Life Altered - a Column by Kate Spencer

Is There a Link Between Chronic Illness and PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is getting more coverage in the news. I’ve often wondered if I have PTSD since I started experiencing symptoms after I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis. Most people probably believe that PTSD only affects veterans, victims of sexual assault, or people who have witnessed death or…

Could Boosting Your Immune System Help with Sarcoidosis?

Cold and flu season is quickly approaching. I find this time of year especially challenging now that I’ve been diagnosed with sarcoidosis. I can’t escape the changing weather and temperatures, but experts say there are ways to boost the immune system. The immune system removes toxins from the…

Pursuing Self-improvement Despite Sarcoidosis

The past few days have been “blah” for me. I try to remain optimistic despite my sarcoidosis, but sometimes the stuff of life just creeps in. Once things like worry, self-doubt, and skepticism take over, it’s often difficult to see past them. Whenever I find myself feeling this way,…

Could Vitamin Therapy Help My Immune System?

To be clear, no one ever made the claim that vitamins and supplements would cure me of sarcoidosis. However, they might boost my immune system, and that might help me to better manage the symptoms. From my own research and conversations with physicians, I learned that we should…

Symptom Management Is a Full-time Job

“What’s your worst symptom?” is a question I’m often asked while discussing sarcoidosis. My response is always the same: “Whatever symptom I have at the moment.” It’s true: Whatever I’m dealing with at the moment is the worst symptom. By the time that particular aspect of my condition has…

Some Relationships Simply Can’t Survive Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis changes everything in life, including relationships. Since being diagnosed, I find that people in my life fall into several categories. First are those who know about my condition and have a healthy, satisfying relationship with me despite it. They include a precious few who occupy a special space…

An Art Class Made My Bad Day Better

It was what I least felt like doing that Saturday morning: learning something new and being among a group of people. But the friend who urged me to attend a mixed media collage art class at the local library must have sensed it was exactly what I needed. Since…