Private Chef, Writer & Podcaster
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but cigarette smoke is not an air freshener. For those of us living with sarcoidosis or any lung condition, your “right to smoke” feels like my right to suffocate. Here’s one chef’s not-so-gentle reminder that public air is shared property—so stop blowing toxins in my direction and pretending it’s perfume.
Living with chronic illness fatigue from sarcoidosis and heart failure can trigger strange micro-dreams that appear in just seconds. As a private chef, debut novelist, husband, and pet parent, I’ve learned to see these surreal mental snapshots as my body’s way of processing stress and restoring energy. Here’s how micro-sleep, creative imagination, and humor can help you survive fatigue and find meaning in the chaos.
Back in 2010, a simple walk with my dog turned into a two-minute dance with death when my heart went into fibrillation. Thanks to my implanted defibrillator, I lived to tell the story—and to learn what it means to actually listen to my body when it decides to go rogue.
Growing up in a household full of brothers but shaped by strong women, I learned early that respect isn’t optional—especially in male-dominated kitchens. As a private chef living with sarcoidosis and heart failure, I’ve seen how words, attitudes, and compassion impact everyone. Here’s how childhood, chronic illness, and the culinary world taught me why speaking up matters.
Living with sarcoidosis and heart failure, I’ve learned a thing or two about showing up even when life doesn’t make it easy. My biological father didn’t, but my stepdad—my real dad—did. This is a story about humor, strength, and learning to face illness with a smile instead of a complaint.
Tate Basildon 