Every year around this time, between Father’s Day and my June 24 birthday, I feel a little disconnected and withdrawn. I was raised by a single mom who served as my mother and father, so maybe I’m missing her more than usual. We used to celebrate my grandfather and my…

People sometimes say their cars are an extension of their personality: sporty, sexy, rugged, classy, adventurous — any of the descriptors used in commercials. I take that idea a bit further. A true extension of my personality, my car is a little ridiculous and a lot of fun, and she…

May has not been my favorite month for many years. I lost my mother suddenly over Mother’s Day weekend in 2003, and later lost one of my favorite aunts in May 2006 and my maternal grandmother in May 2007. On May 19, 2018, I suffered a second spontaneous…

Earlier today, I scheduled appointments for my husband and me to see our primary doctor and pulmonologist. I also rescheduled appointments with my cardiologist, neurologist, endocrinologist, and ophthalmologist, all of which I’d had to cancel recently because I was too sick to go to the doctor. There really is such…

Sometimes, you know you’re in a unique time of your life, and you should just appreciate your good fortune without questioning it. For me, I’m in such a time. Last weekend, I gathered at my college alma mater, Morehouse College in Atlanta, to celebrate my 30-year reunion. It was…

Last month, I participated in my biggest race ever, the Brooklyn Marathon. The race weaved through various neighborhoods in Brooklyn, passing less than a block from my apartment. With over 20,000 runners, it was by far the biggest crowd I’ve ever run with. And while in 2022 we have learned…

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…

The blood levels of natural killer T-cells (NKT), a type of immune cell, are reduced significantly in sarcoidosis patients with subclinical signs of heart involvement relative to those without, a small study shows. Notably, low NKT cell levels were associated significantly with imaging markers of heart inflammation, suggesting that…

Two of my daily tasks are staying confident and encouraged. Sometimes that’s a challenge. I joined a few sarcoidosis groups on Facebook, and I’ve read postings about folks who’ve lived with the disease from three to 40 years; I’ve been living with it for about 18 years. As I like…

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…