My Mother's Battle with Sarcoidosis

My cousin died from complications from sarcoidosis a few years ago. It's the same disease that took the life of actor/ comedian Bernie Mac. Unfortunately last summer my mother was diagnosed with sarcoidosis and congestive heart failure. At first the doctors thought my mother had lung disease, because she smoked for many years.

"Sarcoidosis (sar"koi-do'sis) involves inflammation that produces tiny lumps of cells in various organs in your body. The lumps are called granulomas (gran"u-lo'mahs) because they look like grains of sugar or sand. They are very small and can be seen only with a microscope.

These tiny granulomas can grow and clump together, making many large and small groups of lumps. If many granulomas form in an organ, they can affect how the organ works. This can cause symptoms of sarcoidosis.

Signs and Symptoms:

"Many people with sarcoidosis have no symptoms at all.

Some people with pulmonary (lung) sarcoidosis may experience the following signs and symptoms:

* Shortness of breath
* Fatigue and weakness
* Weight loss
* Shortness of breath or chest pain
* Dry cough
* Enlarged lymph nodes around the lungs

When sarcoidosis affects areas of the body other than the lungs, symptoms can include:

* Enlarged lymph nodes
* Red bumps on arms, face, buttocks
* Fever
* Swelling and pain in the ankles and knees
* Infections of the eye, including conjunctivitis
* Enlarged or inflamed liver

Sarcoidosis can occur in almost any part of your body, although it usually affects some organs more than others. It usually starts in one of two places:

* Lungs
* Lymph nodes, especially the lymph nodes in your chest cavity."

Now my mom is on a special diet. It is recommended that people who suffer from Sarcoidosis; eat a diet filled with fruits, vegetables and whole grains. They should avoid eating "refined foods, such as white breads, pastas, and sugar."

My mother had to change her whole lifestyle. She can no longer take the long walks like she use too, because of shortness of breath. My mother loves to fish and boat, unfortunately she has had to cut back on those activities; especially when there's a lot of humidity in the air. The humidity makes it harder for her to breath. She now uses an oxygen tank, and can only walk short distances. She has her good days and bad days as far as coping with her diagnoses. There's still a lot we don't know about the disease, but we've been reading about it and trying to find as much information as possible. Hopefully one day we will have more answers than questions and there will be a cure for sarcoidosis.