Invisible Chaos — 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.

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

I had my flu shot at the beginning instead of the tail end of flu season this year. Unfortunately, there’s no vaccine for the seasonal viruses currently making the rounds. I fought off the first bug with vitamin C,…

I used to be a notoriously late holiday shopper, scrambling in stores on Christmas Eve to complete my gift list to the amusement of my family. But life with sarcoidosis and my other chronic health conditions can be…