Columns

I’m a marathoner! On Sunday, Nov. 6, I ran the TCS New York City Marathon, my first 26.2-mile race. And I did it with sarcoidosis-affected lungs. In the end, each mile was like a race of its own. Miles 1–2: I’m on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, leaving Staten…

The other day I picked up my new glasses — a pair of bifocals, because my doctor said that progressive lenses would worsen my dizziness and vertigo. The same day, I was discharged from physical therapy because my insurance company didn’t see enough progress. Since every other treatment has…

For the past few days, I’ve been feeling distant in my relationships, mostly because of an unusual series of deaths close to me. This is the 19th year since I lost my mother. It’s also been 18 years since I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis. For some reason, I’ve been…

If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. That’s a familiar line that most folks have heard once or twice. To be honest, I’ve heard it from my male friends more than anyone else. It seems like they had a specific meaning in mind, but as usual, it means something…

“‘How does one become a butterfly?’ she asked pensively. “‘You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.'” — Trina Paulus, “Hope for the Flowers” Winners never quit, and quitters never win. When the going gets tough, … you know…

Recently, I’ve had a dry cough that just won’t go away. I know that’s an odd way to start a column, but it’s that annoying. Fortunately, I’m pretty sure the cough is due to the seasons changing here in New York, as my lungs and sinuses often need a few…

The other day I received a text from an old friend of my wife and me. He needed help editing a video, which is my expertise. He knew I had the software to do what was needed and thought it’d be an easy fix. During our back-and-forth texts, he told…

“I may not know where I’m going, but I’ll let you know when I get there.” I used to say that to a few of my college friends. I was always the one who knew where I wanted to go in life, even though I wasn’t sure how I’d get…

As I type this, it’s the evening of Yom Kippur, the final night of the Jewish High Holy Days. It’s a period of reflection and atonement, of forgiveness and renewal. It’s our new year, a time for new beginnings. And in a moment that seems serendipitous, I feel like I’m…

I’m training for the TCS New York City Marathon this November. It’s been quite a challenge, as I’ll be a rookie marathoner over 50 years old who has pulmonary sarcoidosis. Needless to say, I do all this with my the approval of my doctor at the…