Sarcoidosis - I can't even spell that.
I was diagnosed in 2009 after nearly 20 years of being plagued by vague, yet persistent symptoms. Every doctor I consulted could find nothing wrong with me....meaning nothing ever showed up on blood work. My numbers were always good. Because of this I was labled as "depressed" and recommended for counseling or anti-depressants. I knew I wasn't depressed but I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. Finally, when I became so ill that I was afraid to close my eyes at night, for fear I wouldn't wake up, I was seen by a doctor who thought my heart was in distress. When the x-rays came back, they thought I had Lymphoma...and that it was pretty far advanced. The Radiologist who did the CT suggested Sarcoidosis as a second option of a diagnosis. A biopsy was performed and the non-caseating granulomas were discovered, giving me a diagnosis of Sarcoidosis. The biopsy was done of my lungs first. Over the next few years, I had other specialist visits and biopsies were performed confirming that my Sarcoidosis is systemic.....meaning it affects multiple organs. Skin, liver, lungs, eyes, sinuses, lymphnodes, muscles, joints, and heart.
I have educated myself on this disease and feel fairly confident that while I may not know all of the technical medical terms, I do know this disease and what it does to us. My goal is to bring more awareness and to educate. I will be happy to help anyone with Sarcoidosis that I can.
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