Kick In to Stop Sarcoidosis
Kerry Wong
Kerry Wong
As many of you know, I’ve been dealing with a variety of health problems for the past 10 years. Some of you may have known me in the first few years, when I was suffering from inexplicable pain, fatigue, fevers, chills, and a slew of other symptoms. You may have seen me frustrated when doctor after doctor dismissed me, suggesting that it was all in my head, or I was “just depressed.” Some of you may have known me a few years in, when I started developing visible symptoms in addition to those mentioned above. You may have seen me hopeful each time a doctor suggested a diagnosis and treatment, and devastated each time the treatment didn’t work and the diagnosis was removed. Some of you may have known me when I was swollen from head to toe, when I couldn’t stand up on my own or move an inch without screaming in agony. You may have pitied me when I was crying with no relief, no diagnosis, and pretty close to no hope.
But in late 2015 – 8 years after these symptoms began – I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, and began a new medication regimen to treat it. Like most people, I’d never heard of this disease before, but since it was confirmed by lab, radiology, and pathology reports, we knew this was the one. Within days on the new meds, there was a noticeable difference, and I continued to progress in the following weeks and months. I’ve made a lot of progress, but I am still living with debilitating pain, fatigue, and a variety of other symptoms.
Sarcoidosis is here to stay (there is no cure): it’s now affecting my lungs, my joints, my skin, and my nerves, and causing systemic (whole body) symptoms as well. There’s a love/hate relationship with most treatments, as they can do harm as much as they can help.
If you know me at all, you know that I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing – not when an estimated 200,000 people in the US are suffering with this disease, and it takes an average of 7 years to get a diagnosis. That’s why I’ve gotten so involved with Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, and why I started this Team KISS event two years ago. I’m hoping that you’ll Kick In to Stop Sarcoidosis with me – visit Team Buttahflies (bottom right) to join my team, or click the links on this page to make a donation. Remember, no amount is too small to make a difference … or too big!
Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) is the leading nonprofit dedicated to finding a cure for this disease and improving care and treatment options for sarcoidosis patients. All donations will go directly to FSR and its programs for improving patient education, supporting patients and their caretakers, and of course, funding research to find better treatment options and one day, a cure.
KISS stands for Kick In to Stop Sarcoidosis, and that’s what you'll be doing by supporting my page. FSR is the leading nonprofit dedicated to finding a cure for this disease and improving care and treatment options for sarcoidosis patients. The funds all go directly to FSR and their programs for improving patient education, supporting patients and their caretakers, and of course, funding research to find better treatment options and one day, a cure.
Please consider helping me reach my goal. Together, we can Stop Sarcoidosis!
- Kerry
But in late 2015 – 8 years after these symptoms began – I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, and began a new medication regimen to treat it. Like most people, I’d never heard of this disease before, but since it was confirmed by lab, radiology, and pathology reports, we knew this was the one. Within days on the new meds, there was a noticeable difference, and I continued to progress in the following weeks and months. I’ve made a lot of progress, but I am still living with debilitating pain, fatigue, and a variety of other symptoms.
Sarcoidosis is here to stay (there is no cure): it’s now affecting my lungs, my joints, my skin, and my nerves, and causing systemic (whole body) symptoms as well. There’s a love/hate relationship with most treatments, as they can do harm as much as they can help.
If you know me at all, you know that I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing – not when an estimated 200,000 people in the US are suffering with this disease, and it takes an average of 7 years to get a diagnosis. That’s why I’ve gotten so involved with Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, and why I started this Team KISS event two years ago. I’m hoping that you’ll Kick In to Stop Sarcoidosis with me – visit Team Buttahflies (bottom right) to join my team, or click the links on this page to make a donation. Remember, no amount is too small to make a difference … or too big!
Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) is the leading nonprofit dedicated to finding a cure for this disease and improving care and treatment options for sarcoidosis patients. All donations will go directly to FSR and its programs for improving patient education, supporting patients and their caretakers, and of course, funding research to find better treatment options and one day, a cure.
KISS stands for Kick In to Stop Sarcoidosis, and that’s what you'll be doing by supporting my page. FSR is the leading nonprofit dedicated to finding a cure for this disease and improving care and treatment options for sarcoidosis patients. The funds all go directly to FSR and their programs for improving patient education, supporting patients and their caretakers, and of course, funding research to find better treatment options and one day, a cure.
Please consider helping me reach my goal. Together, we can Stop Sarcoidosis!
- Kerry
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