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The hardest part about change is starting. The first “start” is the hardest, whether you’re starting a new job or welcoming a new spouse or child into your world. You realize that if you want something to work out, you have to start somewhere, and you have to…

The unrelenting fatigue hit me like a bad case of the flu. I longed to stay in bed all day, but I had a full schedule that wouldn’t allow for that. I pushed myself and continued to do so each day, until one day, I found I simply couldn’t push…

Sarcoidosis 101 Have you ever tried to explain sarcoidosis to someone? First, you have to phonetically walk them through the funny-sounding pronunciation. If you still have their attention after that, it’s usually gone by the time you hit the term “granuloma.” After being shellshocked by a sarcoidosis diagnosis,…

For the 15 years that I’ve been living with pulmonary sarcoidosis, I’ve learned that every day is not just a new adventure, but a blessing, too. Shortly after my diagnosis, I discovered how sarcoidosis can affect the body. The first…

When I left my doctor’s office with a prescription for Restasis (cyclosporine) this month, I was hopeful I would be able to afford it under my insurance plan this year. But the nearly $500 upfront cost to fill it has put the medicine out of reach again. I’m hardly alone…

Aah … spring has finally sprung! The weather is finally trying to cooperate by giving us a few comfortable, mild days, and folks are starting to come out of their shells to enjoy it. Yesterday was the first day in over a year that I actually…

As a Marvel fan, this week’s long-awaited premiere of “Avengers: Endgame” has me thinking about the sarcoidosis community’s hidden superpowers. They aren’t flashy. We can’t fly. We can’t shoot webs from our wrists and swing through neighborhoods. And we can’t transform our bodies into a hulking green beast — though…

A piercing scream woke me from a sound sleep that morning. It echoed from every corner of the house. My brain struggled to identify the source of the squealing before finally realizing it was coming from me. Intense pain was all over my body. Like a bad toothache, it came…

I was thrilled to find out the television network NBC will be airing a sarcoidosis PSA this month to raise awareness about the disease, which so many fail to recognize at the onset of symptoms. I did. Night sweats — which had me waking as drenched as if I…

Since I received a diagnosis of sarcoidosis in my lungs, I have made frequent visits to my pulmonologist to monitor my condition to see if it is progressing and to assess my overall health. On…