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I’ve been learning the hard way that recovery from COVID-19 is in some ways reminiscent of dealing with sarcoidosis. After being diagnosed with COVID-19 in early January, quickly obtaining monoclonal antibodies to aid in my recovery, and then completing a 20-day isolation period due to my immunocompromised state,…
Yesterday, my doctor cleared me to return to the office, effectively ending my COVID-19 isolation. After testing positive more than two weeks ago, and feeling quite sluggish for several days beforehand, yesterday’s at-home test came back negative. What a relief. Thankfully, as I previously mentioned, I was able…
“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane,” Martin Luther King Jr. said in 1966. I have COVID-19. As of this writing, I am one of 326 million people who have contracted this disease worldwide. As a pulmonary sarcoidosis fighter who…
“Calvin, put that doughnut down!” someone said to me about nine years ago, poking my stomach like I was the Pillsbury Doughboy. It was a funny joke that made me laugh, but it was also true. Over time, I had gained quite a bit of weight and didn’t…
Today is my infusion day, and I’m excited and hopeful. I’ve been taking Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb) for about four months. Before that, I was on Remicade (infliximab), until my insurance company suddenly stopped approving it, compelling me to switch. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers the two to…
This month marks two and a half years that I’ve lived in New York City after moving here from Maryland. Although we’ve been living amid the COVID-19 pandemic for much of that time, I can certainly see why there are so many songs about this city. It is a…
As I write this, today is my best friend’s birthday. If I know him well, I suspect that on this day (I’m writing this on Tuesday), he is both externally happy and internally reflective. I suppose it is natural to take stock of life — both the good and the…
By the time this column is published, I will have seen my specialist at the Johns Hopkins Sarcoidosis Clinic in Baltimore, Maryland. Although I live in Brooklyn, New York, I still visit my specialist three times a year. Admittedly, technology and mobile apps make it easy to reach my…
As I write this, I just learned of the passing of former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. Admittedly, Powell had so many achievements that I’m not sure which title is most appropriate — general, secretary, or chairman. In the coming days and weeks, no doubt many words will be…
November 2022 is a long time away, but I’m very excited for it. If all goes well, I’ll be running in the 51st TCS New York City Marathon. Why am I focused on 2022 when we are weeks away from this year’s marathon? Well, it’s because I just qualified…
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