Columns

Ten years ago this month, I was devastated to leave a job I loved — one I thought would be the beginning of my career, not the end of it. It was a dream job, so losing it was a nightmare. I’d practically done the job for free already. I…

It is with deep sadness that we inform the Sarcoidosis News community of the passing of our friend and gifted columnist Charlton Harris on Aug. 25, 2023, only a few days before the publication of his final column. Charlton visiting…

I was 7 years old when I saw “Poltergeist,” the 1982 film about a family that moves into a house possessed by angry spirits. While there are countless frightening moments in the film, the worst for me was when 8-year-old Robbie is attacked by his doll, a clown…

Have you ever had one of those days? You know, the kind where nothing seems to go right, where a dozen things have gone wrong before you’ve even left the house? OK, technically, I did leave my apartment, and came back, and left again, and came back again. And that…

When I learned that an upcoming episode of the “AiArthritis Voices 360 Talk Show” would focus on the difficulty patients have in getting diagnosed, I jumped at the chance to co-host. After all, it took me eight years to get my sarcoidosis diagnosis, starting from when I began…

How do I know that my hip is getting better? My back is hurting more. I know that sounds like a bad joke, but it really falls into the category of “funny ’cause it’s true.” It’s not actually funny, but laughter is a great coping mechanism. Sometimes I can’t tell…

One of my wife’s friends recently invited us to a party. It happened to be our anniversary weekend and we didn’t have any plans, so we decided to make it a date. It was a great opportunity to hang out with some nice folks. After arriving, I overheard a few…

When living with a chronic health condition, challenges often seem to appear out of nowhere. After I was diagnosed with pulmonary sarcoidosis, I continued to do anything and everything I wanted to do. I rarely considered how my health might dictate my actions and abilities. Call it…

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” — Anonymous Every other week before I meet with my therapist, I take stock of where my head is at: what I’m thinking most about, what’s stressing me…

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — tennis champion Arthur Ashe Six years ago, my life changed. That’s when I experienced my first spontaneous pneumothorax, or a sudden collapsed lung. The year before, I’d been laid off from my job. I spent that…