Understanding Nonsense - a Column by Willian Ryan

Nana’s husband, my grandfather Bob, passed away a little less than three months before she found herself standing in the maternity ward of a New York hospital. There she stared at her new grandson, hoping and praying that he’d live as normal and healthy a life as God would grant…

When I was in my late teens and early 20s, before I met my wife, I would go anywhere and do anything at a moment’s notice. Staying out until 3 a.m. at a random bar on Manhattan’s Lower East Side? No problem. Watching a friend’s band play in a basement…

Growing up, I hated my birthday. It brought a wave of attention from everyone I knew and, more importantly, made me think about my mortality. People with cystic fibrosis (CF) are all too aware of death and the likelihood of dying young. Patients are reminded of it when fellow…

Talking Heads is one of my all-time favorite bands. One of their most popular songs, “Once in a Lifetime,” has a refrain in its bridge that goes, “Same as it ever was, same as it ever was.” Monotony may not be something most people would choose…

Over the past few weeks, I’ve attempted to focus my thoughts on an area that many of us within the disabled community know all too well: the waiting room. That room is a microcosm for healthcare in the United States: It’s a gateway to healing, but, in 2023, it’s functioning…

Like others with chronic illness, many of us with cystic fibrosis (CF) have met someone who has recommended something that would “cure” us of our disease. Someone once told me that some kind of tea would clear out all of my mucus and lung infection. While I appreciated their…

All symptoms aren’t created equal. They can be visible or invisible and range from manageable to unbearable, even debilitating a person for days on end. With cystic fibrosis (CF), symptoms can last a lifetime and affect far more than the lungs. Some even develop into separate diseases, creating…

It’s the coughing. It’s always going to be the coughing with cystic fibrosis (CF). It makes everyone uncomfortable, whether they admit it or not. Everyone who knows me knows I can have a pretty bad cough that can be loud, harsh, and drag on for a long time. It’s…

In my nearly 31 years of life, I’ve watched technology evolve at a rapid pace. Millennials like me have watched cellphones, video games, and computers transform from their rudimentary beginnings into the efficient tools we rely on today. As an adult with cystic fibrosis (CF), I’ve also seen dramatic…

At least twice a week, as I’m lying in bed, I can hear the voice of Paulie Walnuts from “The Sopranos” whispering one of his famous quotes in my ear: “A man needs his seven hours. Keeps his mind sharp.” Aside from the hilarity of that scene, Paulie…