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“Don’t let the day get away from you!” Growing up, I remember my family members saying this to my brother and me regularly. It means that you shouldn’t let the day pass you by without doing something. That something could be anything, as long as it was constructive. It was…

The other day, I was heading home from my intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) infusion, grateful to be back on schedule after my recent insurance delay. I was mindlessly singing along to whatever was playing on the radio, which turned out to be Matchbox Twenty — and I realized that…

Hope. “I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. You get busy living, or get busy dying.” Recently, I’ve found myself watching and rewatching one of my favorite movies, “The Shawshank Redemption,” starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. The movie chronicles their friendship at a fictional…

A few days ago, I celebrated the five-year anniversary of the first of my two spontaneous pneumothoraces, a result of pulmonary sarcoidosis. I can’t believe it’s been five years, but I’m happy to celebrate. By all accounts, I’m stable and doing fairly well. About eight months after my…

The other day I was surprised by a knock on my door, and even more surprised to hear the response when I asked who it was. It sounded like he said Jamaal Bowman — my congressman. It even sounded like his voice, which I recognized from countless interviews,…

The last few weeks have been an excellent reminder of just how important and vital community can be, especially when you have a rare disease. Last weekend, the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) hosted its Global Virtual Patient Summit. FSR does a great job of bringing the sarcoidosis…

What have you done today that would make a difference in your life? What did you do yesterday? Are you just going through the motions of existing, or are you living the adventures of your life? These questions may sound a little suspicious, but they have to be asked. They’re…