Former MTV VJ Karen Duffy explains her illness sarcoidosis in new book

While promoting her book, MTV VJ Karen Duffy speaks about her condition and continuous suffering. In the book, Wise Up: Irreverent Enlightenment from a Mother Who's Been Through It, Duffy also recounted her time at the 1995 Emmy Awards, which she believes was the last occasion she was pain-free.

Sarcoidosis is an illness that affects granulomas (small clusters of inflammatory cells) to develop in specific parts of the body. The illness primarily affects the lungs and lymph nodes, according to Mayo Clinic. However, it can affect any part of the body. The illness is thought to be caused by the immune system's reaction to a foreign substance, while the cause is unknown.

The symptoms of sarcoidosis differ between individuals depending on whatever part of the body is affected. Some of the symptoms include inflamed and aching joints, swollen lymph glands, reddening, and blurred vision.


According to her, the experience felt like a powered snake slithering down her vertebral canal. She detected an irreversible lesion in her brain, which was pushing on her neurons and causing her excruciating pain. After 9 months, Duffy was confirmed with sarcoidosis. The illness had an effect on her central nervous system.

Karen Duffy later explained that the agony was so terrible that a cold wind on her neck wasn't enough to keep her from fainting. According to her, she has already lacked sensations in her leg and arm. Her disease, on the other hand, could cause her to lose even more mobility in the future.