Sarc Fighter: Living with Sarcoidosis and other rare diseases

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...

We've talked about a lot of different ways sarcoidosis can affect the body. But this is the first time we've talked to a patient who has hypercalcemia -- where there is too much calcium in the blood. And yes, it can be caused by sarcoidosis. It's a story Chris Cermak is living with, even though his blood calcium reached dangerously high levels. Show notes:More from the FSR Gala:...

A lot of people find the podcast because they are trying to figure out what's going on in their bodies. They know they have sarcoidosis, but they don't know what it is, how serious it is, or whether it will get worse or maybe - go away. Then there's the question of multi-organ involvement. How common is it and which organs are most often impacted? In this episode of the FSR Sarc Fighter podcast,...

It's not always easy to participate in a clinical trial. Even if you want to, how do you get the time off from work? Starting in 2025, thanks to the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, there is a provision called the FMLA Clarification, which essentially states that you can participate without fear of losing your job. In this episode of the FSR Sarc Fighter Podcast, Dr. Ennis James, a...

Let's say you or a family member wants to participate in a clinical trial, but the boss doesn't want you to have the time off because of extra visits to the doctor's office. Under new rules spearheaded by the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, companies must now allow patients time away from the job without fear of losing their employment. In this special edition of the FSR Sarc Fighter...

In this episode of the FSR Sarc Fighter Podcast, it's time to think. Borrowing some thoughts from a man who faced a possibly fatal brain condition, I look at how similar his case is to our own -- bearing in mind that he expresses his case so much better than most people can or could. Also, Sarcoidosis News is out with a study showing that Black Women are more likely to develop kidney stones than...