Private Chef, Writer & Podcaster
Ever waited for a blog post like it was your favorite dish at a slow-cooking restaurant? This chronic illness chef with sarcoidosis doesn’t post daily—and that’s okay. Here’s why blog consistency isn’t the cure-all, especially when life, health, and heart failure come to dinner uninvited. (Yes, it’s called chronic illness for a reason.)
Waking up to heart failure, sarcoidosis, and a life sentence of meds wasn’t in my five-year plan. Neither was an implantable defibrillator with discontinued leads that could’ve killed me. Here’s how one month of stubborn hesitation saved my life. Chronic illness, heart failure, and sarcoidosis survivors—this one’s for you.
Long before sarcoidosis turned my immune system into a half-functioning smoke detector, my wife and I were card-carrying germaphobes. Yes, both of us. We cringe at communal pens, we wash clothes after stepping outside to walk the dog, and we carry more Purell than snacks. Here’s why we’d rather bring our own pen than touch yours—and why every shirt that sees daylight gets washed. (sarcoidosis included)
Living with heart failure and sarcoidosis means my heart sometimes behaves like an untrained sous-chef—dropping beats, burning the sauce, and sending everyone into panic mode. After a surprise fibrillation episode, some extra beats, and a cardiologist who ambushed me with a flu shot before I could protest, I’m trying to stay calm, breathe, and avoid yet another hospital stay.
Chronic illness can feel like a grief rollercoaster — denial, anger, and all the feelings in between. As someone living with sarcoidosis, heart failure, and a whole list of “don’ts,” I’ve stumbled my way through the stages of grief and found acceptance in the most unexpected places, like garden pots I can’t lift and reversible pulmonary hypertension. Here’s my real talk on surviving, adapting, and laughing through it all — with a side of stubborn positivity and sarcasm.
Tate Basildon 