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I never know when it will happen. Someone speaks to me and their words land in my ears as if they are in some foreign language or secret alien code. I stand there with a blank look as my brain races to decipher the meaning of their words. If I’m…

“At least you look good.” I often hear this statement, or something close to it. I am confident the words are sincere and said with the best of intentions. Someone who tells me I look good, despite the fact that I have sarcoidosis, is hoping to make me feel…

Physicians often see us at our worst. Remembering to be mindful of how we treat them could go a long way to help bolster their thinning ranks, which results in fewer hours. Physician turnover and the reduction of clinical hours in the United States costs an estimated $4.6 billion annually,…

My calves and ankles were thick and swollen from erythema nodosum. I was struggling with a cough and fatigue daily. We were still waiting for a formal diagnosis, and though it felt like we were getting closer, the delay was difficult to cope with. My primary care physician suggested…

The power of perseverance Marvel Studios is rereleasing “Avengers: Endgame” with new footage this Friday, June 28, in a final push to topple the box office record set by “Avatar.” Whether you are among those who consider the move to be thrilling, desperate, or a cash grab, it’s an…

This has been an interesting week. This time last year, I was released from the hospital about three days before Father’s Day. I was excited to be coming home after being hospitalized for four weeks with my third spontaneous pneumothorax. This year, I…

I wasn’t always an anxious person. Since my sarcoidosis diagnosis, however, I feel I exist in a perpetual state of anxiety. In the beginning, I am certain the anxiety was a result of the pain and fatigue. I was struggling to get answers and a formal diagnosis.

All too often in my management of sarcoidosis, I find myself falling into survival mode and living moment to moment, just trying to stave off the worst. Various factors will nudge me there. The arrival of a new symptom, worsening of an existing one, or a new obligation. Since…

I received a phone call about a week ago from one of my cousins, who is like a little brother to me. We’ve always been very close, and before my cousin’s father passed away from cancer, he asked me to “look after” my cousin, which I’ve been doing…

In the midst of a medical crisis, my long-time friend made a suggestion. She advised me to find a calming activity that would help pass the time on the road to recovery. Since she’s both a friend and a licensed clinical social worker, I trusted her input. Not surprisingly, my…