For the past few days, I’ve been feeling distant in my relationships, mostly because of an unusual series of deaths close to me. This is the 19th year since I lost my mother. It’s also been 18 years since I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis. For some reason, I’ve been…

Infliximab — marketed as Remicade and biosimilars — had steroid-sparing effects superior to methotrexate in the treatment of cardiac sarcoidosis, a small study found. The success rate of a tapering course of corticosteroids was significantly better when infliximab was added to the regimen than when the steroid was used…

If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. That’s a familiar line that most folks have heard once or twice. To be honest, I’ve heard it from my male friends more than anyone else. It seems like they had a specific meaning in mind, but as usual, it means something…

Recently, I’ve had a dry cough that just won’t go away. I know that’s an odd way to start a column, but it’s that annoying. Fortunately, I’m pretty sure the cough is due to the seasons changing here in New York, as my lungs and sinuses often need a few…

The other day I received a text from an old friend of my wife and me. He needed help editing a video, which is my expertise. He knew I had the software to do what was needed and thought it’d be an easy fix. During our back-and-forth texts, he told…

A new type of biochemical analysis called ACE phenotyping may help diagnose sarcoidosis involvement outside the lungs, a study proposes. “We believe that our method allows for the noninvasive detection of patients with systemic sarcoidosis,” the researchers wrote. The study, “Predictive potential of ACE phenotyping in…

As I type this, it’s the evening of Yom Kippur, the final night of the Jewish High Holy Days. It’s a period of reflection and atonement, of forgiveness and renewal. It’s our new year, a time for new beginnings. And in a moment that seems serendipitous, I feel like I’m…

About 35 out of every 100,000 people with private insurance in the U.S. are estimated to have sarcoidosis, and most disease clusters are located near urban areas on the East Coast, a new study shows. However, most of these clusters disappeared when controlling for race, “suggesting that geographical racial…

I’m training for the TCS New York City Marathon this November. It’s been quite a challenge, as I’ll be a rookie marathoner over 50 years old who has pulmonary sarcoidosis. Needless to say, I do all this with my the approval of my doctor at the…

Motivation. It begins as an inspiration that becomes an action toward a goal. That’s what they say, and I’ve listened. Every now and again, I find it hard not only to get motivated, but also to stay motivated. Many factors affect my becoming and staying motivated, and I find the…