Bernie Mac and Sarcoidosis
The sad passing of Bernie Mac who was not only a man who made people laugh in stand up comedy, on TV, especially on the Bernie Mac show and was an acclaimed actor in movies such as Oceans Eleven, Head of State and Transformers made people aware of a chronic illness called Sarcoidosis.
This disease usually begins in the lungs or lymph nodes. It is an inflammatory disease which causes tiny lumps of cells or granulomas to form. These can grow along with other granulomas in various organs of the body and damage the organs.
Besides the lungs and lymph nodes, the eyes, skin, liver, heart and spleen can be damaged. The disease can be mild, even stop producing symptoms or can get worse in time and permanently damage organs.
There is no known cause but the belief is that it is an autoimmune reaction to chemicals, pollen or other inhaled substances. It can also be genetic.
Diagnosis is determined by locating the lumps or granulomas. This is done by x-ray, MRI, PET Scan or other means. Treatment is usually Prednisone, immune suppressants and/or treatments for the organs that are damaged such as eye drops or inhalers.
Unless it affects the skin, Sarcoidosis is an invisible chronic illness. Although Bernie Mac’s publicist denies that this was the cause of his death, the knowledge of this disease can help others.
Learning about a rare invisible chronic illness makes it important for us to be involved with Invisible Illness Week being held on September 8 - 14. Even if you are not affected by a chronic illness, nearly 1 in 2 Americans live with a chronic condition and 96% of illness is invisible. Blog about it and then take part in the activities for this important week.
“Bernie Mac’s publicist denies that this was the cause of his death”, I find this quote disturbing that is to say I find the publicist comment to be misleading. It is reasonable, I’ll go as far as to say logical to say that pneumonia was a sad side effect/result/complication take your pick of sarcoidosis. I live with sarcoidosis. The first diagnosis came came from granulomas in my lymph nodes and lungs. I am fully aware of the difficulty of breathing deeply and therefore could result in difficulty in keeping airways clear. The coughing that comes with deep breathing. The exhaustion that comes with setbacks. The list goes on, all add up to an environment that would allow one fighting agianst sarcoidosis to loose the battle against pneumonia . To wrap this up autoimmune diseases do not kill, the effects do. For example, blood clots with lupus, pneumonia with emphysema and perhaps sarcoidosis.
I also have sarcoid. Very few people, including doctors, know about this disease. Once the lungs are scarred it open the doors for all kinds of infections.
My heart goes out to you. Until I read your blog, I had not heard of Sarcoidosis.
I keep hearing that Bernie Mack died from pneumonia complications. The whole story would help draw attention to this illness. I wish the news media would tell it.
Thanks for the information concerning the week of Sept. 8-14, 2008 as Invisible Illness Week.
I will pass it on to my readers as well.
Mckaye K’s last blog post..Chronically Ill and Needing A Stress Release, Bag or Key Hole Gardening Maybe Your Answer
Anyone that suffers from sarcoidosis knows that Bernie Mack died from complications of Sarcoidosis. I have sarcoidosis and sarcoidosis has caused me to be put in the hospital 6 times in the last seven years. My average stay each time is 3 days. Sarcoidosis primarily causes me to get chronic bronchitus and sinusitus which progresses to pnuemonia. Furthermore,
I have some joint pain and sometimes
I get strange rashes. My health insurance company offered to help me get on disability, but I love to go to work
and I hate soap operas.
I suffer from Sarcoidosis as well & the intensity of my symptoms vary from time! I agree with one of the other “bloggers” that it’s far fetch to say that the great Bernie Mac’s pnuemonia had nothing to do with Sarcoidosis . . . once you have a condition that compromises your immune system any sickness that occurs is that much harder to battle!! And since he had a respitory infection, one would better believe Sarcoid played a part.
I was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis two years ago and it was because of respitory problems, now my flare ups are more joint, skin and EXTREME fatique related. I had NEVER heard of this illness either until I was diagnosed and now I’m meeting soooo many people with it! Symptoms vary so much between suffers that it’s hard for those who don’t have it to understand what we go through . . . I think it’s about time we as suffers make more noise about this disease!
I URGE each person dealing with this illness to continue to research the updates on Sarcoidosis and continue to share your experience and by all means EDUCATE your primary doctor’s because MOST PCP’s don’t have really have a clue about the effects of Sarcoid because it’s not their area of expertise and we have to bring the information to them!
I wish everyone peace & balance & better health!
I too have sarcoidosis for over 6 years. I have been told I have pulmonary sarcoidosis, also joint, and eyes. It has enlarged my heart, gall bladder (which I had removed) spleen. I have rashes too. I have been really bad with it and been in and out of the hospital over 23 times in one year. I have been on oxygen 24 hours and now off of it. For how long no one knows. My life is somewhat restricted in everyday function with something no one knows where it come from. I have been asked if I have lived near pine trees in South Carolinia, near sand mines, worked around old buildings. I know how predisone effects the body first hand being on large doses for years. I think the predisone side effects are almost as bad as the disease. I know Bernie died of pnuemonia due to Sarcoidosis because I came close myself. I will miss him and wish he would of came out with having Sarcoidosis earlier and been a spokesperson for it.
I have sacidosis well and i must say that this is killing me slowly. i also have asthma and sometimes i wish i could die. the doctors don’t know what to do and the predisone makes me gain alot of weight. if it was not for the blood of jesus i don’t beleive that i would have made it this far. so far all the people that are going through my prayers are with u and please be of good chher god will pull us all out
I too have Sarcoidosis and I can’t believe any Doctor would say it didn’t play a major role in Bernie Mac’s death. This is a terrible disease and it is time that Doctors started listening to their patients. We all need to raise HELL about the fact that so many people have it and yet they still refer to it as a rare disease. The only thing rare about it is a Doctor that knows something about it.