Columns

I Am My Own Life Coach

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…

Prescription Blues: Swallowing the Cost of Medications

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…

My PTSD Was Hiding in Plain Sight

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…

SarcWarrior: My Hidden Superpowers

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…

The Early Morning Wake-up Call

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…

Stumbling into the Unknown

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…

Life Altered: My Journey to a Sarcoidosis Diagnosis

I was an average woman in my early 30s, married with two young stepsons, working a full-time job in healthcare sales and marketing. My husband and I had recently purchased our first home. We enjoyed spending time with family and friends and led a healthy lifestyle. Then one day, I…

5 Tips for Managing Unpredictable Days with Sarcoidosis

The thing that attracted me to a career as a journalist — the unpredictability — is precisely what I despise most about living with a chronic illness. Over my nearly 17 years battling sarcoidosis, I’ve had good and bad days, and others that have fallen somewhere in between. I…

This Too Shall Pass

Like you, I’m not the only person that has daily issues living with sarcoidosis. As I tell some friends, every day is a new adventure. That adventure may include riding an emotional roller coaster, or feeling so upbeat and motivated that I’ll venture out to the gym for a…