A few months ago I had a conversation with someone who told me he was recently released from the hospital after having triple bypass surgery. I mentioned that my mom had a heart valve replacement a few years before she passed. I also told him about my…

Women with sarcoidosis are more likely to die in hospital from heart complications and also to experience sudden cardiac death than male patients, while men are more likely to have a heart defibrillator device, a study reports. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing how sex differences…

With 92 degrees forecast, I headed out for a walk Thursday morning to beat the heat. Within minutes, I had to quit because of a sarcoidosis-related condition that required stubbornness to get diagnosed. Trudging home, fearing I would faint, I recalled the physician who told me, “Not everything is sarcoidosis,”…

My Fourth of July celebrations always include barbecue, but not this year. I made the leap to a vegetarian diet on May 23. I’m already seeing benefits from the move, which has given me the willpower to remain meat-free. It was tested on the most popular holiday…

Severe fatigue affects more than 60% of pulmonary sarcoidosis patients and is associated with worse shortness of breath, daytime sleepiness, anxiety and depression, catastrophizing, functional impairments, and quality of life, according to a Dutch study. The research also showed similar findings for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF),…

A pile of boards and bolts stood before me as the first inkling of doubt crept in. Gathering what tools I could find — a small hammer and two old screwdrivers — didn’t boost my confidence. It was seven steps to creation. What it turned out to be was a…

Sarcoidosis patients who more closely follow their established treatment plans were found to have a significantly improved health-related quality of life, a new observational study shows. The study, “Association of Medication Adherence and Clinical Outcomes in Sarcoidosis,” which was published in the journal Chest, is…

Sarcoidosis affecting the spinal cord tends to result in distinct patterns visible on MRIs of the spine, which may help in properly diagnosing this disease type, a new study reports. The study, “Clinical and MRI phenotypes of sarcoidosis-associated myelopathy,” was published in the journal Neurology Neuroimmunology…

You are where you’re supposed to be — for now. Over the past three years, I’ve been dealing with the effects of pulmonary sarcoidosis. Having suffered multiple spontaneous pneumothoraces over a two-year period, I often wonder…

I spent the first hours of April poring through television news in the U.S. Not a single mention of Sarcoidosis Awareness Month for my efforts. I did see a bus advertising it roll by in the background of a live broadcast in Philadelphia. I smiled because that’s life with a…