Hello everyone, I just joined the group. I was given my diagnosis June 1st after spending the entire month of May crippled with edema and pain, seeing various doctors trying to figure out what was wrong with me. I was a healthy 33 year old, running 12-24 miles a week when this hit me like a brick. I thought I was getting rheumatoid arthritis, which seems worse than this. I went to the ER for chest pain where they were finally able to narrow things down. Although life with sarcoidosis can be difficult and sucks at times, I am grateful it is not lung cancer. At that time I had many nodules in my lungs, some on the liver, an adrenal gland and possibly on the heart.

I've been on prednisone for nearly 2 months now. My heart rate is almost back to normal (resting rate was around 120 when I had edema, it was normally 60), while my breathing capacity seems to come and go. I have started running again a couple weeks in, but I am unable to hit my old pace. I'm technically jogging now, as I'm doing 12+ minute/miles, far down from 9. I'm definitely not getting enough air, but my heart rate has been creeping back into a normal and safe area. Cool air seems best of course.

As for my best guesses on how I got this in the first place: I smoked up to a pack a day until this year for 14 years. I inhaled plenty of black mold and fine concrete dust two months before this started (negative mold on lung cultures), and I have a history of asthma and seasonal allergies. A good handful of food allergies too, but I eat most of them anyway. Of course the doctors and the internet have no idea what causes this disease in the first place XD
I do have some Scandanavian in my genetics, as well as other races that I see reported less frequently.

Anyway I look forward to reading through here and sharing my experiences as this journey continues.

Shane