Sarc Fighter: Living with Sarcoidosis and other rare diseases

Dan Keota lives outside Philadelphia. He needs a double lung transplant. It's serious. But Dan is one of those people who find comedy just about anywhere -- even in the darkest throws of his own condition. Listen as Dan tells the story of how he is turning to humor while he hopes a lung donor becomes available. Be sure to listen at the end to hear his first on-stage comedy routine! Show NotesDie...

Once you receive a diagnosis of Sarcoidosis, you have an answer. But that raises more questions. What medications should I take? Will they work? Is it the right medication? What complications could I face? Do I have the right doctor, or is the right doctor not in my local area? In many cases sarcoidosis means you need to travel to get the care you need. Your local doctors may not have enough...

Sarah Bishop has a little extra compared to the rest of us. Even though she endures daily struggles with Sarcoidosis she pushes herself to the limit. In this case the limit is an endurance event called The Goat, which takes place in her native New Zealand. Sarah turned her expedition into a fundraiser for the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, and it gained national notoriety and momentum. In...

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) is gaining national traction in the fight against sarcoidosis—championing research funding, patient rights, and access to treatment. In this episode, we dive into how FSR is helping patients receive the care they deserve while empowering the research community to develop new sarcoidosis treatments, therapies, and clinical breakthroughs.We also explore...

Janet Mockovciak has been through the wringer. Her sarcoidosis has gone from bad to worse. She has tried all the medications that most patients have used, but they only seem to last for a brief period of time. Then they stop. In the meantime, the sarcoidosis spreads throughout her system. Despite that, she manages to walk two miles every day, and recently went skiing with an oxygen tank on her...

Dr. Mark Mallozzi at National Jewish Health in Denver is examining the airborne particles or "particulate matter" that may play a role in triggering sarcoidosis. In this episode of the FSR Sarc Fighter Podcast, Dr. Mallozzi details some of the things in the air that we have no idea we are breathing. He looks at the evidence from the dust at 9-11, to burn pits for veterans to smoke from wildfires...

Here at the end of 2025, it's time to measure our progress in the fight against Sarcoidosis -- and the news is good. In this episode of the FSR Sarc Fighter Podcast, Tricha Shivas, the Chief of Staff and Strategy at the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, joins me to talk about huge strides in research funding, building the support community, Veterans' support, and even progress with lawmakers...

A new study out of India shows a bit of crossover between sarcoidosis and lung cancer. In this episode of the FSR Sarc Fighter podcast, I'll take a look at the study and what it reveals — including a new drug, Metformin, previously used to treat Type 2 Diabetes, that may show promise based on the study's findings. For what it's worth, I'll also share the terrors of surgery for my ruptured...

Basim Karim is a fighter. He's battled HIV for more than two decades, has had COVID five times, and now has Sarcoidosis in multiple parts of his body. Doctors face a special problem with him because he cannot allow his immune system to be too depressed, or he faces consequences even greater than sarcoidosis. Basim joins me to tell his story. Show NotesBasim's Reddit thread:...

What if the cause and a potential cure for sarcoidosis were hidden in plain view -- on your skin? According to research by Dr. Thomad Leung in Philadelphia, that might be the case. In this episode of the FSR Sarc Fighter podcast, Dr. Leung explains how his team of researchers is using the skin to investigate how the body sends a homing signal to cells that create damaging granulomas in any part...