Popularity: -2
Vote:   | A lot of people asked me if it was frustrating not having a clear specific diagnosis, but I didn't mind, I just chose the most optimistic diagnosis. |
Popularity: -1
Vote: | After 10 months and several misdiagnoses, I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, and I have accepted the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. |
Popularity: 4
Vote: | Concealing an illness is like keeping a beach ball under water. |
Popularity: 3
Vote: | Everyone who has sarcoidosis is affected differently. |
Popularity: -2
Vote: | I am enormously honored to be one of the spokesmen of the New Age Womens Health Campaign, so you'll be seeing me in public service announcements and public appearances supporting the campaign. |
Popularity: 3
Vote: | I believe my experience as a certified recreational therapist assisted me in demanding the best possible care from my doctors. |
Popularity: 1
Vote: | I did as much research as I could and I took ownership of this illness, because if you don't take care of your body, where are you going to live? |
Popularity: 1
Vote: | I didn't think there would be a run for bald-headed, steroid-bloated models. Almay is the No. 1 fastest-selling cosmetic brand in the world; it's a gold figure! |
Popularity: 3
Vote: | I don't have feeling in my feet to my fingertips; I also have active lesions in my bone marrow and in my eyes. |
Popularity: 3
Vote: | I have a lesion in my spinal cord and in my brain approximately the size of a pencil. |
Popularity: 2
Vote: | I just had that conversation this morning with my doctor. I just got back from the hospital a half-hour ago, and nothing will make me happier than to replicate the DNA of my amazing husband. Im optimistic. |
Popularity: -1
Vote: | I never expected in a million years that I would have the honor to become an advocate of women's health care and education, and I'd dive on a live grenade to get this message out, so thank you for this forum. |
Popularity: 1
Vote: | I still when I wake up hit the ground running; and having an illness, I'm only one of hundreds of thousands of people that live with an illness, and I'm just in awe of the bravery and dignity of the people I see at the hospital. |
Popularity: 1
Vote: | I take a lot of drugs; I am the patient of a fearless pharmacologist. |
Popularity: 0
Vote: | I try to manage my time to conserve energy. |
Popularity: 4
Vote: | I'm still working with Revlon and got a couple of movies in the can, and Im working on two television shows as we speak. |
Popularity: -1
Vote: | I've been in medical limbo for approximately three years dealing with sarcoidosis of the central nervous system. |
Popularity: 1
Vote: | In a way, I have simplified my life by setting priorities. |
Popularity: 3
Vote: | In a way, I tried to mourn for the person that I was and figure out who I am now. |
Popularity: 3
Vote: | In addition, I'll be attending women's health expos and medical conferences with the goal to promote dialogue between women and their health-care providers. |
Popularity: 1
Vote: | In the beginning, when I first found out I had a disease that was incurable, emotionally I had to get used to the idea of being sick before I could think about making any other major decisions in my life. |
Popularity: 3
Vote: | It's been an incredible odyssey to make the journey from a vibrantly healthy person to someone with a chronic illness. |
Popularity: 2
Vote: | My family has been amazing, and they understand how blessed I am. They've been able to keep my sense of humor. |
Popularity: 0
Vote: | My friend had a funny remark; he told me everybody has something - some people have a big butt, some people are insecure and at least you know what it is, even if it's a lump on your head. I know I have a lump on my head. |
Popularity: 2
Vote: | No, sarcoidosis doesn't target a specific gender or race, although it's slightly more common in women, as I understand. It is considered a disease of unknown origin. |
Popularity: 0
Vote: | On an optimistic note, I'd like to (praise) Revlon for keeping me on as a spokesmodel. Revlon has donated nearly $27 million toward research for breast cancer. |
Popularity: 1
Vote: | One of the symbols in the sarcoidosis support community is the snowflake, because every case is different. In my situation, it can be best described as relapsing-progressive. |
Popularity: 2
Vote: | Sarcoid can attack anywhere in the body where there is soft tissue, and these cells become like sand. The lesions form hard crystals. It's three times more common than TB, and most people have activity in their lungs, but mine began in my brain. |
Popularity: 0
Vote: | So it was a big risk by disclosing my illness, but I felt it was the height of hypocrisy if I lied about it given the fact that I was such a passionate believer in the Americans with Disabilities Act and the idea of mainstreaming. |
Popularity: -2
Vote: | Sometimes I look at the sarcoidosis as a mean monkey on my back. |
Popularity: 4
Vote: | The lesion is in the area of my brain that is responsible for motor function, so I have continual chronic pain in my left arm from elbow to fingertips and the right side of my body from my ear to my breast area. |
Popularity: 2
Vote: | What's interesting as an actress and a model is the focus of my career was on my face and my body, and the visibility of my symptoms were strikingly real, so I had to adjust to my new way of living. |
Popularity: -2
Vote: | Yes, I think one of the ways to manage an illness is I kind of try. You know, there are good days and bad days. |