Invisible Chaos - a Column by Athena Merritt

Whenever I see my friend Laurie’s cats or my niece Nautica’s dog sleeping I think, “I wish I could sleep like that.” Their pets can drop into a blissful snooze anywhere and under any circumstances and look so comfortable. That’s a state I yearn to achieve nightly in my quest…

I recently saw an episode of “Family Feud” that made me nostalgic for the good old days — or what my nieces and nephews call ancient times. Contestants on the TV game show were challenged with naming outdoor childhood games from a time when cellphones, computers, and social media…

When I stumbled upon sarcoidosis in 2002, I was told it was rare for it to cause chronic health issues. What I wasn’t told was that the disease was rare. I haven’t come face to face with a single person with sarcoidosis since my diagnosis. Nor have I met…

When it comes to managing sarcoidosis, rain feels like another obstacle in my day. And Mother Nature has been pouring down plenty of it in the Philadelphia area lately. Give me a day or two of wet weather and it’s unpleasant, but I manage. But being stuck in a seemingly…

I know that getting outdoors is good for my health and my sarcoidosis management. But the deeper we get into winter, the more I try to avoid it. Much like when I’m battling the hottest days of summer, a nature walk for me now is whatever I see…

When I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, my physicians drilled into me the importance of annual lung and eye exams. And I have followed through every year without fail. But numerous readers have made me aware of another important area of concern: the heart. February is American Heart Month and…

I stopped at a tire center this month to have one of the tires on my car checked. The small bubble on the sidewall didn’t seem like a big deal to me, but I was told it was a ticking time bomb that could blow at any moment. That was…

The unpredictability of sarcoidosis can make life chaotic, which has made me a bit of a control freak, as my sister found out when we traveled together last year. After taking in the breathtaking view of Boston Harbor from our hotel window, my burning question was which bed she…

Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Jan. 20 this year. On this national holiday, Americans are encouraged to volunteer to serve their communities. If you are unable to participate, there’s a good reason to find other ways to be charitable this year: your health. Being charitable has…

Many of us start the new year with a list of resolutions, but few are successful at sticking to them. Almost all of us abandon them within weeks. Last year, I was among those struggling, so I decided to change course mid-year. I ditched the traditional list of…