Invisible Chaos - a Column by Athena Merritt

If you have become disabled as a result of sarcoidosis or another health condition, searching for ways to save on medical and prescription costs is often at the top of your mind. But there are numerous other discounts, ranging from travel to lodging, that you may be overlooking. Travel…

Severe chronic pain is a part of life for many of us with sarcoidosis, even with the use of pain medications. I’ve come to cope with my round-the-clock pain by accepting it as part of my “new normal” with sarcoidosis. Instead of being hellbent on trying to find…

I never know when it will happen. Someone speaks to me and their words land in my ears as if they are in some foreign language or secret alien code. I stand there with a blank look as my brain races to decipher the meaning of their words. If I’m…

Physicians often see us at our worst. Remembering to be mindful of how we treat them could go a long way to help bolster their thinning ranks, which results in fewer hours. Physician turnover and the reduction of clinical hours in the United States costs an estimated $4.6 billion annually,…

The power of perseverance Marvel Studios is rereleasing “Avengers: Endgame” with new footage this Friday, June 28, in a final push to topple the box office record set by “Avatar.” Whether you are among those who consider the move to be thrilling, desperate, or a cash grab, it’s an…

All too often in my management of sarcoidosis, I find myself falling into survival mode and living moment to moment, just trying to stave off the worst. Various factors will nudge me there. The arrival of a new symptom, worsening of an existing one, or a new obligation. Since…

Summer is coming Summer and my sarcoidosis don’t mix well. So when Philadelphia’s temperature soared past 80 degrees May 2, I became an amateur meteorologist. If you wanted to know the weather forecast for the next hour, day, week, or 10 days out, I was your person. The House…

Sarcoidosis: No rest for the weary Taking my nephew along on errands when he was a kid meant a race against time. I tried to finish before he uttered “home,” which was toddler speak for “leave now or be embarrassed by a temper tantrum.” That’s what daily life with chronic…

Sarcoidosis and the revolving door of doctors Getting treatment for sarcoidosis can be challenging due to the diminishing ranks and hours of physicians. It’s not likely to get any easier in the future because the demand for physicians is expected to continue to outpace supply. Going in to see…

My left leg has been numb from the knee down for months. It started with a couple of toes and climbed its way up. Every once in a while, the numbness and tingling will get ambitious and trek all the way up my left side, dulling everything along the…