16 hours of sleep

goes a long way. Saturday night I slept 12 hours, then got up for about an hour or two and went back to sleep for another four hours. This made going to bed at a decent time on Sunday night a little difficult, but I managed to get almost 7.5 hours last night. I'm a new person. Well, the sleep and a very small dose of prednisone to jump start me. I hate being on prednisone, and I've been very lucky to be off it for years now. I take it only when my flare-ups are accompanied by fevers - usually a sign that my white cell count is very (perhaps dangerously) low. Even then I take 1 or two very small doses and make sure I get the (even more) necessary sleep. A note on low white cell count - a few years ago, I was having a flare-up with fevers, and I could tell it was a pretty bad one. I went to the doctor and it turned out my white cell count was below 1. This meant that my doctor was mandated to hospitalize me. I assured her that I just needed rest, but she told me that if I didn't check myself in - she'd send an ambulance for me. I checked myself in, and after a few days of near constant sleep (no drugs), my cell count shot up. The doctors had no idea what was going on or why I got better. I kept telling them that it was just a flare up and I needed some sleep. They did not believe me, but didn't have a better explanation - even after countless tests. So, I learned that getting rest early on key. Also, as great as some doctors are, they can't possibly tell me how sarcoid affected me nearly as well as I could tell them and myself. You have to learn to pay attention to yourself and your symptoms so you can notice a pattern.
Now is the tricky time, though. I feel so much better than when I was dragging on Friday and Sat, that already I am wanting to go for a run or something. I know better. I can't overdo it too soon. I can tell that I still need some additional sleep. I did lift weights last night - which I'm sure helped. Lifting weights is good because it's beneficial without the impact and stress. I am not even close to being a body builder or even noticeably toned, but I can't tell it's beneficial in many ways. I only wish I had been introduced to it earlier - apparently being on prednisone for a sustained period of time weakens your bone density, and lifting weights help build bone density.