Abe Soliman, a proud Egyptian immigrant and physical therapist, was diagnosed with sarcoidosis in 2009. His son, Isaac, was in medical school at the time. Given the differentials involving cough, shortness of breath, and presence of lymph nodes on X-Ray, the diagnosis of Sarcoidosis came in as relief especially since the majority of cases often go into remission (meaning no evidence of active disease) or rarely progress.
For many years this was true. As a result, while Abe did have regular healthcare appointments, his diagnosis faded into the background. Follow-ups became less frequent, and the attention to it’s symptoms diminished.
In 2017, Abe’s health took a turn for the worse. One day he called Isaac and explained that he could no longer walk due to severe shortness of breath. This obviously signaled that something was very wrong, so Isaac insisted his father come to the emergency room where he was at this point chief medical resident. A chest CT revealed that Abe had severe fibrosis in his lungs. From this point on, his health began to drastically decline, and the devastating reality of his prognosis set in.
A proud man, who had spent over 30 years rehabilitating patients, running a practice and had himself always led an active lifestyle, Abe struggled to accept the limitations brought on by his physical state. He now needed to be aggressive with his treatment. Despite this, he remained dedicated to his physical therapy practice and patients though he had to adjust to relying on supplemental oxygen while he treated patients.
What is Sarcoidosis?
Sarcoidosis is a rare disease that impacts under 200,000 people in the United States. Cells in the immune system overreact and form clusters, known as granulomas, that can appear on any organ in the body and 90% of the time impact the lymph nodes in the chest or the lungs.
A year later, Abe’s condition worsened further, and he was admitted to Isaac’s hospital struggling to breathe. He was experiencing hypoxia, which meant his body was not getting enough oxygen to function properly. Isaac was by his father’s side when he decompensated requiring emergent intubation and placement on the ventilator to help his body oxygenate. Though he recovered soon after, he was readmitted to the hospital a month later with the same condition.
Understanding he needed to have further assistance if he hoped to avoid repeat hospitalizations (and to live with a quality of life), Abe who had previously been evaluated for a lung transplant, now needed it. The evaluation team had reservations because he would be high-risk for failure due to the advanced state of his lung disease. But they were moved by Abe’s resolve and the robust support system that surrounded him, including Isaac, his wife of 30 years Jackie, and his younger son Jacob, a dental student. He was placed atop (due to the severity of his case) the transplant waiting list and moved to the hospital that would conduct his lung transplant.
Isaac was told that as long as Abe was able to stay off the ventilator, he could remain eligible for a transplant, but his condition continued to decline. A lung became available and was in route to the hospital when Abe’s respiratory status deteriorated. He was placed on a ventilator and underwent ECMO, which provided temporary support for his heart and lungs. Had this happened a few hours earlier, he would have been ineligible for the transplant. His doctors decided that since the lung was on the way, they would continue with the transplant, so Abe underwent a right lung transplant.
On average lung transplant patients are able to be discharged about three weeks after the procedure, but it would take Abe nine months to recover. His support system helped him remain strong, but ultimately it was Abe’s tenacity that helped him persevere. Dr. Soliman speaks fondly of his father’s determination and how Abe always gravitated towards lions as they represent strength and courage.
When he finally returned home, Abe was able to resume his life without the use of supplemental oxygen or the severe limitations brought on by low oxygen. He was immunocompromised due to the medications he took for his transplant, but he continued to do the things that always had brought him joy. He enjoyed going out and being active, whether that meant doing household shopping or guiding and assisting his sons with various home improvement projects. The lung transplant extended his life and gave Abe five more years with his family. In late 2022, he was exposed to COVID-19 and never fully recovered. He passed away a month later.
Though he is still grieving, Isaac is on a mission to keep his father’s memory alive. He is sharing his father’s story to raise awareness of sarcoidosis and ways to be an advocate. Here are his tips:
- Do not take a sarcoidosis diagnosis lightly. Hope for the best but be vigilant before it is too late. Educate yourself and your loved ones on the resources available. Learn as much as you can about the disease, the possibly symptoms and be aware of the subtleties that may indicate progression.
- Be mindful of the impact that this systemic disease will have, as it effects multiple organ systems of the body and ask your healthcare team for support.
- Don’t let disease statistics give you a false sense of security. Every case is individual, and your treatment options and outcome will be unique.
- Lifestyle changes, such as avoiding smoking, managing stress, and diet and exercise changes can help with any chronic disease.
- Keep up with your appointments, even if you are feeling fine. How sarcoidosis presents and progresses in your body could change and keeping your health care providers regularly involved will help you stay on top of any changes that could impact your health.
Learn more at Lung.org/sarcoidosis.
Blog last updated: April 8, 2025
