Sarcoidosis and Mental Health

Research shows that more than half of people with sarcoidosis symptoms also show signs of clinical depression. Depression can affect your work, your studies, how well you sleep, and even your appetite. Persistent feelings of sadness, emptiness, and anxiety are all signs of depression.

When I was diagnosis with sarcoidosis, I was incensed, wanting to know why me, and thinking I am in the prime of my life. I am not sure if I was depressed specifically about the sarcoidosis diagnosis opposed to other stressful situations in my life. I will say I had to really work hard at staying positive. I did not have a support system when I was diagnosis, and literally experienced all these new normals by myself. Most people do not know of the disease anyway, and have a hard time being sympathetic, because the person usually does not look sick. This is why I give praises to my higher power for his grace, throughout my blog. Every morning, he woke me up, and gave me the strength to make it to work and function at a decent level mentally and physically. Even though that was all I could do for the day in the beginning of my diagnosis, I still give thanks.  I could testify on and on how graceful my higher power has been to me, but at the same time, I still remember that for everyone that wins the battle, there is another sarcoidosis suffer who will lose.  This is an uphill climb, and no one knows.

video courtesy of yellowroze2000’s

Lungs

Almost ninety percent of the cases of sarcoidosis are found in the lungs, but it can occur in almost any organ. It causes small lumps, or granulomas, which generally heal and disappear on their own. However, for those granulomas that do not heal, the tissue can remain inflamed and become scarred, or fibrotic. Pulmonary sarcoidosis can develop into pulmonary fibrosis, which distorts the structure of the lungs and can interfere with breathing. Bronchiectasis, a lung disease in which pockets form in the air tubes of the lung and become sites for infection, can also occur.

 Pulmonary sarcoidosis can cause loss of lung volume (the amount of air the lungs can hold) and abnormal lung stiffness. Common lung symptoms are dry coughing, trouble breathing, wheezing, or pain with breathing, chest pain, tightness, or discomfort and coughing up blood, which is rare, especially in the early stages of sarcoidosis.

Personally, I did experience all the symptoms of pulmonary sarcoidosis, but today most of my symptoms have subsided, and my lung function is at 98%, which is considered normal. Unfortunately, some sarcoidosis victims lungs never heal, and they become ridden with all kinds of complications from the inflammation and medications used to treat the inflammation. One of the most well known comedians did succumb to pulmonary sarcoidosis. Please read a partial article written in People Magazine on August 9, 2008 about the contribution of sarcoidosis to our beloved Bernie Mac's death.

Bernie Mac’s Death: What Happened?

BY HILARY SHENFELD AND IVORY JEFF CLINTON

Saturday August 09, 2008 07:00 PM EDT

Lung Disease Contributed

The sister-in-law says Mac’s inflammatory lung disease contributed to his death. “He had sarcoidosis, but it was in remissions, “she says. “But because he had it, his immune system was compromised. He had an infection…. He was on a new medication that suppresses the immune system, and that’s where the pneumonia came from.”

She reveals that Mac – having trouble breathing and running a fever – was actually hospitalized on July 24, eight days before the date given for his admittance. The actor was diagnosed with pneumonia and immediately placed on a ventilator.

“He was critically ill when he was in the hospital,”says Gossett”. He was in intensive care the whole time.”

She adds that doctors kept the star sedated, although he was conscious at times and he contracted a second strain of pneumonia while in the hospital.

video courtesy of black Press

I AM NOT MY SKIN

SARCOIDOSIS OF THE SKIN

One in four (25%) of patients will have skin involvement.  These patients will develop painful or red, raised  bumps on the legs or arms (called erythema nodosum), discoloration of the nose, cheeks, lips and ears (called lupus pernio) or small brownish and painless skin patches are symptoms of the cutaneous form of the disease. 

When I developed skin sarcoidosis, I was scared and angry.  The one thing I had  was absolutely beautiful skin; all my life people have complimented me on my skin. I was thinking God of all things, why my face; I already have one negative which is my eye. My bother accidentally hit me in the eye with a rock when I was three; I lost vision and muscle strength in the eye, which make my eyes look real strange at times. I said to myself, now I am going to have  blotchy uneven skin tone to go along with my eye. Well, after months of steroid shots in the face, daily applying steroid cream, I was able to stop my skin form lighting, and resolve the lupus pernio, plaques, and most of the erythema nodosum. With that being said, I am very thankful that my break-out was not as severe as some sarcoidosis suffers.

video courtesy of overseashwy

The facts are taken from the Foudation of Sacoidosis Research (FSR)   http://www.stopsarcoidosis.org/sarcoidosis/diseasefacts.htm

The Video “Heal Sarcoidosis Now Stop the Pain” is allowed under “Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."