Invisible Chaos — Athena Merritt

It’s easy to feel grateful when everything is going your way, but when you hit a rough patch, it helps to count your blessings. Stress has a clear impact on health and was the last thing I needed,…

I recently met a newly retired teacher at the laundromat. I was holding a book I had loved for the first 200 pages, but then lost interest in. She gave me the same advice she gave students who complained…

Last month, I decided to take a break from Twitter. It is the only social media site I use, despite the grumblings of Facebook-obsessed family and friends. My only regret is not doing it sooner. Ditching Twitter wasn’t as…

Weeks after getting a script for what I hoped would be a cheaper alternative to Restasis (cyclosporine emulsion), I was reminded of why so many prescription medications are unaffordable. Three pharmaceutical companies recently agreed to pay California…

Twice in the past month, a charley horse in my right calf has ripped me from blissful sleep. Even though prednisone wasn’t to blame for the agonizing 4 a.m. wake-up calls, it’s the first thing I thought about…

Finding an escape in football Prior to my sarcoidosis diagnosis, the National Football League (NFL) got my attention once a year when the Super Bowl aired. That only changed if my hometown team had a shot of making it…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…