Poorer lung function and a higher body mass index (BMI), a measure indicating obesity, are significantly associated with a lower self-reported quality of life in people with sarcoidosis, a German study found. Of note, the tool used to assess quality of life — called the King’s Sarcoidosis Questionnaire or…

In late 2012, Rhonda Underhill started having headaches and extreme fatigue. She attributed it to the long hours she was working as a general manager for a small business in Maryland. Rhonda Underhill (Courtesy of The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research) After rounds of MRIs, misdiagnoses,…

Yesterday, my doctor cleared me to return to the office, effectively ending my COVID-19 isolation. After testing positive more than two weeks ago, and feeling quite sluggish for several days beforehand, yesterday’s at-home test came back negative. What a relief. Thankfully, as I previously mentioned, I was able…

It’s easy to forget what’s most important when living with a chronic health condition. I reflect on this often, especially when I’m working out at the gym or trying to do “normal” activities. Achieving a sense of normalcy with sarcoidosis is difficult, especially during a pandemic. A shifting sense…

My last doctor’s appointment of 2021 was on Dec. 30 and involved a six-minute walk test and a follow-up with my pulmonologist. The walk test didn’t seem to go well, as I required more supplemental oxygen than I usually do while working out at the gym. I explained this to…

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane,” Martin Luther King Jr. said in 1966. I have COVID-19. As of this writing, I am one of 326 million people who have contracted this disease worldwide. As a pulmonary sarcoidosis fighter who…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug designation to aTyr Pharma’s experimental immunomodulatory molecule ATYR1923 for the treatment of sarcoidosis. The therapy is being developed for severe inflammatory diseases affecting the lungs, which in sarcoidosis patients is called pulmonary sarcoidosis. Orphan drug status is given to…

“Calvin, put that doughnut down!” someone said to me about nine years ago, poking my stomach like I was the Pillsbury Doughboy. It was a funny joke that made me laugh, but it was also true. Over time, I had gained quite a bit of weight and didn’t…

I go to the gym because I know it’s good for me to stay active and to get some physical exercise. Recently, I found out that it also helps me trust myself to take charge of my own well-being. I was fortunate to have participated in…

Today is my infusion day, and I’m excited and hopeful. I’ve been taking Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb) for about four months. Before that, I was on Remicade (infliximab), until my insurance company suddenly stopped approving it, compelling me to switch. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers the two to…