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…

There seems to be a correlation between productivity and inherent value nowadays. The busier a person is at work, the more she is viewed as a great employee; the more a person accomplishes in life, the more she is praised and admired. While most of us understand the difference between…

This week, the 126th Boston Marathon was held. It was exciting to see 30,000 runners pushing through the 26.2-mile course on the streets of Boston. I had a few friends running this year, and I was so glad that technology allowed us to cheer on our favorites (as well…

I recently started reading about addiction and depression, which led me to enroll in an online certification course in addiction therapy. I have come close to dealing with both, and I want to share those experiences. When you think about it, life is all about stories, and you can’t tell…

“… 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 comes up, I’m all in. In it, the Neeson character’s daughter…

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) is searching for volunteers to join its advocacy program, designed to support the sarcoidosis community in a number of ways, from raising awareness to coaching other advocates to providing one-on-one support to patients and caregivers. The program consists of three advocate roles:…

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 made me reflect on the time I have left, given that…

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 month being tested and evaluated for a lung transplant. I…