life – Life As An Anomaly

What Exactly Is My Brand?

I shut down my photography and food blogs as I do not have the time to dedicate to them as much as I wanted. I am combining my three sites right here. Someone wrote to ask me what exactly is my brand, because they could not quite figure out what my site was really about….

Words Of Wisdom: Life & Lemons

©️2020 Basil René. All Rights Reserved Images©️Basil René or Sourced From Mematic &/or Giphy Who Holds ©️Info For All Photographs In Thier Application Basil René was diagnosed with pulmonary sarcoidosis in 2006 and cardiac sarcoidosis in 2007. As a result of sarcoidosis, Basil René has heart failure and lives with an implanted AICD.

Do You Breathe While You Chew?

I recently started working with a breathing coach to retrain my breathing. One of the things they mentioned was that people can only chew for as long as they hold their breath, so I should take smaller bites. I challenged this and told them that when I chew, I continue to breathe through my nose…

Second Look Sunday: Give Me This Day My Daily Pain

Originally posted February 18, 2014 Everyday, I open my eyes and I say “Thank You for another day!” to the universe, to God, to who ever is out there looking down on us as I try to connect spiritually. And then I take a deep conscious breath, deep into my chest, and I am almost…

Learning About Yourself Is Not Only About Your Emotions

There is a school of thought that we all come to this planet with a preplan of the challenges we will face so that we can learn various lessons. Apparently, when I was leaving the soul bank for earth, there was a breakfast meeting at which I was asked what challenges I want in this…

Second Look Sunday: Why I Think There Will Never Be A Cure For Sarcoidosis

Originally published Feb 12, 2014 In my [fourteen] years with this disease, trolling blogs and web sites, starting my own blog, letters from readers, etc., there is one common thread with people with this disease – “when will they find a cure?” I realize the desperation for a cure, and I hope that eventually there…

Wednesday’s Words Of Wisdom: Gratitude For Life

Second Look Sunday: Traveling And Diuretics

Originally posted January 23, 2014 It is amazing how you need to plan your life when you have chronic conditions. Simple things like a road trip become an event. I need to figure out if I need to walk with my portable liquid oxygen or my concentrator. How many days of medication I need. If…

Wednesday’s Words Of Wisdom: Forgiveness

Second Look Sunday: Finding Bits Of Peace

Originally posted Jan 21, 2014 Standing with my back to the shower, I let the warm (bordering on hot) water cascade down onto my head as I tilt my head back at just the correct angle to allow the water to completely cover my ears so that all I hear is the sound of water…

Wednesday’s Words Of Wisdom: Self Healing

Second Look Sunday: What Is Your Speak?

Originally posted January 18, 2014 This weekend I am away on business, and this morning I went to pick up some bagels at a local bagel store. I speak with an accent that is apparently not discernible to most people. I have been asked if I my accent is British, Scottish, French, Dutch, Irish, Egyptian,…

Superman Is Grounded

When I was given the news in 2007 that sarcoidosis affected my heart and that I had 5 to 10 years before I would need a heart and lung transplant, I was determined to prove doctors wrong. There was no way I was having a transplant. I was going to live way beyond the ten…

Wednesday’s Words Of Wisdom: The Greatest Healing Force

Duck! #1MinFictionChallenge

I threw myself hard to the wet ground, landing face first in a muddy puddle on the street when I hear the policeman yell “Duck!” I raised my soggy face up to see him laughing hysterically as the duck in the road waddled back to the pond. This post is part of Cyranny’s One Minute…