We’re all familiar with the evolutionary fight-or-flight response. When faced with stress or danger, we go through physiological changes that enable us to either battle a predator (fight) or escape the situation (flight). However, there is another option, although we probably wouldn’t choose it willingly: to freeze. That’s…
“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane,” Martin Luther King Jr. said in 1966. I have COVID-19. As of this writing, I am one of 326 million people who have contracted this disease worldwide. As a pulmonary sarcoidosis fighter who…
Happy New Year! By now, we’ve all hopefully recovered from the holidays and are starting to get into the groove of 2022, hoping and planning for a better year. The recovery may be a little easier this year, as celebrations have looked different since COVID-19 took over the world. We’ve…
“Calvin, put that doughnut down!” someone said to me about nine years ago, poking my stomach like I was the Pillsbury Doughboy. It was a funny joke that made me laugh, but it was also true. Over time, I had gained quite a bit of weight and didn’t…
I go to the gym because I know it’s good for me to stay active and to get some physical exercise. Recently, I found out that it also helps me trust myself to take charge of my own well-being. I was fortunate to have participated in…
Today is my infusion day, and I’m excited and hopeful. I’ve been taking Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb) for about four months. Before that, I was on Remicade (infliximab), until my insurance company suddenly stopped approving it, compelling me to switch. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers the two to…
Like a coin, there are two sides to every story. A disagreement involves two different perspectives. A face has two cheeks. And sarcoidosis has two faces. I was reminded of this while helping an old friend and his son last week. My friend called me two weeks ago and…
I’ve been reading through my recent columns, and I noticed that I frequently mention how tremendously helpful therapy is. There are a few reasons for that. When I started my blog in 2010, my goal was to help people. I thought that sharing how I got through difficult times…
This month marks two and a half years that I’ve lived in New York City after moving here from Maryland. Although we’ve been living amid the COVID-19 pandemic for much of that time, I can certainly see why there are so many songs about this city. It is a…
“I am thankful to all those who said no. It’s because of them, I did it myself.” — Wayne W. Dyer Now that we’re approaching the thick of the holiday season, it’s time for us sarcoidosis warriors to be thankful for what we have and what…
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