Happy anniversary to me! On Sept. 24, 2014, I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis. These eight years have been quite amazing, though I previously thought the date had been closer to nine years. Regardless, when I think of where my life was at that time — in Maryland, struggling to…

Middle-aged adults with impaired lung function, such as people with sarcoidosis, are at higher risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment, according to a long-term follow-up study. The study, “Impaired Lung Function, Lung Disease and Risk of Incident Dementia” was published in the American Journal of…

Adiponectin, an anti-inflammatory protein produced by adipose tissue, was seen to be elevated in the blood of people with sarcoidosis in a small study, and may help to ease disease severity.   The finding was…

Better quality of life and greater functionality are the most important treatment goals for people with sarcoidosis, according to a large-scale survey of patient perspectives. Survey results are expected to be included in European Respiratory Society (ERS) guidelines to be released this year. They were reported in “…

A recent technique for collecting lung tissue for analysis, called transbronchial lung cryobiopsy, is better than more conventional methods for a definitive sarcoidosis diagnosis, according to a German study. The study, “Diagnostic Yield of Transbronchial Lung Cryobiopsy Compared to Transbronchial Forceps Biopsy in Patients with Sarcoidosis in a…

Last week, I had two doctor appointments — one to see my pulmonologist, and the other to take pulmonary function tests (PFT). As part of the PFT, I did the six-minute…

For the past few days, I’ve been taking an inventory of my life. I guess living with a chronic illness will make you do that. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not feeling sorry for myself. I guess I was feeling like I needed to take inventory of what…

I see my pulmonologist every two to three months to see how I’m doing with my pulmonary sarcoidosis management and to follow up after pulmonary function tests. Before I see him, I usually get a few…

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — tennis champion Arthur Ashe Six years ago, my life changed. That’s when I experienced my first spontaneous pneumothorax, or a sudden collapsed lung. The year before, I’d been laid off from my job. I spent that…

Last week, I spoke with an old college friend of mine. He’s my age — mid-50s — and a professional with an impressive résumé. I hadn’t heard from him in over three years. He, his wife, and I were college friends in the early 1980s. His career has…