Lo Floyd continues to fight, despite not knowing what challenge his next day will bring.
“When I open my eyes, I just have to make sure all my limbs work,” said Floyd, who resides in Destrehan.
It isn’t an exaggeration – this is what life is for Floyd, who in 2021 was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a systemic inflammatory disease characterized by the growth of tiny clumps of inflammatory cells called granulomas in various parts of the body. It most commonly affects the lungs and lymph nodes but can also impact the skin, eyes, heart and nervous system.
The disease has earned the nickname of “the great mimicker” because its symptoms closely resemble those of many other diseases and can cause inflammation in almost any organ. Two patients with the disease can and will often have entirely different experiences. There is no known cure for sarcoidosis.
“Diagnosing it is difficult because doctors have to rule out the other conditions first. It makes it difficult to identify,” said Floyd. “It can look like literally anything else that could be wrong with you.”
Likewise, Floyd thought he was suffering from a different crisis in 2021 – a heart attack. Doctors instead discovered he was suffering from a pulmonary embolism and that he had multiple blood clots.
That scary incident was the first sign of a much larger problem.
“I had this pain in my chest, every time I’d breathe out. It felt like someone was punching me in my chest,” Floyd said. “That pain made me go to the doctor. The location of one of those clots, right by my heart – I could have dropped dead.”
When told he had sarcoidosis, he didn’t know what to think.
“I felt confusion … I didn’t know what it was. It’s a doozy,” Floyd said. “They call it the Great Mimicker for a reason. It can mimic anything wrong with the body. I’ve been paralyzed twice (neurosarcoidosis). I’ve lost vision (with a cataract in his right eye). Anemia, healthy teeth falling out overnight. Right now I’m dealing with cutaneous sarcoidosis, where my skin is breaking out in lesions.
“Sometimes, it goes away fast. Sometimes, it doesn’t.”
So, when Floyd wakes up, he checks whether he can move properly, breathe normally and whether new symptoms have appeared. Once he confirms his body is functioning normally, he begins his daily routine.
Long term planning gives way to simply making it through each day.
“Every day is something new,” he said. “I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”
It’s not known what causes sarcoidosis. While Floyd acknowledges researchers are still searching for those answers, he has his own belief as to where this started for him – a time of immense grief. Just prior to his diagnosis, he endured the loss of both his grandmother and mother in close succession. He believes that stress triggered, or at least worsened, his condition.
“Stress really can kill you,” Floyd said.
He is currently in Houston, where he underwent pulmonary thromboendarterectomy surgery at Houston Methodist Hospital. Last month, doctors found multiple blood clots in Floyd’s lungs once again, necessitating the surgery to remove them.
A GoFundMe (titled “Emergency open heart and lung surgery”) was set up to help him offset some of the significant financial burden from traveling to Houston, hospital stay, medication and day-to-day expenses tied to his condition. Almost $1,100 has been raised over the fundraiser’s first two weeks.
“They’re my angels,” Floyd said. “I can’t thank them enough. It was unexpected … a friend of mine, who I’m staying with, has been amazing throughout all of this as well. I’m just so grateful.”
