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.
Runny nose, sneezing, coughing, and itchy, watery eyes. Getting a breath of fresh air ain’t what it used to be. Spring allergy season is underway in the U.S. And it’s going to be a lengthy, brutal stint for those of us in the East, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. …
I felt vindicated last year when researchers reported Lyme disease could potentially trigger sarcoidosis. I’ve been trying to get physicians to see a link between the two for years. I used to expect some dramatic “aha” moment when I reported that my sarcoidosis arrived a year after my Lyme…
I’ve been managing all right while being holed up alone since mid-March. But when I see my family and can’t hug them, I break inside. My mom worries, so twice a month I drive over and wait outside. From 6 feet or more, she mothers, telling me I should have…
On April 28 of last year, I had one thing on my mind and it wasn’t my sarcoidosis. I was crammed in a movie theater for “Avengers: Endgame” learning the fate of my favorite superheroes. Filling theaters in record-breaking numbers may now be a thing of the past. But, what…
My timing has been abysmal lately. Take for instance my purchase of an all-wheel-drive car so that I could get to work in the snow. The snow never materialized (Philadelphia had a measly 0.3-inch season total), the job disappeared (thank you, COVID-19), and the car payments remain. Then…
National Minority Health Month got underway in the United States on April 1 with the same theme as last year: “Active & Healthy.” Focusing the month on keeping minds and bodies active while indoors may seem like a great idea in light of a pandemic keeping many homebound. However,…
I’ve noticed that when doctors pitch something that will be good for my health, what usually follows is something I don’t like much. The reason is that achieving that goodness usually comes with some drawbacks. Taking another medication. Giving up foods I like. Sweating it out at the gym.
National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month begins on April 1 without the fanfare of years past. We can’t participate in walks. We can’t gather for events and fundraisers. And news cycles are focused on the global pandemic of a virus that attacks the lungs, not a rare disease that infiltrates…
After all of my efforts to remain germ-free I was reminded of a couple things this past week. The first is that hand soap and sanitizer don’t make me invincible. The second is that being homebound so much over the years while battling sarcoidosis has given me a “particular…
More than 90 percent of people with sarcoidosis have lung involvement, which makes it hard for me not to worry about the recent coronavirus outbreak. Last week, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 a global pandemic. We are being bombarded daily with…
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