Helping Those Who Help Us

Physicians often see us at our worst. Remembering to be mindful of how we treat them could go a long way to help bolster their thinning ranks, which results in fewer hours. Physician turnover and the reduction of clinical hours in the United States costs an estimated $4.6 billion annually,…

Beauty of Living, Not Just Surviving

All too often in my management of sarcoidosis, I find myself falling into survival mode and living moment to moment, just trying to stave off the worst. Various factors will nudge me there. The arrival of a new symptom, worsening of an existing one, or a new obligation. Since…

Summer and My Sarcoidosis Are Not a Good Combination

Summer is coming Summer and my sarcoidosis don’t mix well. So when Philadelphia’s temperature soared past 80 degrees May 2, I became an amateur meteorologist. If you wanted to know the weather forecast for the next hour, day, week, or 10 days out, I was your person. The House…

Is There a Doctor in the Office?

Sarcoidosis and the revolving door of doctors Getting treatment for sarcoidosis can be challenging due to the diminishing ranks and hours of physicians. It’s not likely to get any easier in the future because the demand for physicians is expected to continue to outpace supply. Going in to see…

Beating Back the Worry Over New Norms

My left leg has been numb from the knee down for months. It started with a couple of toes and climbed its way up. Every once in a while, the numbness and tingling will get ambitious and trek all the way up my left side, dulling everything along the…