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…
I mentioned in a previous column my desire to embrace winter this year. As I’m writing this, it has been unseasonably warm here in the Northeast. Warmer temperatures help tremendously with my sarcoidosis symptoms, and for this, I am grateful. But I know the winter elements are still…
When I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, my physicians drilled into me the importance of annual lung and eye exams. And I have followed through every year without fail. But numerous readers have made me aware of another important area of concern: the heart. February is American Heart Month and…
Xeljanz (tofacitinib) is an oral treatment originally developed at the National Institutes of Health through collaboration with Pfizer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Xeljanz as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. It has also been used…
A couple of weeks ago, I endured a full week of medical testing to see if alternative therapies might help me to live better with sarcoidosis. Needless to say, I was thrilled when it was all over. Last weekend, I…
The unpredictability of sarcoidosis can make life chaotic, which has made me a bit of a control freak, as my sister found out when we traveled together last year. After taking in the breathtaking view of Boston Harbor from our hotel window, my burning question was which bed she…
Welcome to a new year and a new decade! As 2019 came to a close, I began to make plans for the new decade. I decided that I would take more chances, like I used to do before suffering multiple incidences of…
Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Jan. 20 this year. On this national holiday, Americans are encouraged to volunteer to serve their communities. If you are unable to participate, there’s a good reason to find other ways to be charitable this year: your health. Being charitable has…
As we usher in a new year, I realize that I have not made resolutions in ages, which I guess is directly related to my sarcoidosis. I suppose that years ago, I put goals to paper on Jan. 1. Items such as exercising more and eating more healthily were…
Many of us start the new year with a list of resolutions, but few are successful at sticking to them. Almost all of us abandon them within weeks. Last year, I was among those struggling, so I decided to change course mid-year. I ditched the traditional list of…
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