Sarcoidosis Overview

As we come to the end of 2011, I wanted to make sure that I post a personal story, a little background on my health situation. I have, among other things, a disease called "sarcoidosis". At least, my doctors believe that I have sarcoidosis. The diagnosis has not been confirmed by biopsy.

A lot of people have never heard of sarcoidosis. I've even met health care professionals who have never heard of it. I'll try to describe it. Sarcoidosis, or sarcoid, is an autoimmune disorder that mimics other conditions. Granulomas, which are, basically, clusters of inflammatory cells, form in different organs. Depending on their size and location, they can interfere with the normal function of an organ or organs. There's no cure yet. And, even if a flare of the disease ends, scar tissue that intereferes with an organ's function can be left behind. The chronic form of sarcoidosis is rare. The acute form, once considered rare, is more common than once thought.

Sarcoidosis has affected multiple organs in my body. For instance, it's affected my eyes severely through non-infectious uveitis and macular edema. I have had constant flare-ups since April 2008. I came close to going blind that year as I experienced visual field loss. And, the corticosteroid eye drops that I used to try to control the inflammation caused cataracts and glaucoma in both eyes. (The coricosteroid tablets have also had a negative effect on my body in general.) I underwent surgery for glaucoma and cataracts. As I recovered from one round of eye surgeries, my primary opthalmologist made a comment about the way my body overproduces scar tissue. He and a couple of his technicians spent an afternoon applying drops to dissolve fibrin in my right eye.

Earlier this year, I took part in a clinical trial. The study drug helped improve the vision in my right eye. I'm currently on an injectable immunosuppressant that has enabled me to decrease the oral steroid dose. My rheumatologist is trying to taper me off steroids. The vision in my left eye is still pretty bad, though. I use a white-tipped cane on occasion because my depth perception is just not there at times. However, I am back to making videos and taking photographs with little to no assistance. Although it's hard for me to see detail, I usually set my DSLR to manual focus. I like to see how sharp I can get a photo--or not.

That's a brief overview of some of what's going on in my life. Have a joyful day. God bless you.

Introduction

My name is Michele Darien. I've been writing poetry since I was a child. I produced my first video over ten years ago. I hope to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ in every area of my life. I will post anecdotes, testimonies and samples of my work from time to time. God has sustained me and strengthened me in many ways and I hope that you will be encouraged by this blog. Have a blessed day.