Columns

I miss traveling. Because of sarcoidosis, sleep difficulties, equilibrium challenges, pain, and constant fatigue must be considered. Other types of travel are no longer feasible, so I mostly stick with driving short distances by car. As I mentioned in a previous column, even visiting family during the holidays…

I stopped at a tire center this month to have one of the tires on my car checked. The small bubble on the sidewall didn’t seem like a big deal to me, but I was told it was a ticking time bomb that could blow at any moment. That was…

A couple of weeks ago, I endured a full week of medical testing to see if alternative therapies might help me to live better with sarcoidosis. Needless to say, I was thrilled when it was all over. Last weekend, I…

Years ago, I took a young family member to acting classes for eight weeks. The class focused on improvisation, also known as improv. During that two-month period, I learned so much about the fine art of acting. Recently, I recognized how this has helped me deal with sarcoidosis. Improv is…

The unpredictability of sarcoidosis can make life chaotic, which has made me a bit of a control freak, as my sister found out when we traveled together last year. After taking in the breathtaking view of Boston Harbor from our hotel window, my burning question was which bed she…

Welcome to a new year and a new decade! As 2019 came to a close, I began to make plans for the new decade. I decided that I would take more chances, like I used to do before suffering multiple incidences of…

I previously wrote about the challenge of living with sarcoidosis during the four seasons. Each season has its difficulties. Yet I can’t imagine living without the change in weather. I enjoy each season for what it has to offer. We’re well into winter in the Northeast. The cold, wind,…

Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Jan. 20 this year. On this national holiday, Americans are encouraged to volunteer to serve their communities. If you are unable to participate, there’s a good reason to find other ways to be charitable this year: your health. Being charitable has…

As we usher in a new year, I realize that I have not made resolutions in ages, which I guess is directly related to my sarcoidosis. I suppose that years ago, I put goals to paper on Jan. 1. Items such as exercising more and eating more healthily were…

Many of us start the new year with a list of resolutions, but few are successful at sticking to them. Almost all of us abandon them within weeks. Last year, I was among those struggling, so I decided to change course mid-year. I ditched the traditional list of…