Private Chef, Writer & Podcaster
A quick trip to the store turned into an unexpected memory about life with chronic illness, oxygen tanks, and the hilariously awkward way two grown men with invisible diseases failed to communicate. If you’ve ever lived with sarcoidosis, heart failure, or just the chaos of being human, this tiny moment might hit home.
A chef living with heart failure and sarcoidosis reflects on what it feels like to age into the very demographic whose medical brochures once made him feel like an anomaly—and why finally fitting the picture is both comforting and unsettling in equal measure.
Living with sarcoidosis and heart failure means sharing life with a quiet, loyal device that tracks every flutter, every scare, and every stubborn heartbeat. This is the story of the strange, funny, and unexpectedly comforting friendship that has kept me alive for nearly two decades.
Battling sarcoidosis while riding a packed NYC train full of coughing strangers is already a thriller, but add a prednisone dose strong enough to summon my inner demon and suddenly chronic illness becomes a full-blown adventure in mood swings, resilience, and survival with humor.
There’s something oddly powerful about hurling your emotional baggage into a river. Literally. This ancient-inspired ritual of stones, bells, and Sharpies might just be the weird yet wonderful soul detox we didn’t know we needed. It involves embracing your inner mystic, but don’t worry—no peyote buttons required. Curious yet? You should be.
Tate Basildon 