No Tears for Sarcoidosis
— Charlton Harris

“… but what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career.” — Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), “Taken” Every time I watch the movie “Taken” and this scene…

In the first three months of the year, I’ve lost friends due to various illnesses — none of them primarily because of age — and I’ve worried about some other friends’ troubling health. All of this has…

I was unexpectedly hospitalized in February 2020 after several days of feeling weak and more out of breath than usual. Given my pulmonary sarcoidosis, my healthcare team decided to admit me for observation. I had spent the previous…

I’ve recognized that I have a huge problem. I recently had an appointment with my new cardiologist’s nurse practitioner. A few weeks prior, I’d had an echocardiogram to determine how my pulmonary sarcoidosis is affecting my cardiovascular…

Navigating children, a spouse, and pets in one house is hard, especially when we’re all there at the same time. Sometimes we’re together all day. If someone told me this could happen 20 years ago, I’d have called them…

Sometimes when I awake in the morning, I’m afraid of what the day may bring. Then, when I retire for the evening, I’ll take my tablet with me to bed to read or listen to jazz. But just…

It’s easy to forget what’s most important when living with a chronic health condition. I reflect on this often, especially when I’m working out at the gym or trying to do “normal” activities. Achieving a sense of normalcy…

My last doctor’s appointment of 2021 was on Dec. 30 and involved a six-minute walk test and a follow-up with my pulmonologist. The walk test didn’t seem to go well, as I required more supplemental oxygen than I usually…

I go to the gym because I know it’s good for me to stay active and to get some physical exercise. Recently, I found out that it also helps me trust myself to take charge of…

Like a coin, there are two sides to every story. A disagreement involves two different perspectives. A face has two cheeks. And sarcoidosis has two faces. I was reminded of this while helping an old friend and his…

“I am thankful to all those who said no. It’s because of them, I did it myself.” — Wayne W. Dyer Now that we’re approaching the thick of the holiday season, it’s time for us…

Recently, my former brother-in-law Johnny invited me to his house for the weekend to spend some much-needed time with friends. He lives about 40 miles outside of Philadelphia, and I love visiting him because his home sits on a…